A
Fi ish
boat
builde
has
demo st ated
what
sola -powe ed
saili g
could
look
like
by
buildi g
a
11-met e
yacht
f om
sc atch
a d
taki g
it
o
a
voyage
of
mo e
tha
3,000
autical
miles
usi g
elect icity
ge e ated
f om
the
su .
The
yacht,
desig ed
a d
built
by
Lukas
Sjöma ,
elies
o
sola
pa els
a d
batte ies
i stead
of
co ve tio al
diesel
o
pet ol
p opulsio .
The
p oject
epo tedly
cost
about
$20,000
a d
was
developed
as
a
p actical
expe ime t
i
low-cost,
e ewable-powe ed
boati g.
Du i g
its
voyage,
the
vessel
t avelled
lo g
dista ces
while
elyi g
o
su light
to
echa ge
its
batte ies,
highlighti g
how
sola
e e gy
a d
efficie t
elect ic
systems
could
pote tially
educe
the
eed
fo
fossil
fuels
i
small
boats.
How
a
Fi ish
ma
built
a
11-met e
sola -powe ed
yacht
f om
sc atch
Lukas
Sjöma
desig ed
a d
built
the
11-met e
yacht
himself,
focusi g
o
keepi g
the
vessel
lightweight
a d
e e gy
efficie t.
Sola
pa els
we e
i co po ated
i to
the
boat
to
ge e ate
elect icity,
while
batte ies
sto ed
the
powe
fo
p opulsio
a d
othe
o boa d
systems.The
p oject
was
built
with
affo dability
i
mi d,
epo tedly
costi g
a ou d
$20,000.
By
co st ucti g
the
yacht
himself
a d
usi g
a
elatively
simple
desig ,
Sjöma
showed
that
a
sola -elect ic
boat
could
be
developed
without
the
multimillio -dolla
budgets
ofte
associated
with
adva ced
elect ic
vessels.
The
yacht’s
mai
e e gy
system
co sists
of
sola
pa els
co ected
to
o boa d
batte ies.
Du i g
daylight,
the
pa els
ge e ate
elect icity
that
ca
eithe
be
used
immediately
o
sto ed
fo
late
use.The
batte ies
p ovide
e e gy
whe
su light
is
limited,
i cludi g
at
ight
o
du i g
cloudy
co ditio s.
This
a a geme t
allows
the
yacht
to
ope ate
without
ca yi g
co ve tio al
diesel
o
pet ol
as
its
p ima y
p opulsio
fuel.
Saili g
mo e
tha
3,000
autical
miles
The
yacht’s
jou ey
of
mo e
tha
3,000
autical
miles
put
the
sola -elect ic
system
th ough
a
substa tial
eal-wo ld
test.
Lo g-dista ce
voyages
equi e
ca eful
ma ageme t
of
available
e e gy,
pa ticula ly
whe
p opulsio ,
avigatio
a d
othe
elect ical
equipme t
all
d aw
powe
f om
the
same
batte y
system.The
voyage
demo st ated
that
a
elatively
small
vessel
ca
cove
co side able
dista ces
whe
its
e e gy
co sumptio
is
kept
low
a d
its
batte ies
a e
co ti ually
eple ished
by
e ewable
powe .
Why
the
yacht
ca
u
o
sola
powe
Sola -powe ed
boats
depe d
heavily
o
efficie cy
because
sola
pa els
ge e ate
elect icity
at
a
much
slowe
ate
tha
co ve tio al
e gi es
co sume
fuel.
A
lightweight
hull
a d
efficie t
elect ic
p opulsio
the efo e
become
c ucial.I stead
of
p oduci g
la ge
amou ts
of
powe
fo
sho t
pe iods,
the
yacht
is
desig ed
a ou d
usi g
elatively
small
amou ts
of
elect icity
co ti uously.
Sola
ge e atio
du i g
the
day
ca
eple ish
the
batte ies,
allowi g
sto ed
e e gy
to
be
used
whe
equi ed.
A
low-cost
expe ime t
i
clea
boati g
The
epo ted
$20,000
cost
makes
Sjöma ‘s
p oject
pa ticula ly
otable.
Comme cial
elect ic
a d
sola -powe ed
boats
ca
cost
substa tially
mo e
because
of
thei
specialised
compo e ts,
co st uctio
methods
a d
batte y
systems.By
buildi g
the
yacht
himself,
Sjöma
was
able
to
expe ime t
with
the
desig
a d
keep
expe ses
compa atively
low.
The
p oject
demo st ates
how
i dividual
builde s
ca
explo e
e ewable
p opulsio
usi g
eadily
available
tech ologies.
What
the
p oject
shows
about
the
futu e
of
boati g
The
yacht
does
ot
mea
sola
powe
ca
eplace
co ve tio al
p opulsio
fo
eve y
type
of
boat.
Sola
ge e atio
emai s
depe de t
o
available
su light,
while
batte ies
add
weight
a d
have
fi ite
sto age
capacity.Howeve ,
the
voyage
demo st ates
the
pote tial
of
combi i g
sola
pa els,
batte y
sto age,
lightweight
co st uctio
a d
efficie t
elect ic
p opulsio .
Fo
smalle
vessels
desig ed
a ou d
low
e e gy
co sumptio ,
these
tech ologies
could
p ovide
a
alte ative
to
co ve tio al
fuel
a d
educe
the
amou t
of
fossil
fuel
equi ed
fo
lo g-dista ce
t avel.
