# Marine Solar Panel Installation Long Beach | MPPT Systems | Long Beach Marine Electric

> Marine solar panel installation in Long Beach: bimini, arch and deck panels with MPPT controllers sized to your battery bank. Free estimate. Call today.

URL: https://longbeachmarineelectric.com/marine-solar-installation/

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# Marine Solar Panel Installation in Long Beach

Bimini, arch and deck-mounted panels with MPPT controllers, sized to what your boat actually uses and set up for your battery chemistry.

[Call (562) 374-7233](tel:+15623747233) [Get a Free Estimate](/contact/)

-   MPPT charge controllers
-   Chemistry-matched charge profiles
-   Low-loss sized PV wiring
-   Bimini · arch · deck · rail mounts
-   Fused at the battery
-   Free estimate within 24 hours

Last updated: October 6, 2026

[Long Beach Marine Electric](/) connects boat owners with licensed, insured marine electricians for marine solar panel installation: rigid and flexible panels on biminis, arches, rails and decks, MPPT charge controllers, and wiring sized for low loss. Solar keeps batteries topped up for boats on moorings, boats that anchor out, liveaboards and sailboats, and Southern California's sun makes it one of the best places in the country to do it.

## What happens on the first visit

1.  An energy budget: what runs while you're away from shore power (fridge, electronics, lights, anchor light) and for how long.
2.  Mounting survey: bimini, arch, hardtop or rails, and what shades them. Masts, booms and radar arches shade panels, and shade costs output.
3.  Battery bank type and capacity, and the existing charge controller if there is one.
4.  Cable route from panels to controller to battery, which sets wire size.
5.  A written design with panel wattage, controller model and a fixed price.

## How much power solar makes in Long Beach

Long Beach has a strong solar resource even with the marine layer. Solar.com's modeling puts a well-oriented array at about **1,674 kWh per kW per year**, or roughly 4.6 kWh per kW per day on average. A 400-watt array works out to about 1.8 kWh on an average day, close to 150 amp-hours at 12 volts, before losses. Boat panels are rarely angled perfectly and are often partly shaded, so a realistic design figure is lower, often 50–70% of that.

That's enough to run a fridge and electronics on a mooring indefinitely, or to replace what an anchor light and instruments use overnight.

## MPPT controllers and wiring

An MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller converts the panels' higher voltage into charging current more efficiently than a basic PWM controller, especially in heat and partial shade. It also needs the right charge profile. Lithium and lead-acid batteries need different settings, which is why solar often goes together with a [lithium conversion](/lithium-battery-conversion/). Wiring from panel to controller to battery is sized for low loss, fused at the battery, and routed through sealed deck glands.

## Mounting on a boat

Rigid panels on an arch or hardtop last longest and run coolest. Semi-flexible panels on a bimini are lighter and less visible but run hotter and wear faster. Rail mounts that can tilt help sailboats. The mounting has to survive wind loads and not interfere with the boom, the radar or the people working on deck.

## Insurance, warranty and who pays

Solar is an owner-paid upgrade. Panels, mounts, controller and wiring are priced together with labor in a fixed written quote. See the [boat solar panel installation cost guide](/guide/marine-solar-installation-cost/) for typical system prices.

## What's included

-   Energy budget and array sizing
-   Shade and mounting survey
-   Rigid or flexible panel installation
-   MPPT controller install and setup
-   Sized, fused PV wiring
-   Sealed deck cable glands
-   Charge profile set to battery chemistry
-   Output test in sun

## DIY vs cheap fix vs proper solar install

DIY

Cheap operator

Proper marine work

Sizing

Biggest panel that fits

Rule of thumb

Energy budget + shade survey

Controller

PWM, default settings

MPPT, default settings

MPPT set to battery chemistry

Wiring

Undersized, unfused

Unsealed deck entry

Sized for low loss, fused, sealed glands

Mounting

Zip ties

Off-the-shelf brackets

Engineered for wind and the boat's layout

Result

Low output

Uneven output

Measured and documented output

## Related resources

-   [Boat Solar Panel Installation Cost (2026): A 400 W System Priced Out](/guide/marine-solar-installation-cost/)

## Sources

-   [Solar.com: Long Beach solar production (1,674 kWh/kW/yr)](https://www.solar.com/ca/long-beach/)

On a mooring?

Solar keeps the bilge pump powered between visits.

[(562) 374-7233](tel:+15623747233)

Mon–Sat 7am–6pm · Free estimate within 24 hours

Standards applied

-   ABYC E-11 (DC systems)
-   MPPT charge control
-   Chemistry-matched profiles
-   Fused at the battery

[Estimate your cost](/tools/marine-electrical-cost-estimator/)

How it works

## How marine solar installation works

1.  01
    
    ### Energy budget
    
    What you run off shore power, and for how long. Same-day callback.
    
2.  02
    
    ### Design
    
    Panel wattage, mounts and controller sized and priced in writing.
    
3.  03
    
    ### Install
    
    Panels mounted, wired through sealed glands, controller set for your batteries.
    
4.  04
    
    ### Verify output
    
    Charging current measured in sun and settings documented.
    

Get marine solar installation at your slip today

Same-day callback. Written price before any work.

[Call (562) 374-7233](tel:+15623747233) [Get a Free Estimate](/contact/)

Straight answers

## Marine Solar Installation questions

### How much solar does my boat need?

Start with daily use in amp-hours. In Long Beach, a well-placed array produces roughly 4.6 kWh per installed kW per day on average, before losses. Realistic boat installs often deliver 50–70% of that because of panel angle and shade.

### Rigid or flexible solar panels?

Rigid panels on an arch or hardtop last longer and run cooler. Semi-flexible panels suit biminis and curved surfaces but usually have shorter lives.

### Do I need an MPPT controller?

For most boat systems, yes. MPPT controllers harvest more energy than PWM, especially with higher-voltage panels, heat and partial shade, and they offer proper charge profiles for lithium and AGM.

### Can solar keep my batteries charged on a mooring?

Yes. That's one of the best uses for it. A modest array can keep a bank topped up and the bilge pump powered between visits.

### Who does the work, and how do I know they’re qualified?

Long Beach Marine Electric is a free service that connects you with an independent, licensed and insured marine electrician who holds the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) Marine Electrical Certification. Ask your electrician for proof of license and insurance before work starts.

## Related services

[Lithium Battery ConversionLiFePO4 house banks installed to ABYC E-13, with matched chargers, alternator regulation, DC-DC charging and BMS integration.](/lithium-battery-conversion/) [Sailboat Electrical SystemsMasthead and tricolor lights, wind instruments, mast wiring and cruising energy budgets for sailboats.](/sailboat-electrical/) [Liveaboard Boat ElectricalLoad management for 30A and 50A service, safe heating and A/C circuits, and power budgets for full-time living aboard.](/liveaboard-boat-electrical/)

Get a solar system sized to your boat

[Call (562) 374-7233](tel:+15623747233) [Get a Free Estimate](/contact/)