Choosing the Right Solar Panels for Your Boat

Choosing the Right Solar Panels for Your Boat

There are a lot of solar panels out there. But not all solar is created equal — especially when you're installing it on a boat.

Here’s a breakdown of your main options, what matters when comparing them, and how to avoid wasting money on something that cracks the first time you step on it.

Option 1: Rigid Solar Panels (The House Type)

These are the thick, framed panels you see on rooftops and solar farms. They're affordable, reliable, and durable. There’s a reason solar farms use them — they work.

Pros:

• Very durable

• Good performance

• Lowest cost per watt

Cons:

• Heavy and bulky

• Not walkable

• Can't conform to curved or soft surfaces

• Need strong mounting supports (often custom-built)

If you have a solid, flat area — like a hard bimini or radar arch — rigid panels can work great. But if you’re building custom metal structures to mount them, factor that cost in. A $300 panel might come with $1500 worth of stainless supports you didn’t factor in.

If you’re shopping for rigid panels, we recommend Lumera Solar as a solid brand with proven marine use.

Option 2: Flexible Solar Panels (Made for Mobility)

Flexible panels are thin, lightweight, and designed to be mounted on curved or uneven surfaces — like a bimini, deck, or roof.

But here’s the catch: most flexible panels are fragile. They’re made with plastic layers that degrade, crack, or fail under foot traffic, UV exposure, and heat. You won’t always see the cracks — but your panel performance will drop, fast.

We’re a solar manufacturer that specializes in durable composite solar panels, so yes, we’re biased. But the whole reason we built our tech is because we kept seeing these exact failures in the market.

Most flexible panels just don’t last.

If you're going flexible, do your homework:

• Look for monocrystalline cells (more efficient and higher quality than polycrystalline).

• Know the brand of the solar cell inside (e.g. Maxeon is a top-tier cell used by many high-end manufacturers).

• Don’t buy the cheapest panel you find online. A $100 panel that stops working in six months is not a bargain.

And remember — flexible doesn’t mean walkable. Most are not. They’re just thin sheets of plastic.

Pro tip: Here’s a deeper dive on marine solar panel cracking

Option 3: Custom Solar Panels

This is technically a subcategory of flexible solar, but it deserves its own section.

Custom panels can be made to fit your boat perfectly — curves, corners, hatches, toe rails, whatever. They can be cut to shape, routed around hardware, and made to maximize every inch of available real estate. That matters, because boats aren’t rectangles.

At Open Waters Solar, we offer custom solutions through select service partners. It’s not a DIY option, but if you're serious about energy independence and want the maximum solar possible, custom is the way to go.

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What to Look for in a Solar Panel

Whether you’re going rigid or flexible, here’s your checklist:

• ✅ Monocrystalline (not poly)

• ✅ Trusted cell brand (Maxeon etc.)

• ✅ Real-world reviews (not just Amazon comments)

• ✅ Forum feedback, YouTube installs, long-term user stories

• ✅ Durability specs (UV, saltwater, impact resistance)

• ✅ Certifications (CE, UL, etc.)

• 🚫 Be skeptical of prices that seem too good to be true

• 🚫 Avoid generic panels with no brand info or warranty support

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Final Thoughts

Both rigid and flexible panels have their place. Rigid panels are great if you’ve got the structure to mount them. Flexible panels look sleeker and are easier to install — but many are fragile and don’t last.

That’s why we build what we build: composite solar panels that give you the flexibility of thin-film, with unmatched durability. If you’re going flexible, durability isn’t a bonus — it’s the whole point.

And if you’re investing in off-grid living or full-time cruising, it pays to choose tech that lasts.