Green Daily

With the economy in shambles and lay-offs all over the place, I keep asking myself, how can I power my yacht in an eco-friendly way.

Fortunately, Solar Sailor, an Australian-based company, has a solution. By using the sun and wind, two things boats have a lot of access to, this technology can help make renewable energy a major power source for your luxury boat.

One of the main hurdles, according to Dr. Robert Dane, the sailor who came up with the concept, was the dangerous combination of strong winds and solar panels. The solution? Make wind sails out of solar collectors, naturally. Ideally, the vessel would be powered by a combination of wind and solar energy, plus batteries and old fashion fuel.

While my student loan payments precludes me for buying a yacht (for now!), it's nice to see the super rich getting on-board with innovative energy ideas.

While the Solar Sailor technology could reduce emissions and costs for yachts, the company has also reported interest from other types of marine vessels, including crewless drones for coast guards (that operate for two years at a time!) and ferry operators in Asia.