Solar-Powered Boat to Patrol Great Barrier Reef

          The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 1,600 miles. Patrolling this area seems to be a difficult task for Queensland's Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing (DNPRSR) and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and so, the agencies are using solar power to help.
          Marine engineering consultants (MEC) have been requested from these agencies to help construct a 78.7 feet long-range Catamaran Patrol Vessel to work in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The catamaran is very eco-friendly as it is equipped with extensive solar panels, high R-value insulation, zoned air conditioning, as well as window blinds and shutters to reduce the impact of the Queensland sun.

Solar Panels Helps Cool Buildings (like Trees)!

         Usually, trees provide us shade for buildings, whereas we are kept cooler than in if it were to be fully exposed by the sun. However, these days, solar panels, when mounted onto the rooftops of buildings, are able to also provide us comfort and shade (along with generating clean electricity). 

          Researchers at the University of San Diego took a closer look at the solar panels' cooling effect to see how big the effect is and what kind of panel orientation can reap the most benefits." They note that "Using thermal imaging, researchers determined that during the day, a building's ceiling was 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler under solar panels than under an exposed roof."