The first solar-powered boat leaves Monaco today to begin a round-the-world cruise meant to inspire greater use of renewable energy.
The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is a 31-meter trimaran that has 537 square-meters worth of SunPower (Nasdaq: SPWRA) solar panels embedded on its expansive deck area. The boat is 100% solar powered and achieves an average speed of 7.5 knots.
It was built by a Swiss team, called PlanetSolar, which is planning publicity events at numerous stops around the world, including Miami and San Francisco.
PlanetSolar’s six-men crew will cross the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and finally the Suez Canal, to return to the Mediterranean. The 50,000-km voyage is expected to last 160 days.
The efforts of PlanetSolar, mirror those of Solar Impulse–the Swiss-made solar-powered plane that is preparing for a voyage around the globe.
You can follow the PlanetSolar voyage and read crew journals on the website below.
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