Possibilities of Solar Energy in the Naval Sector. A Case Study of a Merchant Ship

The electrical installation of a ship includes the generation, transport and distribution of the generated electrical energy to the electrical consumers on board. In recent years, there have been many attempts to replace traditional auxiliary generators with renewable energy sources, in particular solar panels, as this is a highly developed technology on land. Accordingly, this paper analyses the different energy requirements on board and carries out both a feasibility analysis on a merchant vessel. The feasibility analysis considered technical, economic and legal aspects. Sustainable aspects were analyzed too due to their importance nowadays. It has been verified that the use of solar panels is only technically feasible for a small part of the ship's total consumption, as the area of the panels would exceed the available area of the ship to cover the total demand. Therefore, the possibility of installing solar panels only for the fire detection system was analyzed. This is a technically and legally feasible solution, but not economically. However, from a sustainability point of view, which takes into account economic, social and environmental aspects, the proposal is appropriate.