This awesome boat, dubbed Firefly, is a six-person boat that is powered entirely by the sun. The first Firefly was built in 2010 by Dan Baker who decided to construct his own pontoon to cruise around Fraser Lake, British Columbia. Originally the Firefly was powered by two trolling motors and a car charger, but today it’s the ultimate 100% solar-powered lake boat. The Firefly got its name from the 900 LED lights that are positioned on the top of the boat.
Dan Baker’s Firefly is a simple emissions-free boat that is the perfect green alternative to a standard gasoline-powered boat. The boat is completely silent and powered by two brushless DC electric motors that are mounted on each rear corner. A homemade solar panel is mounted on the roof. The solar panel provides up to 140W of renewable electric power — enough to move the boat at speeds up to 4 mph for up to six miles.
Last year the solar panels powered the boat from June 4-Oct 29, 2011, and this year it’s powering the boat for the whole 2012 season. The best part is that Dan Baker built the whole thing for just $2900!
+ Dan Baker
Via Ecochunk
