Solar Impact Yachts, a Swiss company, just unveiled its plans for what it calls the first ocean-going solar-powered yacht at the Cannes Yachting Festival. Solar Impact says the new 78-foot luxury aluminum yacht will be “almost self-sufficient” and could cruise indefinitely under solar power. If the sun doesn’t shine, the boat has a pair of 87-hp diesel engines as backup.
An 800-kWh battery gives the boat ten hours of cruising capability, which can be extended by topping off the battery when the sun is shining. A giant solar array of 3,299 square feet covers most of the boat’s upward-facing surfaces, generating up to 320 kWh a day if the sun is out. It can provide 1,341 of all-electric power and a maximum speed of 22 knots. If the boat relies totally on solar power, it can cruise indefinitely at 5 knots.
Werner Vogeli, the CEO of Solar Impact, says, “Solar Impact is synonymous with state-of-the-art shipbuilding when it comes to fluid mechanics, highly efficient energy technologies and sustainability. Our yacht concept avoids noise and CO2 emissions and is therefore an import step towards electric mobility in the maritime sector.”
Solar Impact has a 32-foot beam and the company’s SWATH (Small Waterplane Twin Hull) technology. Two torpedo-shaped hulls sit under the surface and allow the ship to “glide almost silently without swaying, even over waves several meters high,” the company says.
Inside, the salon and staterooms are luxurious, designed to keep up to ten passengers comfortable on long cruises. The boat will have four guest staterooms plus an owner’s cabin. Crew quarters are available.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2018/09/20/solar-powered-yacht-designs/
