Solar Battery Chargers

A small solar battery charger is the simplest way to keep a boat battery topped up on a mooring or to extend the range of a portable electric outboard. This collection includes the ePropulsion eLite Solar Charger, the Spirit 1.0+ Solar Charger, a solar charger for the G102 battery and the 30W 12VDC Solar Fishing Pole battery charger, which mounts in a standard rod holder.

How to choose a solar battery charger for a boat

Match the charger to the battery you need to charge. The ePropulsion solar chargers are designed for the eLite and Spirit batteries and plug straight in. For a 12V boat battery, a compact panel with a built-in or separate controller is enough to offset standby loads such as bilge pumps and alarms. If you need to power more equipment, step up to a complete marine solar battery charger kit with a larger panel, an MPPT controller and mounting hardware.

What size solar panel do I need to maintain a boat battery?

Small panels in the 10W to 30W range typically offset standby loads. To charge a house bank in daily use, you need a larger panel and a proper charge controller; see our solar charger kits.

Can I charge an electric outboard with solar?

Yes. The eLite and Spirit solar chargers are made for ePropulsion batteries. See all electric outboards.

Each marine solar charger here is either matched to a specific battery, like the ePropulsion eLite and Spirit 1.0+ solar chargers, or a general 12V marine battery solar charger such as the 30W Solar Fishing Pole, which fits a standard rod holder. If you need to charge a larger house bank, our solar panel guide compares panel types for boats.

The eLite Solar Charger is made for the ePropulsion eLite electric outboard.

The right solar battery charger for boat use depends on what it has to keep up with. On a mooring, a 10W to 30W panel is enough to offset bilge pump and alarm standby loads; the 30W Solar Fishing Pole charger drops into a standard rod holder, so there is nothing to drill, and comes down when you leave the dock. For a house bank that gets daily use, step up to a solar charger kit with a larger panel, an MPPT controller and mounting hardware. Either way, never connect a panel over a few watts to a battery without a charge controller.

A marine solar battery charger for an electric outboard is simpler than a boat-wide system because the panel is matched to one battery. The ePropulsion Spirit solar charger plugs straight into the Spirit 1.0+ battery, and the eLite solar charger does the same for the eLite, so you can extend range on a tender or kayak without a separate controller. For 12V lead-acid or lithium boat batteries, our pre-assembled 12V solar battery charger kits include the controller, cable and connectors. Size by daily use: small panels maintain, larger panels with MPPT control actually recharge.