Experience the fusion of speed, elegance, and sustainability with the 60 Sunreef Power Eco, showcasing innovation at its finest. Projects like the Sunreef 80 Eco Hydrogen and the Zero Cat emphasize our commitment to eco-conscious design and a green future.
2023 brought prestigious awards, the Ultima line challenging yacht norms, and the commissioning of two Sunreef 100 Eco catamarans. Join us as we reflect on an extraordinary year of innovation and sustainable yachting!
Just as a residential solar system makes a house independent of an electricity grid, a marine solar panel makes a yacht independent of a fossil fuel powered generator. Catamarans boosted by solar power systems are increasingly in demand in today’s day and age for their increased energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
Here is everything you should know about solar catamarans from Sunreef Yachts Eco:
An Introduction to Solar Catamarans
Derived from natural sources, renewable energy is replenished at a far higher rate than consumed. Of these, solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy resource on Earth that may even be harnessed during cloudy weathers. Additionally, because sunlight remains omnipresent, powering a watercraft with solar energy is a fitting concept.
Before we continue exploring the subject of solar catamarans, let us focus on the architecture. The twin hull structure of catamarans translates into a large beam, which provides ample space for solar panels installation. To top it off, catamarans have a fairly shallow draft that produces little to no drag, making them exceptionally energy efficient.
Marine solar panels are currently gaining substantial popularity amongst catamaran designers and manufacturers as a medium of supplying clean energy via a reliable source. Sunreef Yachts Eco is a pioneer in solar catamarans as we believe that the incorporation of a solar power system into yachts births an environmentally friendly yachting solution with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
The Benefits of Solar Catamarans
The ocean is home to the largest continuous ecosystems; unfortunately, it also remains the most sensitive. Millions of people across the globe indulge in recreational marina and boating activities leaving behind pollution in their wake.
Here are three ways in which solar catamarans rectify commonly occurring hazards for the greater good of the environment:
1. Fuel (oil or gasoline) spills and the discharge of combusted fuels from engines readily contaminates water surrounding the marinas. This aggravates toxicity levels in water, resulting in increased pollutant concentrations in aquatic organisms and sediments.
For illustration, coral reefs, which are a vital source of nitrogen and nutrients for marine food chains and provide shelter for over one million aquatic species, are nearing extinction due to water pollution.
Installing solar panels would, without a doubt, decrease the dependency of all types of watercrafts on non-renewable energy sources, i.e., fossil fuels, for operations and increase energy efficiency.
2. Noise from moving gas-powered ships cuts straight to the sea floor and back. These acoustic vibrations transmitting end-to-end affect marine animals to a great extent. Research suggests that human-caused noises result in disrupted behaviours, increased stress, and impaired feeding in marine life, leading to injury and death.
Solar catamarans are far quieter than their combustion-driven counterparts; thus, they maintain the oceanic silence vital for the marine life as it enables communication and continuous growth.
3. The elimination of fuels also makes solar yachts more affordable to run and maintain in the long haul.
In comparison to fuel powered generators, solar catamarans produce electricity at a lower cost since solar panels obtain power via the sunlight, a renewable source of energy that is present in abundance. But even if your catamaran utilizes both fuel and solar power, you are still to enjoy significant savings on fuel.
Why Power A Boat with Solar Panels
Apart from the obvious environmental factors, solar panels fulfil an important criterion for the oceangoing voyagers who do not wish to be left stranded far from land with a dead battery: unlimited backup power.
On a typical sailing day, there is ample sunlight to ensure the backup battery restores enough power to generate electricity that keeps motors, electrical systems, and onboard appliances running. An added benefit of solar panels is that they continue to generate power even when the catamaran is at a standstill. This energy is stored in batteries for later use.
Furthermore, unlike gas powered generators, solar catamarans do not produce excessive heat, are quieter, and experience little to no vibrations. This allows boat trips to remain pleasant for sailors and vacationers.
Sunreef Yachts combines luxury with sustainability to offer noiseless, vibration-free, and fume-free cruising experiences. Launched under the Sunreef Yachts Eco flag, our sailing and motor yachts are powered using inhouse engineered solar panels that are fully integrated within their composite structure for optimal results. However, an additional asset for sailing solar catamarans remains the ability to combine eco motoring with wind propulsion with the use of high-performance kites.
Posts
0 Comments