Torqeedo has equipped the world’s first solar-powered sewage pump-out boat in cooperation with Yale Uni. The vessel was delivered to Branford in Connecticut where it will prevent the discharge of untreated human waste into the area’s waterways.
It is powered by four electric motors by Torqueedo and eight 100-watt solar panels. The solar-powered boat was built for the East Shore District Health Department by Pilot’s Point Marina to provide free sewage pump-out service for vessels.
The propulsion system for the boat consists of two Torqeedo Cruise 4.0 outboard motors, four 48 lithium-ion batteries and four chargers. The motors are driven by electricity from the batteries, which are recharged by eight 100-watt solar panels, providing 400 watts to each battery bank. The batteries also drive the boat’s 48V pump and provide enough reserve capacity for a full day’s work.
The East Shore District Health Department collaborated with Yale University’s School of Public Health on the research for the new boat. Funding was provided by a grant under the Federal Clean Vessel Act as well as local fundraising efforts. The Clean Vessel Act assists in building and maintaining pump-out stations, pump-out boats and dumping stations that enable recreational boaters to dispose of sewage in a safe and responsible fashion, keeping it out of the US waterways.