http://www.core77.com/reactor/09.06_solarshuttle.aspHyde park, 10am. Only a few joggers and tourists are out and about. It's a typical grey London day, but standing on the wooden deck of the brand new SolarShuttle feels slightly indulgent. "What a shame it's not sunny," says one of the passengers, as everyone sighs at the vagaries of the English climate. Surprisingly, the less-than-perfect conditions make this project even more believable: the SolarShuttle, the UK's first solar powered boat, doesn't stop dead when the sun decides to hide.
When the boat is not in use, the SolarShuttle acts as a floating power generator, feeding surplus electricity back into the national grid. Solar energy is its one and only source of power, storing energy in batteries and working in conjunction with two silent electric motors without any help from fossil fuels or the wind. The SolarShuttle's elegant canopy of photovoltaics generates 9 to 12 amps per hour on an overcast day like today. She can store up to 80 miles worth of energy when there is no sun and run for 20 miles in complete darkness. This emissions-free wonder carries 37 passengers and cruises silently at 5 miles an hour, saving 4900 lbs of carbon compared to a traditional diesel-powered boat.
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