August 29th, 2025

I recently replaced the Solara walk-on solar panels on my Nordic Tug 37 with our new 325 watt carbon fiber backed walk-on panels.  I discovered the heat from the black solar panels had significantly damaged the gelcoat under the panels. There were little rings of cracked gelcoat about 1/2" in diameter.  This confirmed to me that our new mounting system for our walk-on panels is definitely the way to do a proper installation.
We suggest placing a 4 or 6 mm twin wall polycarbonate material between the boat deck and the solar panel.  The twin wall polycarbonate material is a strong fluted material that allows some airflow under the panel thus cooling it and protecting the boat gelcoat.  The polycarbonate and the solar panel are attached to the deck using an aluminum extrusion in the shape of a 'J'  . The back of the J is attached to the deck with double sided VHB (Very High Bond) 1 inch wide tape.  This provides a cooler operating solar panel which results in higher output.  The assembly is low profile at 10mm or 5/16 of an inch.  I have a video of my installation on the Nordic Tug.