Grant to help Broads boatyard test solar propulsion
A North Norfolk boatyard has been given a £7,000 grant from the Broads Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund to trial solar panels on the roof of one of its electric launches.
Creative Marine, which operates from The Secret Boatyard in farmbuildings at Matlaske, has been given the money towards fitting nine sets of 12 volt panels on the roof of a Frolic 21 electric launch and carrying out 120 hours of trials from January to September.
Simon Read, managing director, said:
“We are very excited that we can carry out tests. I am confident it will work. It’s just a question of how much use you can get from the panels during a reasonable summer. The experts reckon the light levels in Norfolk on a sunny day are almost the same as in the Mediterranean. The batteries will hopefully collect solar energy when the boat is not in use and with the bonus of good weather we hope the boat will be able to run on solar power alone. “More and more people are going electric and I always felt the Frolic range would be ideal for solar power because they have large canopies that the panels can be moulded to.”
He said testing will involve monitoring light levels, tides, boat speed and power output.
Creative Marine, a member of Norfolk and Suffolk Boatbuilders Association and British Marine Federation, have developed and produced launches ranging from 16ft to 50ft, of which 90% are electric and 70% are bought on the Thames where electric boating has proved extremely popular. With help and backing from the Broads Authority electric boating could become equally fashionable in The Broads.
1/11/2005
