How Should I Mount & Wire Solar Panels?

Question:

I am interested in buying two Solbian SL40Q solar panels to mount on my boat’s dodger, on either side of the boom. What is the best way to do this, with sew-on Velcro or zippered panels? How are they attached to the dodger? Also, I read your handout and understand that the ideal setup would be to have a separate boost controller for each panel and to wire them in parallel. I have a hard frame Kyocera panel now, attached to the side rail and it runs through a charge controller to the two 6V golf cart Trojan batteries. But I am happy to wire each new panel through a separate controller for maximum efficiency. If you agree two chargers are advisable I would be interested in two Genasun GV-Boost 105-350W as well.

Answer:

You can mount your solar panels with Velcro, zippers or grommets. Keep in mind that velcro has a tendency to hold water and can grow algae which will cause the hook and loop to lose its grip.  With any of these installations, one side is sewn to the solar panel and the other side onto the canvas.

We always recommend using one controller per panel. This will ensure maximum input when a portion of a panel is in the shade. To be safe, due to the current sizing of Genasun GV-Boost 105-350W boost controller, you will need to pair one Solbian SL40Q panel per controller.