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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Solar-Powered Boat on a World Tour

I really like the look of PlanetSolar’s TURANOR. Not only does it look like a spaceship on water, but it is very eco-friendly as well.
As you might have guessed, the boat is covered with solar panels, about 5,380 square feet worth. In case you are wondering, the solar panels aren’t as fragile as they look. There are pictures from my Source of people walking on it.
These solar panels power two electric motors that can reach a speed of 15 miles an hour. Yes, that is pretty slow, and the TURANOR is on a long world tour.
The purpose of this tour is to advance scientific research in the field of renewable energy, and to show that current technologies aimed at improving energy efficiency are reliable and effective.
The name TURANOR comes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and it means “victory” and “the power of the sun”. It is a fitting name, as this 101 foot long and 49 foot wide craft can go for three days without the sun thanks to its giant lithium-ion battery.
So why put a huge solar-powered boat out on the waters? Perhaps we looking at a world where big cruise ships or even aircraft carriers are all solar powered. Isn’t this the future that we want?

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