Can an 800 Watt Solar Array Help Power My Electric Boat?

Question:

I have a 48 volt electric Duffy and was wondering if adding 8 X 100 watt solar panels would give me a longer run time? - Frank

Answer:

An 800 watt solar array should provide you about 50 amp-hours at 48 VDC of daily battery capacity in the sunny summer months. Considering your large engine loads, an 800 watt solar array (daily 50 am-hours at 48 VDC) is not a huge amount of solar power generation. - Jeff