Catamaran covered in solar panels makes waves

[Judi Lynn]

Catamaran covered in solar panels makes waves
Showcase for clean energy is more about vision than practical use

http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com.nyud.net:8090/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/101129_turanor-docked.grid-8x2.jpg

planetsolar.org
The Turanor PlanetSolar was docked in Miami, Fla., for four days before leaving Tuesday for
Cancun, Mexico.

msnbc.com
updated 49 minutes ago 2010-11-30T21:50:25

What's 100 feet long by 50 feet wide, cost $17.5 million to build and runs on 38,000 photovoltaic cells? It's the Turanor PlanetSolar, a massive catamaran powered solely by the sun.

The what? Turanor is a word taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" saga and translates into "the power of the sun". PlanetSolar is the team of 100 engineers and others working to be the first to circumnavigate the globe with a solar-powered boat.

"This is a milestone in the progress of solar mobility," Immo Stroher, a German investor who partnered with Swiss adventurer Raphael Domjan to bankroll the showcase for solar power, said in a statement. "It is my vision to see solar power take its rightful place — not only on rooftops, but also on the roads, seas and in the skies of the future."

After arriving from Europe last Saturday, the catamaran and its six-member crew spent a few days in Miami, Fla., and then left Tuesday for a leg to Cancun, Mexico, where delegates to the U.N. climate change summit are meeting.

More:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40417010/ns/world_news-world_environment/

[Kennah]

1. Coming soon ...

... Waterworld.

[FBaggins]

2. What a waste of time and resources.

Just put up a sail for goodness sake.