Silent Yachts has debuted a redesigned version of its Silent 62 catamaran, complete with three decks and solar electric power.
The boat has three solar arrays that combine to yield 17 kilowatts peak, as well as energy storage that can hold 350 kilowatt-hours at a time (up from the previous model's 286 kWh), according to PV Magazine. Just 1 kWh can power a 250-watt refrigerator for four hours, so 350 times that packs a lot of power!
The battery pack, which is made of lithium iron phosphate, includes a liquid cooling system that increases the battery's life cycle and improves its rate of charging, as the magazine reported. The boat also has a desalination system that can convert up to 3,600 liters (about 950 gallons) of salt water into fresh water every day, and it would use just over 14 kWh to do so.
Silent Yachts previously caught the public's attention in 2018 when its Silent 64 yacht became the first solar-powered production yacht to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
While yachts are far from an integral part of everyday life for most people, converting yacht fleets to renewable energy is still an important step toward a cleaner, cooler future. Plan M8 estimates that a 70-meter yacht uses about 130 gallons of fuel per hour when the engines are running — and it burns even more when it moves.
A study by the journal Sustainability found that a single yacht can create over 1,600 tons of pollution every year, which is around 100 times the average American's carbon footprint (as estimated by UCAR Center for Science Education).
The 300 largest yachts alone produce 315,000 tons of carbon pollution each year, which is more than entire countries with populations of millions, according to the New York Times. Based on this data, it's abundantly clear that yacht pollution must be curbed.
Silent Yachts aren't the only ones making a difference when it comes to yacht energy usage. Other companies like Sunreef are also working to harness solar power, and billionaires like Bill Gates have dabbled in hydrogen-fueled "green" yachts (though those have understandably prompted some skepticism).
Silent Yachts' Silent 120 Explorer is also revolutionizing luxury boating with robust solar power infrastructure.
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