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Various experiments with solar powered boats

Solar powered boats might sound like a mere environmental fantasy toy, but the reality is that they are real and quite businesslike, too. Solar boats come in many shapes and sizes, and they are capable of all kinds of feats. This article will walk you through some of the more notable experimentations with solar power in the boating world.

Solar panel designs lend themselves especially well to covered boats and pontoons. Some of the first experiments with solar boats therefore involved this style of boat. The results have been several large shuttle boats as well as smaller personal pontoon cruisers.

The large shuttle boats are used primarily by city governments around the world. The boats have been mainstreamed by Skylab, who provides an elongated shape with an elegant curving top that is a mix of clear and translucent solar fuel cells. Most of the boat hold between 40 - 120 people and have top speeds between 15 - 20 kph.

Public solar powered shuttle boats & private solar yachts

Currently the most famous three boats in this category are operating in Europe. The Serpentine Solar Shuttle, operating since 2006 on Lake Serpentine in the UK, carries 42 passengers. The Lake Constance shuttle ferrying passengers between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland holds 60 passengers. The 120 passenger Hamburg Shuttle in Germany is 42 meters in length.

However, not all solar boats are municipal ferryboats. The individual solar sailor can also tickle his or her fancy with a special boat. Designs range from solar pontoons for 8 - 12 people to sporty solar yachts with panel sails and solar wings.

Solar paneled sails revolutionize marine transportation

Solar paneled sails are really quite the experimental innovation, as they can be continuously adjusted to get the best reactivity with the sun. They are controlled by onboard computers. It's quite a change from the traditional sailing metric, but owners enjoy the knowledge that they are getting the most possible from their solar systems.

The solar sails system can deliver so much juice consistently that they have been installed on major ocean cargo freighters. These hefty boats carry megatons of goods between Australia, the US and Europe. While they may not require speed, they do require massive amounts of consistent power to avoid being becalmed at sea.

This has traditional made them massive fossil fuels consumers, as they eat diesel. However, by switching to solar powered boats, freight companies can free themselves from the vagaries of the global oil market while still ensuring that their deliveries happen right on time. This encourages them to make significant investment in green technologies even if their primary motivation isn't protecting the environment or presenting a more ecologically responsible front to the world. Results are what matters in the business world, not speed or showmanship.

Yet not all solar boats are poky leisure boats or boring results oriented cargo steamers. The Sun 21 is currently in the Guinness Book of World records for its performance crossing the Atlantic Ocean. In just 29 days, the solar yacht went from the Canary Islands to Martinique, making it the fastest crossing ever made completely under solar power.