Marine Electric Systems designs and installs marine solar arrays for sailing yachts, catamarans, and motor yachts throughout the Chesapeake — Annapolis, Baltimore, and the greater Washington DC area. A properly sized, properly mounted, properly controlled solar array is the difference between running the generator twice a day and never running it at all. Done right, solar tops up your lithium house bank silently throughout the day, supporting refrigeration, electronics, lighting, watermakers, and inverter loads with zero engine runtime.

What's included in a marine solar array install

• Solar panels sized to your boat and energy budget — typical Chesapeake installs range from 400W to 2,000W of panel capacity
• Brand-agnostic panel selection — rigid monocrystalline (highest efficiency, longest life), semi-flexible (Solbian, Sunbeam) for biminis and curved surfaces, or walk-on panels for hardtops
• Victron SmartSolar MPPT charge controller — properly sized to panel string voltage and current; programmed for LiFePO₄ charge profiles
• Custom mounting — stainless arch, hardtop, davits, bimini, or deck-mounted; engineered to handle Chesapeake weather and offshore loads
• String wiring optimised for partial shading — panel layout and series/parallel configuration designed to maximise yield with rigging shadows
• Cable runs sized for low loss — from panels to MPPT, MPPT to bank, with proper fuse protection on both sides
• Cerbo GX integration — VE.Direct or VE.Can so the MPPT reports yield, current, and panel voltage into the unified system monitoring
• Bypass diodes and isolation — panels and strings properly isolated so a single failure doesn't drag down the whole array
• ABYC-compliant installation — proper cable sizing, fuse protection, and bonding throughout
• As-built documentation — solar wiring schematic, full system test, and an owner walkthrough

Why marine solar makes sense on the Chesapeake

The Chesapeake gets enough sun to make solar a real energy source even on cruising boats with small footprints. A 600W array on a 35-foot sailboat will typically deliver 2,500 to 3,500 Wh per day in summer — enough to keep a modern lithium-equipped boat running refrigeration, electronics, and lights without ever starting the engine. A 1,200W array on a 45-foot catamaran can fully power a watermaker, a freezer, and a full house load through most days at anchor. The math is simple: the more solar you have, the less you need to run the engine, and the longer you can stay out without plugging in.

Mounting options that actually work

Mounting is where most marine solar installs go wrong. The right mount depends on the boat:

• Stainless arch: the gold standard on aft-cockpit sailboats and trawlers. Two to four rigid panels, completely out of the way, full sun exposure. We design and fabricate custom stainless arches when needed.
• Hardtop: ideal on motor yachts, sportfish, and many catamarans. Walk-on rigid panels integrated into the hardtop with custom wiring chases.
• Davits: good for boats with existing davits that can be reinforced to hold a panel rack above the dinghy.
• Bimini: semi-flexible panels (Solbian, Sunbeam) bonded or zippered to the bimini fabric. Lower output per square foot than rigid, but no rigging or fabrication required.
• Deck-mounted: rigid panels on stainless rail mounts, popular on cruising sailboats with limited overhead real estate. Removable for offshore passages where they'd be in the way.

MPPT charge controllers — why Victron SmartSolar

The MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) charge controller sits between the solar panels and the battery bank. A good one harvests 20-30% more energy from the same panels than a basic PWM controller would — and integrates cleanly into a unified system monitoring backbone. We standardise on Victron SmartSolar MPPT controllers (75/15 for small arrays up through 250/100 for large catamaran systems) because they integrate natively with the Cerbo GX network and have excellent partial-shading recovery algorithms. Bluetooth gives you live monitoring on your phone; VE.Direct or VE.Can sends the data to the Cerbo for full system visibility.

Brands we install

We are brand-agnostic on solar panels. Most installs use major monocrystalline brands for rigid panels, with Solbian for high-quality semi-flexible installs. For MPPT controllers we standardise on Victron SmartSolar for system integration, but we'll spec other brands when the boat's existing system calls for it.

Recent solar projects

Solar integration is part of most lithium refits we do. Recent examples on the Chesapeake:

• Leopard 48 catamaran Tortuga — existing solar array integrated via a properly sized Victron MPPT charge controller, feeding the new 1,840 Ah lithium bank under Cerbo GX control
• For more on how solar integrates with a full lithium platform, see our marine lithium battery installation page.

Service area

Marine Electric Systems serves cruising sailboats, motor yachts, and catamarans throughout the Chesapeake region: Annapolis, Baltimore, the Eastern Shore, the greater Washington DC area, and the surrounding Maryland and Northern Virginia waterfront. We work at marinas, boatyards, and private docks across the region.

Frequently asked questions

How much solar do I need?

Depends on your daily energy use. A rough rule of thumb: total daily watt-hours used divided by 4 (Chesapeake summer) gives panel watts needed. A boat using 4,000 Wh/day needs roughly 1,000W of panels to fully recharge from solar in summer. We size the array around your actual usage during scoping.

Will solar work in winter or cloudy weather?

Yes, but at reduced output. Winter Chesapeake yields are typically 30-50% of summer; heavy overcast cuts output further. A properly sized array still contributes meaningfully year-round, especially on boats kept on a mooring or actively cruising.

Do I need to add lithium to install solar?

No — solar works fine with AGM, gel, and flooded batteries, though the charge profiles are different. That said, lithium and solar pair beautifully: lithium accepts the full charge current solar delivers, where AGM tapers above 80% state of charge and wastes potential yield.

What's the difference between rigid and semi-flexible panels?

Rigid monocrystalline panels are 22-23% efficient, last 25+ years, and stand up to anything. Semi-flexible (Solbian, Sunbeam) are 18-22% efficient, last 5-10 years, and conform to curved surfaces like biminis. Choose rigid wherever you have a flat mounting surface; choose semi-flexible only when you don't.

How long does a solar install take?

Standalone solar installs typically take 3 to 7 days, depending on mounting complexity (custom arch fabrication adds time). As part of a full lithium refit, solar work is integrated into the wider 1 to 3 week refit timeline.

Get in touch

If you're considering a marine solar array on a sailboat, motor yacht, or catamaran in the Annapolis, Baltimore, or Washington DC area, get in touch. We'd be happy to scope the array around your actual energy usage and recommend a mounting and MPPT configuration that fits your boat.