Renewables
Researchers model solar-powered pleasure boat system
A university research team has designed a solar-electric propulsion architecture for marine vessels using advanced modeling tools.
Key points
- Memorial University of Newfoundland researchers developed a solar propulsion design for an 11.8-metre boat.
- The system integrates a 10.56 kW solar array with a 19.68 kWh battery bank.
- Simulations showed the setup met baseline propulsion energy needs while providing an excess energy margin.
What happened
Academic researchers at Canada's Memorial University of Newfoundland have engineered a solar-electric propulsion setup intended for pleasure watercraft, according to pv magazine. The design process utilised a dual-stage evaluation method that combined energy yield estimates from HOMER Pro with multi-domain dynamic modelling executed in MATLAB/Simulink.
The proposed system targets an 11.8-metre-long and 5.8-metre-wide vessel designed to carry five to six adults. Drawing from solar conditions in Larnaca, Cyprus, the architecture incorporates two 2.5 kW brushless DC motors alongside 32 solar panels rated at 330 W each. This configuration yields a total capacity of 10.56 kW across an area of approximately 62.4 square metres. Energy storage is handled by eight lead-acid batteries providing a nominal capacity of 19.68 kWh for backup operations.
Simulations under clear-sky conditions indicated that the decentralized photovoltaic arrangement reached a peak output approaching 10.98 kW. The study noted that the configuration satisfied baseline propulsion demands while maintaining an excess energy margin. Furthermore, incremental-conductance maximum power point tracking controllers managed power-tracking oscillations, while the energy management system kept voltage fluctuations on the DC bus within three percent of the nominal rating.
Why it matters
Transitioning marine transport away from conventional internal combustion engines offers notable environmental advantages, including the elimination of localized greenhouse gas emissions and the prevention of fuel-spill contamination in sensitive aquatic environments. For energy investors and policymakers examining maritime decarbonisation, hybrid and fully electric propulsion designs present viable pathways to reduce reliance on refined petroleum products.
While global diesel spot prices remain elevated—such as the US Gulf Coast ultra-low sulfur diesel price of 4.525 US dollars per gallon recorded by the US EIA in November 2026—alternative energy applications in niche transport sectors face ongoing economic evaluations. Future steps for this research include physical sea trials to test real-world hydrodynamic drag, alongside techno-economic studies examining levelized costs and capital payback periods under shifting market conditions.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Renewables are the fastest-growing part of the world’s energy system. The COP28 goal is to triple capacity by 2030, and solar mini-grids are the fastest route to power for millions of people without electricity.
67.0% of electricity in Canada was renewable in 2021Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
