tsrichards
New Member
do You think there would be room on the top of a 24’ older Rialta for Solar panels without removing the factory AC?
On a question like that, you might get more targeted responses and suggestions if you were to post a pic of your roof area in question.
But the short answer is that anything can be achieved - it just takes money and commitment.
Here's our set-up (pic taken from a ferry deck before I put a reflective thermal coating on our roof). Our solar panels are on an 80/20 frame vaulted above the air conditioner. The frame is hinged on its front edge, so the whole assembly pivots upward if the a/c needs to be accessed.
It's a lot of work to do something like this, but it certainly is an efficient use of space. We coupled 300 watts of panels with a lithium battery and an upgraded engine alternator. We are no longer power-limited - we can off-grid anywhere we want to go.
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If the AC is under the solar panels is its efficiency affected?
I have seen some Rialta users put up about 100-200 Watts of Solar on their Roofs using some smaller flexible panels, but part of the installation depends on what model you have as the skylight position is different on the QD vs the FD/HD models and it takes up quite a bit of room. Also check out this forum : https://groups.io/g/Rialta-Tech/search?q=solar. Many of us also use portable units of up to 100 Watts that can positioned once onsite. As always, weight is an issue with the Rialta as we are careful of what we carry with us....
Robert