Solar-Powered Yacht Can Cruise the Globe Without Refueling

By: | September 30th, 2018

Image Credit: SOLARIMPACT

Meet the masterpiece by Swiss company SolarImpact Yacht — a futuristic, solar-powered yacht with the capability to cruise the globe without needing to stop and refuel. The yacht is quick and quiet and is the result of five years of research.

The ship is a technological marvel and is topped with enough solar panels to cover a regulation-size tennis court. The yacht, a concept designed as the first of its kind, was unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival.

Here are some of its amazing features:

  • It is covered with more than 3,200 square feet of solar panels, which can generate up to 320 kWh on a sunny day.
  • This 78-foot yacht has a pair of 65-kW (87-hp) range-extending diesel engines on board as a backup for a cloudy day.
  • The solar-powered yacht is loaded with artificial intelligence that allows the craft to be maneuvered by a single person.
  • It is supported by two torpedo-shaped buoyancy bodies beneath the water’s surface, which help in reducing the rolling and heeling of the yacht by up to 90 percent when the waves are high.
  • SolarImpact Yacht offers three floors, where large areas for socializnig dominate the main deck and a lounge area is situated up top.
  • The yacht boasts a full speed of 22 knots and has one megawatt of power, the equivalent to 1,341 hp.

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi is a gold medalist Post Graduate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

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