Beach cabana's solar set up

[Sunking]

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Which parts will fail every year? If it is the panels, will mounting them to the roof of the pictured cabana help or should we have the panels some distance inshore?

It is the salt air and shade that will get you.

[Mike90250]

As you know, salt water mist corrodes stuff quickly. The frames and mounting gear for the panels will suffer from the salt, but should last 3-5 years. Don't forget that mid-day clouds will interfere with your harvest too.

[PalawanWolfe]

I have a chainsaw solution to the problem. As much as I hate to do it I will cut down whatever I need to. My plan was to put it on top of the cabana because that will require cutting down the fewest trees. I apologize if I wasn't clear about what I meant by 'cutting' and 'chainsaw work'.
Now, are the panels the aforementioned part that will need 'replaced every year'? Will placing them on top of the cabana help mitigate that? Do I need to carve out an inland opening instead? If so, how far away from the beach?

[Mike90250]

Well, you have a problem. They are solar panels, not shade panels. Shade on a panel, even the shadow of a rope on a sailboat, will reduce the power from the Whole panel. A little shade on a spot of a panel, reduces the whole panel a lot, not just the 3% of the shaded area. So you will have to put the panels up, over panel 300% and hope you get enough that things work. You need full sun 9am - 4, but I said that already

[PalawanWolfe]

The whole property is old growth hardwood. Anyplace we put the panels will require chainsaw work, I would prefer on top of that cabana because it will take the least cutting. That brings me back to the previous question though.

[Mike90250]

too much shade there to put panels up. You need NO SHADOWS from 9am - 4pm if you want a reasonable harvest

[PalawanWolfe]

Beach + Sand + Salt Air = replace yearly.

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Which parts will fail every year? If it is the panels, will mounting them to the roof of the pictured cabana help or should we have the panels some distance inshore?

[SupraLance]

Another option would be separate isolated systems for each cabana. This avoids several problems in your original plan, such as batteries in parallel, and requires no wiring at all between the cabanas. It also stops one guest from running another guest out of power and encourages each guest to practice conservation. Your 8 batteries could be 2 to each smaller cabana and 4 to the main. Smaller controllers are a lot cheaper, so buying several can actually be cheaper than buying one big controller. And all the wiring runs can be kept very short. And if something fails, only one of the cabanas is without power.

[PNPmacnab]

I think you are way light on panels. I have a camp and triple that. The nature of people is they will turn things on and leave them on. As described I think you are destined to fail.

[Sunking]

Beach + Sand + Salt Air = replace yearly.

[PalawanWolfe]

I am getting ready to start making purchases. Do you guys see any other issues?

[littleharbor]

I have one of those fans and it works great. Just make sure you take out the batteries if you put the fan in storage over the Winter otherwise they may leak and damage it.

OH, and if you use external power you need the batteries or some other form of ballast to keep it stable. I made small sand bags.

[SunEagle]

On the lighter side of things there is this O2 cool fan. I have used these in my RV's and was quite happy with them. 2 speed and quite powerful. Durable as well. They are powered by 8 D-cell batteries or a 12 volt external plug.. These will fit into a suitcase and are very inexpensive. Walmart has them for $14.88.

O2 cool fan.jpg

I have one of those fans and it works great. Just make sure you take out the batteries if you put the fan in storage over the Winter otherwise they may leak and damage it.

[littleharbor]

On the lighter side of things there is this O2 cool fan. I have used these in my RV's and was quite happy with them. 2 speed and quite powerful. Durable as well. They are powered by 8 D-cell batteries or a 12 volt external plug.. These will fit into a suitcase and are very inexpensive. Walmart has them for $14.88.

O2 cool fan.jpg

[Mike90250]

Wow, shipping is that big of a problem? Bummer. I'd recommend these https://www.bigassfans.com/fans/haiku/ but they won't fit in a suitcase. Maybe some AC-12Vdc wall warts to run the DC fans is the best thing ?