Awesome: Solar Powered Bicycle Boat Design

April 15, 2008

boat 1 7071 Awesome: Solar Powered Bicycle Boat Design

Imagine a boat that coasts along almost silently and works completely on free energy. OK, well, almost free: when it is cloudy out you may have to pedal a bit to get it going. Still, you get to toss out the pricey gas costs associated with most water cruisers and relax in the sun when the weather is nice and pedal your way to shore when it isn’t.

boat 2 7071 Awesome: Solar Powered Bicycle Boat Design

The idea of using solar and human power to drive vehicles is nothing new but each new design that applies these principles is at least a step in the right direction – away from fossil fuels. The real key to success in these cases though is the reliability and ease of energy. Sufficient power storage is a must so that pedaling is kept to a minimum and done only in emergencies.

boat 3 7071 Awesome: Solar Powered Bicycle Boat Design

Perhaps the best part about these designs is that they push the boundaries of current thinking and appropriate green technologies for seemingly everyday uses. One could envision a small fleet of these replacing rent-a-boats at various tourist destinations around the world. Also, since all fuel generation is done on-board less physical infrastructure and/or fuel transportation is needed which also makes the entire concept ultimately more sustainable.

Written by ecoble · Filed Under Design and Architecture, Energy and Power, Transport Technologies 

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Comments

  • Reboot

    Terrific find! I like the fact that it’s a catamaran-style for additional stability.

    I can’t help but think that if the seating area was lowered, it could be used as an aquarium (ie, encased in a plexiglass design to allow seeing underwater).

    btw, the current ad on this page (“create you pirate and play’) overlaps the [Leave a Reply] form in Opera.

  • http://solarshingles.blogspot.com/ curt

    That’s really an amazingly simple, yet very attractive design. It could really replace/support the fleet of rent-a-boats, which don’t look so tempting as this one.
    Dry, sealed batteries as energy storage will probably support a real model.

    p.s.
    It really looks so ‘nicely posh’ for a rent-a-boat, though.

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  • http://solar-energy-now.blogspot.com/ solar power

    This is so cool!
    I wish I had one of those.
    However, I am not sure how practical this designs are, I mean – is the solar power is ebough to run the boat? is it now taking too much space? and what about sailing at night?
    I hope that there is a good answer to all of these questions.

  • Roger Burns

    This has quite clearly been designed by somebody who knows next to nothing about boats or about photovoltaic solar power.

    It’s got paddles instead of screw propellors, which haven’t been used seriously since screw propellors were developed because they’re so inefficient, and with the tiny amount of power that solar panels put out you’d want your propulsion system to be as efficient as possible so you didn’t waste any.

    Speaking of which, today you would coat as many of the upper surfaces of the boat as possible with flexible solar panels and not just have a couple on top of the mushroom to maximise the possible energy generation:
    http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technology/uploaded_images/SolarBoat1-750683.jpg

    If you want a clean powered boat wind is a novel idea… if you don’t want sails, you can use things like this:
    http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007-2-21/Windmill-Sailboat.jpg

  • http://4solarpower.net Sunny

    Why not just use sails?

  • http://4solarpower.net Sunny

    Why not just use sails?

  • stevenmartinez

    This article is truly a good read for me! Informative and very interesting!

  • Mary A Hurt

    nice article! nice site. you're in my rss feed now ;-)
    keep it up

  • Elena W Thompson

    nice article! nice site. you're in my rss feed now ;-)
    keep it up

  • http://aviones.agqautos.com/ Elena W Thompson

    nice article! nice site. you're in my rss feed now ;-)
    keep it up

  • dee

    Obviously concocted by someone who has no clue of what boater wayt or need.

  • dee

    Obviously concocted by someone who has no clue of what boater wayt or need.

  • http://ecofriendlyhaven.com/ jom

    Great concept but will the existing technology be able to build this kind of solar powered boat, I just find the solar panel too small to support such a big boat.

  • http://ecofriendlyhaven.com/ jom

    Great concept but will the existing technology be able to build this kind of solar powered boat, I just find the solar panel too small to support such a big boat.

  • http://successarticle.info Article Directory

    This solar powered boat will probably work for short distance traveling and for leisure purposes.

    However, the design and the banks solar panels might have to be modified greatly for long distance sea travel.

  • SolarHotWater
  • Edwin Woodward

    this is my favourite blog now

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  • http://www.shinesolar.net Solar Panels

    This boat is incredible !Well,why don't they add a battery bank ,So when it is cloudy,they will have reserved energy for the boat?

  • http://www.shinesolar.net Solar Panels

    This boat is incredible !Well,why don't they add a battery bank ,So when it is cloudy,they will have reserved energy for the boat?

  • http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1344888 Home Solar and Wind Power

    Waoo. This is something. in the tropics in africa, you would hardly ever need to use the pedals. I like the relaxed design that incorporates aerodynamics and living room or beach club comfort in the sofas. kudos

  • http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1344888 Home Solar and Wind Power

    Waoo. This is something. in the tropics in africa, you would hardly ever need to use the pedals. I like the relaxed design that incorporates aerodynamics and living room or beach club comfort in the sofas. kudos

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  • http://phallusive.com/ VigRX Plus

    wow.. really cool boat
    when will it be realized ?

    so cool man

  • http://phallusive.com/ VigRX Plus

    wow.. really cool boat
    when will it be realized ?

    so cool man

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  • http://www.videogamesradar.com Videogames Radar

    This is so cool! I wish I had one of those.

  • Kerensa

    It would have been nice to have a link to the creator of this boat.

  • http://www.selasenergy.gr/fv_panels.php Solar panel

    Great boat.. I guess there would be no buyers though… However in general solar panels can fit in boats very easily and it is a very effective solution for those who already use it.

  • Barend

    I've heard of an even better green and free boat/ship propulsion. Its even cheaper and much more efficient… called sails!

  • Barend

    I've heard of an even better green and free boat/ship propulsion. Its even cheaper and much more efficient… called sails!

  • http://www.myinflatableboat.net jazs7

    wow that was awesome whoever comes up with that idea is pretty creative nice one on that, but how about sailing at night or what if it take you to sail at night can it still work

  • http://www.myinflatableboat.net inflatable boat

    wow that was awesome whoever comes up with that idea is pretty creative nice one on that, but how about sailing at night or what if it take you to sail at night can it still work

  • http://www.newmesotheliomapatient.com/ Mesotheliomapatient

    Wow !
    That's a real efforts towards green energy production …… : )

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    Wow !
    Much appreciable steps towards the green energy .

  • dustinjruybal

    I’ve decribed this idea with varying degrees of detail to probably 2 or 3 dozen people over the past 2 years and no one has found a serious or obvious flaw in the logic. Then again none of them – myself included – had “done the math” nor was necessarily thrift savings plan highly fluent in the mechanics/costs of building data-centers generally.

  • weirdtop360

    I really like this idea. I've been looking into the possibility of alternative energy use on boats for a few months now. You would in a time when big automakers are looking at fuel saving options that boat manufacturers would be doing the same.

    Why can't vessels that are constantly in wind and sun be using those as forms of energy?

    Sailboats run on wind energy, but they also use gas/diesel engines. Why aren't those engines being replaced by solar panels on flat decks? Why can't turbines be used to replace sails altogether?

    And…last but not least…how long do you think it would take for someone to put a hottub in place of the seats in the solar powered boat design shown?

    lol

  • weirdtop360

    *You would think in a time…

    whoops…forgot a word or 3

    lol…don't mind the mistakes

  • weirdtop360

    *You would think in a time…

    whoops…forgot a word or 3

    lol…don't mind the mistakes

  • maddie

    can u not get real plp in2 this video? really it would have been a lot easier. stupd plp!

  • maddie

    can u not get real plp in2 this video? really it would have been a lot easier. stupd plp!

  • weirdtop360

    I really like this idea. I've been looking into the possibility of alternative energy use on boats for a few months now. You would in a time when big automakers are looking at fuel saving options that boat manufacturers would be doing the same.

    Why can't vessels that are constantly in wind and sun be using those as forms of energy?

    Sailboats run on wind energy, but they also use gas/diesel engines. Why aren't those engines being replaced by solar panels on flat decks? Why can't turbines be used to replace sails altogether?

    And…last but not least…how long do you think it would take for someone to put a hottub in place of the seats in the solar powered boat design shown?

    lol

  • weirdtop360

    *You would think in a time…

    whoops…forgot a word or 3

    lol…don't mind the mistakes

  • maddie

    can u not get real plp in2 this video? really it would have been a lot easier. stupd plp!

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  • Hebgen Lake

    This is awesome I think this will be very useful when me and my family will go for camping, we just love fishing. But I think this boat is really expensive.

  • http://yellowstoneholiday.com/hebgen-lake/ Hebgen Lake

    This is awesome I think this will be very useful when me and my family will go for camping, we just love fishing. But I think this boat is really expensive.

  • notme

    What happens in heavy wind or a sudden storm ?!?!?!?!?!?!? Whoever designed this has nevr spent any time on a boat. Even a SLIGHT wind can have amazing force on a boat…….especially when it's being pedaled.

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    thanks!

  • http://your-review.com/internettv/ faber112

    This is realy cool! Name a place to buy this, and i will purchase it immediatly :=)

  • jcelular

    It would have been nice to have a link to the creator of this boat.

  • http://www.club-penguin.org/ Club Penguin Cheats

    I am not sure how practical this designs are, I mean – is the solar power is ebough to run the boat? is it now taking too much space? and what about sailing at night? I hope that there is a good answer to all of these questions.

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  • Abby

    Don't forget you would charge it up before you went out as well so you could get most of your traveling done without sun or pedals. The solar and pedal option just extends the range to as far as your feet and the sun will let you!
    inchirieri masini

  • nikusept

    Cand aveti nevoie de o masina de inchiriat de la oricare din cele doua aeroporturi (Baneasa sau Otopeni) apelati cu incredere la Rentacarfirst ce va pune la dispozitie cele mai bune oferte pentru inchirieri auto baneasa. Rentacarfirst are cel mai diversificat portofoliu de masini cu reviziile la zi si va asteapta sa va bucurati de experienta inchirierii unei masini.