This Wired News article, "Sun Powers Loon-y Pontoon Boat," points out a number of advantages of a solar boat:

• No cost for gas
• No water pollution, which is huge
• Efficiency of electric motor in a steady load situation
• Most people only go boating on days with nice weather

For those who want to go faster than a 10mph party barge, why not try renewable wind power? That's seemed to work for boats for, oh, the last few thousand years.
If, as the designer of the 20-foot solar pontoon hopes, a commercial model can be sold for under $25,000, it'll be competitive with similarly sized party boats (which sell for something like $10,000-$25,000).

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Posted by erik to HipSmart at 12/02/2005 10:41:35 AM