Premium Solar Systems and LiFePO4 Batteries for Boats.
We've helped design and supply thousands of marine solar systems. We're happy to help with yours, call 773-965-2546.
"Your customer service has been phenomenal by the way" - B. Nash 1/9/23
"Your customer service has been phenomenal by the way" - B. Nash 1/9/23
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New to solar? Watch a video we put together covering all the basics of marine solar systems or go here for solar system design worksheet and info
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10% off LiFePO4 batteries with solar system purchase
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145W Shade Tolerant Flexible Solar Panels
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Semi Rigid Walk On Solar Panels
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Rigid Marine Solar Panels
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Ericson 38 with a Pole Mounted 175 Watt Solar Panel
Recreational cruising sailboats and (commercial) powerboats - Having plenty of electric power on board while cruising can make the difference between a fantastic experience and a marginal one. We know; we are cruising sailors.
If you are considering solar power for your sailboat or powerboat (or houseboat or van or RV) and want to learn more about the technology, check out our overview presentation titled Selecting the Proper Solar System for Your Boat or our Cruiser's Guide to Selecting and Sizing a Solar Charging System under our Support -> Manuals & Info section. Worksheets and tools to help size your system are also found here: Solar System Design & Installation
Marine solar panels are an excellent source of electrical power for the cruising sailboat or power boat (or camper van or houseboat or RV). We at Custom Marine Products have developed numerous approaches to installing marine solar systems easily and cost effectively.
Our solar panels are custom made to our stringent specifications by leading and highly acclaimed PV solar panel manufacturers both in the USA and overseas. The solar cells in our panels are of the highest quality and output available and made by SunPower (USA), Bosch (German) and Qcell (German). You will see on our solar panel page that our flexible solar panels have comparable performance to our line of semi-rigid and rigid high performance solar panels. This is because we use the same high performance SunPower 23.7% efficient solar cells in all of our solar panels. We use the highest efficiency cells commercially available because space on boats is at a premium, our panels deliver maximum power per square foot. We've also added a second line of panels with the same construction quality but with PERC cells, which are a bit less efficient (22.4%) and less expensive as the manufacturing of the panel is automated. Scroll down here to the second grid for PERC panel specs and pricing. These are excellent panels for houseboats that don't have the same space constraints.
Commercial Boats and Ships - Solar power is an excellent way to reduce the carbon foot print of commercial vessels by significantly reducing the load on the onboard power generator. We have designed solar systems to supplement power to the onboard appliances. These systems often include a marine grade solar array, control electronics and highly efficient LiFePo4 battery banks. Contact us for assistance in designing and implementing a marine solar system on your ship.
Complete Marine Solar System Kits -
Figuring out the size of solar panel(s) you need and matching it up with the various accessories required for a complete high performance system can be a daunting task. That is why our engineers have developed easy to install complete solar system kits that contain everything you need for your solar system including: marine solar panels, mounting systems, solar wire, and charge controllers. We also supply high performance lithium marine batteries and inverters to round out your system. We understand many if not most solar systems on boats are unique. We are always more than happy to help you work through your thoughts and design ideas and walk you through the process. Work through as much as you can on your own (lots of support here and a boat solar power calculator tool here) and then give us a call to make sure what you've put together will meet your goals, then we can put together a quote for you with a solar system specifically matched to your sailboat / trawler / tugboat / powerboat / yacht / pontoon / houseboat / van / RV / fishing boat / commercial fishing boat.
We offer top-of-pole solar panel mounting systems with an optional integrated outboard motor lift crane that are cost effective, easy to install and robust enough for challenging weather conditions. We also offer mounting systems for flexible high output marine solar panels that can be mounted on a canvas bimini, curved hard top, houseboat sundeck, or van (or RV) roof rack. Our solar panel mounting systems will accommodate most commercially available solar panels.
Need help with your solar system installation? Call us or go to our support page listing qualified solar system installation specialists around the country that have installed our solar systems on many boats.
The solar panels and solar systems we design and build are becoming increasingly popular as van solar panels and van solar systems (and RV solar panels and RV solar systems), call any time (773 965 2546) for help if you're a van (or RV) owner, the design and systems are all the same as for boats. The walk on panels are especially popular as they maximize roof rack space, you can have your solar and store your gear and sit/stand on top, no compromise needs to be made to accommodate as much solar as you'd like.
Ordering is easy. Purchase directly from the store or email us or call 773-965-2546 with your requirements and we are happy to work directly with you to design a custom solar system specific to your needs.
We are quite open to exchanging a solar system on your boat for charter time, just give us a call to discuss and we can work it out.
We are quite open to exchanging a solar system on your boat for charter time, just give us a call to discuss and we can work it out.
We are always researching and designing the best products and technology.
115 Watt Flexible Shade Tolerant Solar Panel
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Showing Shade Tolerant Flexible Solar Panels in four quadrants vs two
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SunPower Maxeon Cell - Shade Tolerant Series ***** NEW *****
We have developed a flexible solar panel series using SunPower Maxeon cells that has superior performance when partially shaded by boat equipment. The junction box is mounted in the center of the panel enabling the panel to have four quadrants of solar cells linked in series and isolated with diodes. If one or two quadrants are shaded, the other quadrants perform at normal output. The result is a panel that will provide up to three times the output of a standard panel when shaded. While the center mounted junction may be a wiring issue for some installations, the panels are ideal for bimini and dodger mounting where there is boom, mast and instrument pole shading. |
145 Watt Shade Tolerant Flexible Solar Panel
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 Semi-rigid Walkable Solar Panel
*** NEW *** Custom Marine Products has released a new series of marine solar panels. With a strong aluminum backing and very thick ETFE laminate non-skid surface, these panels can be walked on without fear of damaging the solar cells and can conform to a slightly curved surface (~5 degrees). There is no glass and no aluminum frame so these panels are considerably lighter than our rigid panels but heavier and stiffer than our flexible panel series. These panels are ideal for mounting on a slightly curved rigid boat or RV surface or on our top-of-pole mounting system for lighter weight than a rigid panel. We use premium SunPower Gen III solar cells with an efficiency rating of up to 23.7%, the highest efficiency available anywhere.
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Semi-rigid Walk On panels are 1/4" thick.
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190 W PERC Marine Solar Panel
*** NEW *** Custom Marine Products has released a new 190 watt PERC cell rigid monocrystalline solar panel to replace the aging 135 and 145 watt Kyocera solar panels. The Kyocera panels were very popular 10-15 years ago until Kyocera stopped making them. The CMPower 190 watt PERC panel is the same size as the older Kyocera panel so it is an easy drop-in replacement. A narrower 160 watt panel is also available.
*** NEW *** In addition we now offer 24% efficient 420 watt rigid solar panels with HJT cells.
*** NEW *** In addition we now offer 24% efficient 420 watt rigid solar panels with HJT cells.
 Victron Solar Controller
*** NEW *** Custom Marine Products now sells and supports Victron's entire line of electrical equipment including MPPT solar controllers. The Smart Solar series supports Bluetooth monitoring of the complete solar system via Smartphone or tablet. These high performance controllers integrate with the entire Victron product line including inverters, chargers, batteries and battery monitors. We will help you design a complete integrated Victron based electrical system for your boat, van or RV.
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CMPower LiFePO4 Battery with Bluetooth Battery Monitor
*** NEW *** CMPower LiFePO4 Lithium high power density deep cycle marine batteries compatible with most lead acid battery chargers are a powerful drop in replacement for lead acid and AGM batteries.
Our next generation CMPower LiFePO4 High Power Density (HPD) series LiFePO4 batteries are designed for the rigorous and unique power demands of the marine environment. High Power Density means more useable amp hours in a smaller space with less weight. For example, compare our Group 31 size HPD 31 pound battery that offers 150 Ah of usable power to a premium Group 31size 65 pound AGM battery that offers about 60 Ah of usable power. Learn about these next generation batteries on our website in our Batteries section. We are excited to make these unique and powerful batteries available to our customers and we are offering them at a discounted price to get more out there on the water. Learn about LiFePO4 lithium marine batteries with our narrated slide video and see how they performed during testing on our Blog.
Our next generation CMPower LiFePO4 High Power Density (HPD) series LiFePO4 batteries are designed for the rigorous and unique power demands of the marine environment. High Power Density means more useable amp hours in a smaller space with less weight. For example, compare our Group 31 size HPD 31 pound battery that offers 150 Ah of usable power to a premium Group 31size 65 pound AGM battery that offers about 60 Ah of usable power. Learn about these next generation batteries on our website in our Batteries section. We are excited to make these unique and powerful batteries available to our customers and we are offering them at a discounted price to get more out there on the water. Learn about LiFePO4 lithium marine batteries with our narrated slide video and see how they performed during testing on our Blog.
Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show - Seminar by Tom Trimmer
Selecting the Proper Solar System for Your Boat
An introduction to the basics of marine solar - system components
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Our engineers will work with you to design a solar system specific to your needs including Lithium Batteries if you like. (Batteries are 10% off w/ solar system purchase)
Don't hesitate to contact us to discuss how we can assist you with your marine solar equipment needs. We work with a number of boat manufacturers to supply and design their solar systems. The store is here. Email us or call any time: [email protected] 248 705-8337 |
Sample electrical system diagram for a boat / van / RV
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Visit our Gallery of Installations, our Testimonials/Customer Comments and our Blog to learn how fellow mariners have implemented solar systems on their sailboats, trawlers, vans and powerboats and how they've mounted their boat's solar panels. Use our Power Consumption Worksheet or our Solar Sizing Tool to determine what size solar panel(s) is appropriate to your needs.
If you are considering solar power for your boat, Custom Marine Products can help you assemble a system specific to your needs.
If you are considering solar power for your boat, Custom Marine Products can help you assemble a system specific to your needs.