That in the future, one can rely on renewable energy, where we least expected, solar boat confirmed, ie. solar catamaran PlanetSolar (a boat with two hulls). Although there were earlier projects of solar catamaran like SUN21 with only eight passengers,we are now stepping out to reach the future of navigable industry. Dimensions are considerably larger: length 31m (35m from the rear rack of solar panels), the width of the hull is 15m, total width is 23m, height is 6.1m and maximum weight of 95 tons! It took 14 months of hard work and 12.5 million € in order to get the finished boat. So, this is an impressive, luxurious, solar yacht that can independently,without any additional fuel sail around the world, which was show in Hanburgu on 7th May, 2010. and was the focus of interest and admiration. Initially it was planned 18 seats,while it can be adapted for tourist cruise to the 40 seats.
Otherwise, the date of first departure was the 27th September 2010 with six crew members. Under the hood,you will see the combination of advanced technologies into a single functional unit. There have been improvements: less weight,less friction, more efficient operation, reliable and simple battery. The design is worked by Zealand designer Craig Loomes, whose company LOMOcean Design (Auckland) deals with the most innovative yacht design in the world. They used "cut" of water waves approach in relation to the standard approach, "riding" the waves. So the resistance in the water has been reduced to a minimum. The project design was done by German experts firm Yachtbau GmbH (Kiel).They are known for making boats with modern carbon fiber "sandwich" technology, ie. They use carbon fiber with exceptional strength and light weight. On the third side, four Swiss company drivetek AG (Ipsach / Biel) engines are installed, a new generation and with the optimized maximum efficiency, maximum power 2 x 60kW with two engines on both sides.
Nearly latest technology of carbon fiberpropeller, a manufacturer of AIR Fertigung Technologie GmbH & Co. KG are installed. What gives you energy is an area of 537m2 covered with 38.000 mc-Si solar cells (93.5 kWp), the German manufacturer SOLON AG (Berlin). It is a commercial panel of new generation with 18.8% efficiency. At the end of this technical description lets mention a battery unit, a latest generation of lithium ion battery brand GAIA Akkumulatorenwerke GmbH (Nordhausen /Thuring), capacity 2910 Ah, and the integral voltage of 388V. They are characterized by an excellent ratio of output power / weight. With this drive maximum speed is 15 knots (28 km) while cruising at 80-10 knots.
According care to the shipowner Immo Ströher on a show in Hanburg, the aim is to demonstrate that renewable sources can provide a sustainable living and working while "solar energy can make a significant contribute to our civilization. " In addition to the shipowner, the project organizers are Patrick Marchesseau, captain, Raphaël Domjan and founder of the project, founder and president of the Foundation PlanetSolar. In addition to popularize solar energy, and how it can be properly accepted and stored, with increased energy efficiency using modern manufacturing technology and materials. Their actions were directed to educate people about renewable energy sources. Here is a simple comparison: ships that transport goods, transmit 1.4 billion tons of CO2 annually,which represents 6% of the total emissions caused by man's actions on the planet, two times more than air transportation.
Its tour is Monaco - Miami - Cancun - San Francisco - Sydney - Singapore - Abu Dhabi – Monaco around the world, with a scheduled cruise time over 8 months.The boat is in Australia at the moment. More informations about this project, you can get on their official site http://www.planetsolar.org/ where you can find latest news about this boat, its position, and there is even a competition. Check it out!
