Solar energy on balconies has proven to be effective in terms of self-consumption in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and even Spain. But what if we took them to the middle of the ocean? Not in the form of floating panels, but integrated into a cruise ship.
An investigation has developed a simulation to verify the installation of solar panels in the cabins of cruise ships. The project’s goal is to supply public services and, at the same time, reduce the environmental impact.
The initiative proposed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Siemens Energy Global has collected data from cruises sailing through the Caribbean and along the Norwegian and Danish coasts.
These routes were not randomly selected: the differences in solar radiation between tropical regions and northern Europe offered an ideal range to evaluate the performance of photovoltaic systems in very different climatic conditions.
The study has proposed a system that integrates 250 W solar panels with 22% efficiency on the balconies of the cabins. In addition, each cabin would be equipped with two panels: one integrated into the balcony’s glass barrier at a 90° angle and another placed at a 30° angle between the ship’s decks.
Simulation results and study conclusions
The scientists themselves have explained that if extrapolated to a Helios-class cruise ship with 1,655 balcony cabins, in terms of scalability, the maximum photovoltaic capacity would be 827.5 kW, which represents a significant step towards cleaner energy at sea.
Currently, cruise ships are adopting direct current (DC) grids to facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources. In each case, researchers evaluated three integration approaches for solar panels. Firstly, a 48-volt grid that directly powers the cabins, but its high cost and maintenance make it less practical.
On the other hand, the 350-volt grid acts as a secondary distribution network, balancing safety, efficiency, and operational simplicity. Finally, the 700-volt grid, which connects to the engine room as a primary network but has higher energy losses.
After evaluating these options, researchers have concluded that the 350 V grid combines safety measures, lower cost, and maintenance simplicity for integrating panels on the balconies. Additionally, the system is complemented with iron phosphate and lithium (LiFePO4) batteries, specifically designed to store energy in case of emergencies, cushion demand peaks, and ensure a stable supply.
Solar energy on cruise ship balconies
Scientists conducted simulations with Python considering over 100 scenarios of energy demand in the cabins during two cruise routes: a 15-day trip through the Caribbean in March and an eight-day route along the coasts of Denmark and Norway during August and September.
With this recreation, they discovered that the photovoltaic systems managed to cover 45% of the needs in the Caribbean and 47% in northern Europe.
Regarding energy savings, it averaged 3.2 MWh in the Caribbean and 3.8 MWh in Norway and Denmark. Finally, the environmental impact would reduce CO2 emissions by between 1,500 and 1,800 kg per day, depending on the route.
The study not only highlights the potential of solar balconies to improve the energy efficiency of cruise ships but also raises questions about their scalability and future applications. However, it is not the first time we have seen solar panels on ships; there have already been advances in future sails with photovoltaics, and many millionaires are already betting on more sustainable ideas.
Despite being a sector that presents challenges due to the autonomy of its batteries or the lack of charging infrastructure, this German idea on cruise ships promises to open up new possibilities for efficiency at sea.
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