For a yacht owner, the appeal of solar power is obvious. The greater challenge for motor yacht designers, engineers and shipyards is how to incorporate it without compromising the aesthetics, functionality or integrity of the yacht itself.
For Dean Horgan, owner of R Marine Flagship in Auckland – Riviera Yachts’ New Zealand distributor for more than 20 years, that distinction became particularly clear when he began researching solar technology for his own Riviera 58 Sport Motor Yacht. His yacht was among the early Riviera builds to incorporate Praxis’ proprietary nano-composite solar technology, with 1,600 watts integrated across the flybridge during construction. Dean was also instrumental in championing Riviera’s early adoption of Praxis at the Australian shipyard.
Almost two years on, the experience has given Dean a very practical perspective on what integrated composite marine solar can contribute to a yacht – and why the technology needs to be considered as part of the design rather than an afterthought.
The evolution of integral composite solar technology
Dean had been looking for a solar solution specifically suited to the realities of life at sea. Traditionally, yacht solar installations had often been adaptations of domestic systems: rigid panels mounted in aluminium frames, requiring space, fixings and air gaps. This presented obvious challenges when designers were working with the complex curves and carefully considered surfaces of a luxury yacht.
‘Traditionally, solar for yachts has been modified domestic home systems, bolted on aluminium and difficult to conform to curves,’ he says. ‘They’re not aesthetically good to look at, robust or seaworthy.’
Flexible thin-film panels address the curvature problem in principle, but introduce a different set of compromises. Most cannot bear load or tolerate sustained foot traffic, and many lose output or surface integrity under prolonged UV and salt exposure well within a few seasons. Neither made them a serious option for a surface like Dean’s flybridge, which needed to remain walkable, durable and low-maintenance for years, not months.
Praxis presented a fundamentally different proposition. Rather than treating solar as equipment bolted onto the yacht, its proprietary nano-composite technology is designed to be integral to the yacht’s aesthetics and functionality, conforming to multiple surfaces while remaining walkable and visually unobtrusive.
That distinction proved particularly valuable on Dean’s Riviera 58. The 1,600-watt installation occupies much of the flybridge area, forward and aft, while remaining sufficiently integrated that it does not interrupt the use or appearance of the space. ‘You can walk on it completely safely, clean it easily and you don’t even know it’s there,’ he says.
For a yacht builder, naval architect or design-engineer, that ability to work with the architecture of the vessel rather than around it opens up considerably more opportunity. Where conventional flat panels would have made it difficult to utilise the available space effectively, the conformable nature of Praxis’ technology allows solar generation to compliment the yacht’s design.
A quieter, more autonomous way to cruise
The real test, however, comes not from how solar looks on a yacht, but from what it enables once the yacht leaves the dock.
Dean needed his Riviera 58 for extended cruising and operates it as a demonstrator for R Marine Flagship, so reliable onboard energy is particularly important. The yacht has 12 fridges and freezers, substantial battery capacity and significant charging capability from its engines. Before integrating solar, the generator could require up to four to five hours of daily operation, consuming an estimated eight – nine litres of fuel per hour.
With Praxis Solar contributing to the yacht’s energy supply, Dean now typically only needs to run the generator for around 1.5 hours a day to maintain battery charge.
For an owner cruising for weeks rather than days, that reduction changes the equation significantly. Less generator operation means less fuel consumption, but also less noise, less reliance on shore infrastructure and less need to continually monitor the yacht’s energy reserves. As Dean puts it, ‘There’s no limit to how we use our yacht. It looks after itself – we’re not constantly monitoring the power levels.’
That experience became particularly significant during a 16-week South Pacific blue-water Riviera owners cruising trip from Auckland taking in Tonga and Fiji. Dean led five other yachts in flotilla, giving him a real-world opportunity to experience the technology over an extended period and in demanding cruising conditions.
It is also where the less tangible benefit of integrated solar becomes apparent. The ability to run essential systems more quietly and with less generator dependence contributes to what Dean describes as a ‘peaceful boating experience,’ particularly at night when air conditioning can be operated without the familiar hum of a generator.
Designed for the realities of life at sea
New Zealand has also provided a particularly rigorous environment in which to assess the technology. Dean’s yacht has spent almost two years exposed to the country’s intense UV conditions, yet he reports zero visible degradation. The solar surface remains walkable, retains its anti-skid properties and can be cleaned using normal soapy water, without specialist maintenance.
That combination of walkability, load-bearing strength and UV resilience is precisely where flexible thin-film plastic panels fall short: most cannot tolerate sustained foot traffic, and many lose surface integrity or output well before the two-year mark Dean has already passed. That durability matters when solar becomes part of a yacht’s everyday working environment rather than an isolated piece of equipment. The panels occupy a surface that is used, walked across and exposed continuously to sun, salt and the elements.
Dean has also seen the technology continue to evolve. For a technology still advancing rapidly, that continued innovation is important to him.
Solar as part of the yacht from day one
For Dean, the experience ultimately reinforces a wider point for yacht manufacturers: solar is most effective when it is considered during the design and build process, rather than added once the yacht is already complete.
‘It’s best to have it bespoke integrated from the build stage as it becomes part of the yacht’s design aesthetics,’ he says
That approach allows designers and engineers to consider available surface area, energy requirements, battery capacity and onboard systems as one integrated proposition. It also creates opportunities to use areas that conventional rigid panels cannot easily access, while preserving the clean lines expected of a contemporary luxury yacht.
Praxis is continuing to develop its technology; for shipyards, OEMs and yacht brands looking at the next generation of onboard energy systems, that convergence of design, engineering and energy generation is increasingly significant.
However, the real measure of the technology is much simpler for Dean. After almost two years of living with Praxis Solar, it is not one individual specification that stands out, but the cumulative effect of quieter nights, reduced generator use, lower fuel consumption and greater confidence when cruising off-shore. And of course, the joy of a peaceful environment means greater wildlife around you – complete escapism in nature.
‘It’s about all of those little things coming together,’ he reflects. ‘It’s a quieter yachting experience, with more peace of mind, confidence and enjoyment. It allows us to do more, while reducing fuel usage, noise, pollution and the cost of diesel.’
Knowing that an experienced yacht distributor chose to put Praxis solar technology on his own boat, may be the most compelling endorsement of all: solar that does not feel like an addition to the yacht, but is simply part of the yacht’s design-engineering DNA.
Discover more about Praxis’ featured client – Riviera Yachts Australia
