Sunreef Yachts uses AI for next-gen solar panel hull material
Sunreef Yachts, which developed the Solar Skin solar panel hull material introduced in 2022 and improved in 2024, has again boosted efficiency and performance with the launch of Solar Skin 3.0.
Solar Skin 1.0 was completely revolutionary, bringing to life the concept of embedding photovoltaic cells right into the composite used to build a boat’s hull, essentially making the entire boat an electricity generating solar panel.
Solar Skin 2.0 took things to the next level, with a 24.8% efficiency rating in turning light energy into electrical energy. That’s equal to the efficiency of the highest rated panels home panels. It also had excellent thermal stability and overall durability.
Solar panel hull efficient, durable
The 2.0 version operates at temperatures above the boiling point of water – 100º C/ 212 º F –and is highly resistant to microcracking, successfully withstanding over 20,000 mechanical load cycle tests that simulate different physical forces and weather conditions.
Not only that, but each individual ‘panel’ was equipped with an RFID chip, making diagnostics and maintenance easier throughout the yacht’s lifespan.
How smart can a solar panel hull be? Well, Solar Skin 3.0 takes it to the next level, introducing new technologies for even more efficient and intelligent solar power generation.
One of the issues with solar panels on a boat is that the light conditions are always changing, unlike a house where the amount of shade and shading areas are constant and easily analyzed.
Each panel functions as a smart unit
Sunreef Yachts CTO Nicolas Lapp explains how Sunreef approached the challenge: “Using AI, machine learning algorithms and real-time data from Sunreef catamarans operating in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Dubai, we have developed a system where we are able to continuously refine panel placement and optimize energy yield. Each panel functions as a smart unit, dynamically adjusting its electrical output to mitigate shading effects from sails and superstructure, significantly boosting system efficiency, even during winter months.”
In the bimini areas, which are in shade most of the time, the new catamarans are now equipped with next-generation photovoltaic cells specifically optimized for shaded environments. All of this further enhances energy generation even under less-than-ideal lighting conditions.
Sunreef actually started as a company chartering catamarans in the Indian Ocean. Founder Francis Lapp (father of Nicolas) said “I realized I needed to build a yacht on my own, as the market didn’t offer what I needed. My boats had the advantage of being comfortable and family-friendly, but they lacked luxury.”
When he built his dreamboat he took it to the Monaco Yacht Show in 2003 – the world’s first luxury catamaran with flybridge. When the viewers and buyers saw the wide open spaces and design possibilities, the idea took off and these kinds of cats are now built by dozens of shipyards all over the world.
On the electric front, their Sunreef Eco yacht line was first revealed in 2019, with the launch of the Sunreef 60 Eco during the 2019 Cannes Yachting Festival. It went on to win the Sailboats category of the Gustave Trouvé Electric Boat Awards in 2021 and the company repeated with a win in 2022 for the Sunreef 80 Eco.
Batteries also custom engineered
As CTO, Nicolas Lapp oversees research and development for the company. “There are three key elements of efficiency with electric yachts” he says. “The hydrodynamics of the boat, energy generation and energy storage. We want our Eco boats to be as efficient as possible in every regard, so we use custom-engineered batteries.”
The Eco range is equipped with lithium-ion marine battery banks that store 1 kiloWatthour of energy per 5.2 kilograms, making them about 30% lighter than battery systems used in most yachts. That reduced weight lowers drag and means less energy is consumed for propulsion. Since the battery can hold equal energy in a smaller space, that also leaves more room in the hulls for living area.
“The lifespan of our batteries is also a priority” says Lapp. “Durable components are what make your boat sustainable, and after 10 years of use these batteries will still have 80 per cent of their original capacity.”
In February the company announced the unmoulding of the hull for their new 43 meter (140 ft) Sunreef 43 Eco. It will feature over 120 m² (≈1,300 sq ft) of integrated solar panels, contributing to a total of 250 m² (2,700 sq ft) across the breadth of the yacht.