Marine Solar Panels

We provide various sizes of premium, marine grade flexible (bimini mount), walkable (deck mount), rigid (arch mount) and carbon fiber rail mounted marine solar panels for boats. We use the highest efficiency A+ grade Maxeon solar cells available (24.4%) to maximize power output as space is at a premium on boats and vans. We wire them and use diodes to maximize shaded performance often found on sailboats. We outfit sailboats, power boats, yachts, houseboats, trawlers, tugboats, pleasure boats, commercial fishing and ferry boats, navigation buoys, vans and RVs. Our solar panels are designed in the USA and built to our specifications especially for marine environments by highly acclaimed manufacturers. We provide custom complete solar systems and full power systems including lithium iron phosphate batteries.  Read our Reviews here.




Marine solar panels with A+ grade Sunpower Maxeon 24.4% efficient solar cells

HJT/Perc solar cell marine solar panels

 

100 products

New Shade Tolerant Solar Panels

The diagram along side illustrates how these amazing panels work. Instead of the normal 2 quadrant design we use a new split cell design allowing the panel to have four quadrants of solar cells linked in series and isolated with inner panel blocking diodes. If one or two quadrants are shaded, the other quadrants perform at normal output.

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FAQ's

What are the best marine solar panels?

The best marine solar panels have five essential components:

1. Sunpower cells - even if a cell is partially shaded they still produce power. Sunpower's A+ grade cells (Maxeon) are among the best available putting out up to 25.1% efficiency.

2. Potted (silicone filled) junction boxes - so saltwater cannot corrode the electronics.

3. Easily mountable, either flexible or rigid panels with stout anodized aluminum framing, depending on the application.

4. A+ grade solar cell quality. Cheaper panels will have lower quality, less efficient cells. Space is always at a premium in marine applications so the highest efficiency cells available are imperative. Highly efficient cells produce considerably more power at lower sun angles than lower grade cells.

5. Have bypass diodes to significantly reduce the impact of shading that often occurs on boats.

How much more power can I get from a pole mounted solar panel vs a flat mount?

Our top-of-pole mounting system enables manual tracking of the sun position for maximum panel performance and keeps the panel up and out of the way of the rigging. Rotating or tilting the panel just several times a day to obtain an optimum sun angle can increase the panel output by as much as 30%. This means more power from a smaller panel; ideal for the marine environment where space is limited. Our systems are easy to install and remove. In severe weather, simply tilt the panel horizontally or remove one bolt (or quick release pin), unplug two wires and lift the panel off the pole.

What is the difference between a cheap boat solar panel and an expensive boat solar panel?

High quality high performance solar cells will produce more power at various sun angles than lower quality solar cells; up to 30% more power. An important consideration in determining how much solar power you need is how many watt hours or amp hours of power you can expect to generate in a 24 hour period. Let's say you travel in an area that receives an average of 5 hours of full sun a day. The average is computed based on the seasonal sun angle and the sun angle from morning through evening. A 100 watt solar panel with average efficiency solar cells may produce 100 watts x 5 hours or 500 watt hours of power in a day. At 13 volts that's about 38 amp hours in a day. A 100 watt panel with high efficiency solar cells will produce up to 30% more power in a day or 100 watts x 6.5 effective hours or 650 watt hours of power in a day. At 13 volts, that's about 50 amp hours in a day. 38 amp hours vs. 50 amp hours in a day is significant in a boat. Add more panels in the mix, say 400 watts and we see 152 amp hours vs.200 amp hours, a difference of 48 amp hours. This simple analysis does not take into consideration the impact of clouds or shading both of which will make the disparity even greater. The higher the quality of the solar cells the more power produced over time.

How much solar power do I need on my boat?

It depends on how much power your boat uses and what you are trying to accomplish. Running a radio for an afternoon will use considerably less power than a refrigerator, lights, water pump, and a computer while living in a van. Sizing your solar system is not an exact science and it may be best to leave space on your solar controller to size up as needed. As they say, you can never have too much power! An abundance of power is much more fun than a deficit. Of course feel free to call us any time to discuss your needs, we've built hundreds of solar systems and are happy to share our knowledge.

Can I power my refrigerator with a 120 watt panel?

Most likely yes. It will depend on the battery bank you have to run it when the sun isn't shining. Refrigerators in vans are one of the most frequent uses for solar power.

How do I mount flexible solar panels to my bimini or dodger?

Bolt-on System - Customers have found that using our canvas bolt-on kit works well for mounting our flexible marine solar panels directly to their boat's bimini or dodger canvas. The kit includes a vinyl disk to be adhered to the underside of the canvas, fender washers to secure the bolt to the canvas, a bolt and nut to tighten the washers to the canvas and an acorn nut to secure the solar panel to the bolt. The kit includes 4 or 6 sets of attachment hardware depending on the solar panel. All metal components are stainless steel.

​Magnet Mounting System - This mounting system does not require holes in the canvas. We have found very high power rare earth magnets (up to 20 pound pull strength per magnet) are ideal for temporary mounting of our flexible solar panels on a boat's canvas bimini or dodger. Our rare earth magnet kit includes 8 or 12 magnets and adhesive to attach the magnets to the upper side of the solar panel.

Our CMPower 2.0 Smartphone App

What our Smartphone App Shows You.

Battery State of Charge %
Battery Voltage
Battery Amp Hours Remaining
Status: Standby, Charging. Discharging.
Condition: Perfect, Very Good, Good, Fair. Poor
Fault Codes: Over Voltage, Over Amp.
Number of Charge Cycles
Battery Temperature
Battery Cell Group Voltages
Time to Fully Charged

Solar System Design and Installation

We have put together a collection of helpful information for our customers on everything to help you design you perfect system and installation instructions.

Premium Marine Solar Panels/Systems and Lithium Iron Batteries

Improve your cruising experience with the highest efficiency solar panels available. 

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What Our Customers Have To Say

  • Doug Heath - Santa Fe, NM

    Customer Service and Product

    Very pleased with the performance of the rigid solar panels purchased in 2022. Customer service also has been consistently excellent both before the sale regarding product selection and after the sale regarding installation and maintenance concerns.

  • William Roth - Kodiak, AK

    Heavy Duty Panels For The Win

    Installed 1200watts of panels on my 56' commercial fishing boat in Kodiak Alaska, with salt spray and harsh winters I hardly run my genset. Installation was a breeze with using silicone to mount them. Most the boats in my family fleet have them now and we are all saving big on the fuel bill! Couldn't be happier with the purchace.

  • Hartwell C - Bellingham, WA

    Easy Install - Great Performance

    I worked with Tom last year to design a system for my sailboat; the dialog and information was very detailed and helpful in helping determine my system needs and completing the installation. Once ordering, the kit arrived in a timely manner and very complete. The install was very straightforward and Tom provided additional information as needed. After the install I took off on a 7 month cruise of British Columbia. The system worked perfectly during my trip. I’m very happy with the equipment and support from CMP and Tom. I highly recommend !

Shade Tolerant Flexible Solar Panels Explained