A new era of sustainable yachting is on the horizon. Sunreef Yachts introduced Solar Skin 3.0 this month, an upgrade over previous versions, with added durability and efficiency, reducing the carbon footprint of each catamaran it is on.
“The latest generation of our solar skin technology offers top efficiency—currently the highest attainable for silicon cells—marking a major milestone in marine solar innovation,” Sunreef Yachts CTO Nicolas Lapp said.
Solar Skin 2.0, the predecessor to the system launched this month, lead the industry in efficiency, thanks in no small part to its high thermal stability. Notably, Solar Skin can operate at high temperatures (above 100 degrees) and is compatible with dark paint finishes.
Sunreef Yachts also touts Solar Skin’s resistance to microcracking. The cells were durability tested through 20,000 yield cycles.
Sunreef Yachts
Sunreef Yachts
Sunreef Yachts
RFID chips are embedded in every panel, a move designed to deliver better precision for after-sales service and diagnostics.
The next-generation solar system is optimized by artificial intelligence (AI) and utilizes the most efficient solar cells currently available. AI uses machine learning and real-time data from Sunreef vessels operating in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Dubai, to adjust the output of the cells, mitigating sail and superstructure shading.
In addition to the Solar Skin, each catamaran’s bimini area, the zone where shade is provided to the captain of the ship, comes equipped with photovoltaic cells that have been honed for shaded environments, pulling in the sun’s energy.
Francis Lapp, founder and president of Sunreef Yachts, came up with the idea for an AI-enabled, solar-powered yacht in an unexpected way. He told Newsweek: “It’s hard to believe, but the whole idea came to me in my sleep. One day I just woke up with the somewhat eccentric idea of putting cells into a mast on a sail yacht. This was the spark. Afterwards, a lot of research and development work followed. We purchased cells and started experimenting in our own research lab. Today we have a patented solution for the mast, and we integrate solar cells everywhere on our yachts.”
Sunreef Yachts
Sunreef Yachts
Sunreef Yachts
Sunreef Yachts has fully developed and produced each panel in house.
The post AI-Controlled, Solar-Powered Yachts a Reality That Came From a Dream appeared first on Newsweek.
