The 106-metre sailing yacht
Black Pearl (pictured below) is famously set up to carry solar sails and we’ve seen solar panels integrated into the decks, hardtops and canopies of motor yachts. Now Wattlab, a creator of custom solar solutions in the Netherlands, has teamed up with spar makers Rondal to develop a prototype mast with solar cells embedded into its composite structure for delivering clean, smart and sustainable energy in another step towards harnessing solar power for yachts.
Photo: Nicholas Canepa Wattlab’s tech-savvy roots are in the Delft University of Technology’s Nuon Solar Team. Building on its solar race successes, the team of engineers, designers and business developers have branched out to develop solar applications in other fields such as urban mobility, architecture, aeronautics and maritime.