Manitou Boats - 5 Ways to Green Your Boat
Monday, July 2, 2012
5 Ways to Green Your Boat
By Alyssa Zandi
Manitou Boats
Excerpt:
3. Look at Alternative Energy Sources
Of all the topics in renewable energy, wind energy is one of the most popular. While most people may picture the standard, fan-style turbines, there also are vertical axis turbines available.
Eliot Jia, business development associate at Urban Green Energy, said vertical axis turbines are designed to work well at lower altitudes where winds change direction more frequently. They are quieter and have fewer vibrations, making them more suitable for areas with lots of people.
Jia said Urban Green Energy turbines can be found on Hornblower company boats and on a passenger ferry in Sweden. The turbines can lower electric bills and sometimes completely offset energy needs.
“Typically on boats the turbines are set up in a battery back-up configuration, so they are used to charge up batteries that can then be used to power on board electronics,” he said.
Although their turbines are larger and more suited for commercial boats, he said they do have a smaller turbine not yet commercially available in the United States. Such a turbine might be an option for personal boats in the future.
Boat owners also may consider renewable energy sources such as portable solar devices.
