Australia is unusually well suited to solar-powered cruising, but marine electrical design varies dramatically with location.
A tropical liveaboard in Cairns has different thermal and refrigeration loads from a yacht wintering in Hobart.
A boat in Perth may deal with long offshore legs and hot summer conditions. A Sydney yacht may spend long periods on a swing mooring with limited shore power. A Gold Coast catamaran may have abundant solar area and a large liveaboard energy budget.
Northern Australia
Prioritise heat, ventilation, refrigeration, air conditioning, high solar availability, cyclone preparation, corrosion and equipment temperature ratings.
Southern Australia
Prioritise winter solar reduction, cold charging thresholds, condensation and seasonal lay-up.
Offshore cruising
Prioritise redundancy, hydro generation, alternator charging, spare components, navigation reserve and communication energy.
Apply this guidance to your boat
Use this page as one input to a vessel-specific plan. Record the actual equipment, cable runs, charging sources and operating pattern aboard before choosing hardware or changing the installation.
- Measure the real load and its operating time instead of relying on a label or a generic boat profile.
- Check every proposed current against the battery, BMS, protection, cable and connection limits.
- Confirm the result against current manufacturer instructions and the rules that apply to your vessel.