New Light on Solar Energy

(page 2 of 2)

Most recent is SolarLab's design of the largest solar-powered boat in Britain, the Serpentine Solar Shuttle. Permanently moored on London's Serpentine Lake, the stunning craft made its maiden voyage last July, its two, silent engines completely powered by the sun. The shuttle moves slowly (at about 5 mph) and can hold up to 42 passengers. The battery can store up to 80 miles of energy when there's no direct sun (as on overcast days) and can travel for 20 miles in complete darkness.

Both the Serpentine and Hamburg Solar Shuttles usually generate more power than necessary and can feed excess energy back into their respective national grids in Britain and Germany. In Hamburg, the shuttle spends the three months of the year it's not sailing docked on the lake, feeding energy into the grid of the Hamburg Electric Company. According to Behling, it provides enough energy to fuel the city lights. In Germany, power companies must buy back photovoltaic power at about 50 cents per kilowatt hour, more than twice what normal utilities charge.

Next Project: Solar Golf Cart

SolarLab's latest ventures include building an even larger vessel, which will be a hybrid boat using solar power and bio-diesel fuel. Does that mean solo solar isn't viable? No, argues Behling. For now it's a question of practicality: As long as solar technology remains underdeveloped, the combined energy vessel can travel at greater speeds and navigate waters with stronger currents.

This boat is intended for London's Thames, and Behling's goal is to have it on the water in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The Thames boat will be able to reach speeds of 18 knots and will hold up to 200 passengers. SolarLab is also working on a solar-powered golf cart, which the company hopes to mass-produce. Currently, all of SolarLab's vehicles are custom made, making them pretty expensive—the Serpentine SolarShuttle cost around $470,000. Thinking small but mass market could revolutionize SolarLab's business.

For Behling, however, the most difficult part of the solar story is to change consumers' awareness of its current, and potential, capabilities. "Our most challenging aspect is the perception of the client. Many believe solar power isn't a reliable energy or that it's not sustainable. One of our goals is to shift the consumer mindset," he says. By creating vehicles that use reliable solar technology, and are accessible and aesthetically pleasing, SolarLab aims to create change through inspiration.

Flanagan is an intern in BusinessWeek's Paris bureau.