Solar Power Catamarans...Ingenious And Real
Imagine leaving no footprint except those in the sand on faraway beaches as you silently cruise. With these solar catamarans, it’s possible! We covered these amazing solar-electric yachts back when they were mere concepts.
The Austrian-based solar catamaran producer drew stronger interest after the Silent 55 earned the Best of Boats Awards 2019 in “Boat for Travel” being “suitable for long distance travels with all amendments to live on board permanently, adapted for both inland waters and the tough conditions at sea.” Amazing results for where electric-solar catamarans were only a year or so before.
Silent Yachts began delivery of the Silent 55 in 2019 and in 2020, during a global pandemic, sold six Silent 80 catamarans (starting from $4.6 million). Construction in Ancona, Italy, was slightly delayed due to COVID19 closure of 2 of the 4 factories, but the shipbuilder continues with delivery of these amazing catamarans as well as their evolution. At the end of 2020, Silent Yachts had a dozen luxury electric catamarans in production from 55′ to 80′ at a starting price of $1.8 million.
After these successes, designer Marco Casali of Too-Design continued innovating crafting a Loft version of the Silent 80 to excite solar catamaran enthusiasts.
Founder and CEO, Michael Köhler, birthed the concept. Interior and exterior designs are by Marco Casali of Too-Design with Amedeo Migali of MICAD in charge of naval architecture.
The Silent 80 with its silent electric propulsion, has unlimited range; no noise or fumes. Seventy solar panels, electric motors, and lithium batteries (used by Tesla) have been incorporated into the design to make it most efficient while maintaining the overall balance in shape. If you want to know more in depth on this efficiency, read this excellent article on Silent Yachts’ engine, battery configuration, and power management.
All components are virtually free of maintenance which makes the running-costs much lower than that of a comparable conventionally powered catamaran. The Silent Yacht is powered by electric motors and has a cruising-speed of 6-8 knots, and maximum speed is 10 knots. Without an engine room, the Silent 80 has enough space for a 4.5 meter tender, and gyrocopter!
Success has not stopped this solar catamaran designer from striving for bigger and better ideas. Recently Silent Yachts Silent announced its plan to build catamarans in collaboration with Volkswagen, powered by VW electric drive matrix (MEB). The catamaran ranges will be designed by VW subsidiary, SEAT’s Cupra brand. Auto and marine manufacturers joining forces have shown success before when BMW teamed up with Torqeedo for outboard engines, so it will be interesting to watch.
High Cost of Solar Catamarans Debunked
As with any new paradigm, the skeptics have loud voices during early introduction of new concepts. And solar-electric catamarans are no different. As excited as we are about this, we must confess our healthy skepticism is still alive. But we recently read an interesting article that compares the Silent 80 to the Lagoon Seventy8. It points out that because operation and maintenance costs are so low that only a few years of ownership negate the higher purchase price of the Silent 80.
It’s actually quite a tempting proposition to enjoy all the comforts and necessities that requires lots of power aboard without the smell, roar, and Earth-damaging emissions of diesel generators. And eliminating the dangers and inconvenient refills of the propane cooker in the galley is another reason to give a second and a third look at these new solar catamarans.
Read on for pictures and more details of these solar-powered cats with lots of options including hybrid diesel operations and and a true “sail” option.
Silent Yachts Solar Catarmarans in All Sizes
Silent-Yachts is producing the following models:
- Silent 55 – Specifications, Panoramic Tour
- Silent 60 – Specifications
- Silent 64 – Specifications (discontinued)
- Silent 80 – Specifications, Panoramic Tour
- Silent 80 3-Deck – Specifications
CONTACT US FOR SPECIFICATIONS & PRICING
All models come with the following options:
- Cruiser – 2×30 kW – with top speed of 12-20 Kt
- E-Power – 2×250 kW – stronger dual e-motors than the “Cruiser” and more powerful battery banks for double the power and speed of the “Cruiser version”
- Hybrid Power – 2×220 HP + 2×14 kW – powerful diesel engines together with the electric motors achieve top speeds of 20+ knots
- Sailor – convenience of sails added to the Cruiser in the 55′ range
- Sky Sails – towing kite system with full automatic control for the 64′ and 80′ ranges which eliminates shade on solar panels by sails and frees up valuable deck space.
Silent 55 Seatrial Reviews, Video, & Pictures
Read these Silent 55 catamaran reviews:
Be sure to visit the links above for more images and info. Here is a video and a few photos of the elegant Silent 55.
