Built in 2005, this Bavaria 39 sailing yacht got an updated photovoltaic system during a refit. In this process, another manufacturer’s broken solar panels – installed below the sheets – should be replaced, additional panels were placed on deck in front of the mast.
Placing solar panels below sheets or other sources of shadow is not a good idea as this obstructions will influence the energy yield negatively. As the old installation left lots of Sikaflex and marks on the deck after removal the owner decided to put new solar panels on this position anyway. We equipped them with independent GenaSun Step-Up MPPT controllers to maximize energy yield and make sure they don’t influence the rest of the installation.
For the area in front of the mast we designed a symmetrical system, made to match the design of the boat while making best possible use of the space. This part of the system got another two MPPT controllers and four bypass diodes for improved shadow tolerance.
All panels were mounted using a thin homogenous layer of Sikaflex, wiring is invisibly fed through deck directly below the system. Our structured frontsheet makes sure the crew can safely walk on the area even in wet conditions, also the lens structure improves heat dissipation.
Technical data:
Power: 342Wp
Panel series: SR
Weight: 6kg
Battery voltage: 12V
Battery type: Gel
