Fitting Solar Panels to a Narrowboat

A reliable power source for your narrowboat is among the most important aspects of owning and running one. There’s going to be little worse than running out of power unexpectedly, especially if you’re out in the sticks, moored up somewhere without any electricity you can tap into. The best solution to this problem, without a doubt, is the installation of solar panels. You want to know you’ll always have power for devices like your phone, lights or even to start the engine. Having your own power source is vital to the comfort and safety of your journeys, so here’s a complete guide for fitting solar panels to narrowboats.

What size solar panel do you need for a narrowboat?

The size of solar panel you will need will vary depending on your boat and your needs. Around 200 watts is a popular size and power level for many boaters—this provides a good level of extra power allowing for the use of things like lights and for slow-charging device batteries. For those living mostly or entirely off-grid, around 400 watts should provide suitable power.

Fitting a solar panel to your narrowboat

When it comes to fitting solar panels to narrowboats, there are obviously two routes you can go down: you can pay to have them installed professionally or you can do it yourself. As long as you’re a dab hand with power tools and you can read a narrowboat solar panel wiring diagram, installing them yourself should be no problem.

Firstly, semi-flexible solar panels are a good place to start. Boats are by no means uniform in dimensions, so you need to be sure the panels you buy will actually be mountable to the boat. Marine solar panel kits are designed with convenience in mind, since they come with everything you need to fit the solar panel. Narrowboat solar panel installation is really simple with a bit of knowhow.

Installing solar panels on a narrowboat is a simple case of choosing somewhere to mount the panel, and cleaning the roof thoroughly. Wiring the panel is the trickier part, though it still should be a walk in the park if you can follow a diagram. 

Our Most Popular Narrowboat Solar Panel Kits

475W, 12V, 1.6kWh Professional Off-Grid Solar Kit

£923.01 – £2,262.56Price range: £923.01 through £2,262.56 including v.a.t.

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950W, 12V, 2.3kWh Professional Off-Grid Solar Kit

£1,612.23 – £2,721.22Price range: £1,612.23 through £2,721.22 including v.a.t.

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100W, 12V, 0.8kWh Professional Off-Grid Solar Kit

£474.39 – £1,456.29Price range: £474.39 through £1,456.29 including v.a.t.

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Narrowboat solar panel installation

Positioning

Before you mount the solar panels to your boat, you also need to consider how the panels will be oriented and positioned. Solar panels on a boat are typically placed flush with the surface of the roof, as this maximises exposure to the sun when it is at its highest and strongest in the sky.

You also want to avoid the potential for overheating. Overheating can seriously compromise the efficiency of the whole system, so make sure there’s plenty of air moving around behind the panels; positioning the panels using mastic adhesive is great for circulation.

Mounting

You’ll need to decide on a place to mount the solar panels. Mounting solar panels on a narrowboat is pretty simple and usually done in the same way each time. Generally, this is done on the cabin roof, where you’ve got plenty of space and you’re clear of anything else on the boat that might cast a shadow and impact its efficiency. 

Installing solar panels on a narrowboat is often a lot easier than doing so on, say, a sailboat, where there isn’t always a flat roof for mounting. Sailboat solar setup is by no means the same as a narrowboat setup, though there’s certainly a similar technique to be used.

The roof of the wheelhouse is also a common choice for mounting solar panels on a narrowboat. Again, just be sure the whole roof is clean before you begin mounting. 

Everything you’ll need to mount the solar panels will be included in our marine solar panel kits, so you don’t need to worry about anything missing.

Wiring

You’ll need marine grade copper wires for the connections, and to plan a route for the cables through the boat. Installation will also involve a charge controller to prevent overcharging, and both a positive and negative (red and black) wire. The wires will need to go through the cabin, attach to the solar panel controller, and then another set of wires linking the controller to the battery.

Fortunately, everything you need will be provided in the solar panel kits offered by Sunstore Solar, which makes the job of wiring a whole lot easier.

Parallel and series wiring is a common question regarding narrowboat solar panel wiring. In parallel is generally better, because any malfunction that is negatively affecting one panel is likely to affect the others if they are wired in series. 

If you have any doubt or experience any difficulties with your narrowboat solar panel wiring, contact a Sunstore expert who can provide advice and support with your installation. 

Maintenance

Maintaining your solar panels properly is vital to making sure they are doing their job efficiently. This comes down mostly to simple things like keeping the solar panels clean and making sure they haven’t sustained any kind of damage. However, you’ll also want to be monitoring the periodic power output of the system. If there are discrepancies and the system does not seem to be producing the amount of power that it should, then there may be a problem that needs to be addressed. 

Conclusion

Solar panel kits for narrowboats are great for fitting a solar setup yourself with only limited knowledge and expertise. Rest assured, though, that our team of experts can assist you with any stage of the process you might be unsure about. Installing solar panels on a narrowboat with our DIY kits makes the job a whole lot quicker and easier. Contact us with any questions or make an installation enquiry using the form below.