SunPower Solar Cells to power PlanetSolar, world’s largest solar boat

SunPower Corp who manufactures high-efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems, will power the world’s largest solar catamaran, PlanetSolar. The solar boat is currently under construction and is being designed by a team of international engineers and plans to be completed in February 2010. It will be the first solar boat to embark on a round-the-world tour. Around 38,000 of the solar cells will be incorporated into the skin of the catamaran of which each cell offers a minimum efficiency of approximately 22 percent. Plans announce that it will be the fastest solar boat to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the first to cross both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The solar boat will pass through various big cities like Hamburg, London, Paris Singapore and Abu Dhabi and will be available for public display providing an educational tour for the guests and visitors. With these high-efficiency cells that lead the industry with up to 50 percent more power than conventional technology, and two to four times the efficiency of thin film technologies, it will hopefully be something that world can awe at.
[PRNewsWire]