Sailing around the world under solar power

The Tûranor PlanetSolar, the worlds’ largest solar-powered boat, will embark next year on the first solar-powered circumnavigation of the Earth. The catamaran will be powered by 500 ft² of photovoltaic panels and carry 11 tons of batteries, including a 388-V lithium-ion unit. Battery charging will take place under the control of three 758 Series IPCs from Wago Corp., Germantown, Wisc, (www.wago.us). For reliability, the IPCs feature gas-tight connections that resist vibrations and thermal cycling, a must because the boat carries no gasoline-powered backup engines. The solar-powered Tûranor PlanetSolar should average 7.5 knots on its 31,069-mile trip around the world. The circumnavigation, the first for any solar-powered vehicle, will take the four-person crew an estimated 140 days.