Solar Tracker for Boats

Just wondering would it be useful to build a solar tracker for the panel on the boat. Thinking of using an indistrial pan and tilt unit and building a control system , that moved the panels to angle to the sun.

The system wouldnt track actively , ie it would be heavily damped, so that it would not hunt as the boat moved. More that as she swung at anchor or just as the sun moves the panels would track.

Mine are on a pole(s) so just looking at the clearances needs to allow a reasonable swinging room.

The system would also allow them to be stowed so for docking/heavy weather etc.

These systems are very common on land based setups.

Any comments, problems, ideas.

Dave

 

Great idea, but it would use power in itself to do its job, it would also have to be corrosive resistant (Read 316L grade stainless steel), the electrics would need to be fully submersible and the resultant costs would most likely be prohibitive.

Then of course we change tack....and it starts all over again. The servo motors may use too much of the created power to be bothered, land based units are very large arrays, boats are limited by space.