clipped from: www.cnn.com   
  • Story Highlights
  • Solar sails are large solar-paneled wings which can harness sun or wind power
  • Sydney-based company Solar Sailor is developing the technology
  • The solar sails could be fixed to super-yachts to help reduce their fuel consumption
    • The solar sail: super-yachts could cut fuel consumption and emissions by using a sail similar to this.

    The solar sail: super-yachts could cut fuel consumption and emissions by using a sail similar to this.

    Super-yachts owned by billionaires like Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen are currently among the biggest fuel guzzlers on the planet.

    Some of the ocean-going beasts like Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's "Dubai," the biggest private super-yacht in the world, are over 150 meters long and contain amenities like aircraft hangars, movie theaters, Jacuzzis, and swimming pools.

    Fuel consumption estimates on super-yachts have ranged up to one liter of fuel per second when traveling at high power.

    Solar Sailor is working on a "solar sail"
    both a sail and a solar power source to all sorts of large vessels.