GANZ Eco-Energy Semi-Flexible Solar Panel - 55W

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Price: $872.45 $644.00   

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Product Description

Marine Grade Solar Panels - 55WGSP-55GANZ Eco-Energy's fully weatherproof solar modules are designed to provide clean, quiet and reliable power for rugged marine and other outdoor applications. An unbreakable plastic film surface with semi-flexible aluminum backing make these panels ideal for mounting on flat or gently curved decks. Our solar cells have the industry's highest conversion efficiency, providing maximum power while taking up less space on deck. Each panel has 4 grommet finished holes for mounting along with 10' of outdoor rated power cable that connects directly to your battery or a charge controller. Excellent source to trickle charge 12V batteries and other electrical devices.Non-glass designSemi-flexible with aluminum backing for flat to gently curved surfacesFully weatherproof & lightweight designUnbreakable protective plastic film coatingOffered in 6W, 12W, 30W, 40W and 55WA Ganz charge controller is recommended for the 30W, 40W & 55W panels (sold separately)2 year materials limited warranty10' power cable (12 gauge tinned copper)

GANZ Eco-Energy Semi-Flexible Solar Panel - 55W Review

Last year, I installed six of these 55W solar cells on my sailboat, roughly as shown in the product photo. My boat has a fairly extensive electrical system that includes a total of eight batteries and a 3KW Xantrex inverter that's been pre-wired to accept both solar/wind and generator inputs. I hoped that the GANZ panels would keep my batteries charged enough to keep the various refrigeration systems and pumps going while I wasn't using the boat, while also reducing the need to run the generator when we were at sea.

Installation proved to be the most difficult part, as I had to have some custom mounting hardware fabricated. Can't blame GANZ for this, but be aware that installation cost can easily run triple the cost of the panels themselves - and I already had a lot of the electrical components in place. I do worry that if I had some sort of problem, a replacement panel in the future might not fit my custom installation, so I'm considering buying a few of these panels to keep as "spares".

A previous system from another manufacturer I owned developed cracks from the constant pounding it took on the boat in heavy seas. Over time, these cracks eventually let salt water seep into the system, corroding the metal contacts and destroying the panels. With the GANZ, we were careful to provide a degree of shock mounting and isolation to reduce any impact from bouncing along over the waves. I'm happy to say that the GANZ panels, being "semi-flexible" seem to have enough "give" to handle the sort of forces you expect on a boat. After a year, there were virtually no signs of the sort of cracks I had on my previous systems.

One thing to keep in mind is testing - of the six panels purchased, two proved defective: one was just completely inoperative (no output at all) and on closer inspection, one seemed physically damaged in shipping. There are also output differences from panel to panel: my six panels show about 10% difference from lowest output unit to highest output unit.

In use, at my NY location, I'm finding that I can expect about 250W from my six-panel array in full, midday sun. This is lower than advertised, but it's a measurement at the inverter, so it would include any wiring loss and so forth. The good news is that while the full-sun power output averages only about 40W per panel under ideal conditions, it is a bit better than I had hoped in cloudy/overcast weather: even at dusk or on cloudy days (or when sailing with the panels in the shade of the sails), I'm still getting about 100-120W from my six-panel array. Over the course of a sunny summer day, my six panels put out about 2KW from dawn to dusk, and this is adequate to keep my boat powered.

I installed the units so as to be able to clean them easily, but otherwise I have had zero maintenance issues. Connections are secure and corrosion-free after the first season, and so this can be a relatively "install and forget" type of product.

Then there's the economics...on one hand, it's hard to get very excited about what amounts to maybe twenty cents worth of electricity a day. But on the other hand, it's greatly reduced the need for me to run my generator, saving me nearly $3/hour for every hour I avoid. Having a solar system on my boat increases it's value somewhat too. The solar panels have also increased my cruising range (since I don't use fuel to generate electricity), and they provide me with an important sense of safety by having what amounts to a backup electrical system that will function even without engines, generators or even batteries. Overall, I'm happy.

Definitely worth a look if you need solar power in a marine setting.

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