The SolarButterfly World Tour : the photos

We’re  excited to announce that the “Solar Butterfly” World Tour will be stopping at our offices in Saint-Jérôme on July 14th as part of its global tour and you are invited.

After stops in Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom in recent months, the Tesla Model X and its solar trailer will be arriving in Halifax in the next days before embarking on their North American tour, which will bring them to our location.

It was last year that the incredible adventure of this project began, with the goal of crossing 6 continents and 90 countries, aiming to highlight existing solutions to the climate crisis and inspire others to take action.

We invite all of you to come and see this amazing solar trailer on-site for this meet and greet event organized by Ecosolaris.

The trailer has been nicknamed “Solar Butterfly” due to its set of “wings” with an area of 80 square meters covered with solar panels, which power the Tesla Model X that pulls it.

The concept of the SolarButterfly was born when its inventor, Louis Palmer, was stuck at home in Lucerne, Switzerland, during the pandemic.

Built in collaboration with the engineering department of the University of Lucerne, the 21-square-meter SolarButterfly is constructed with a lightweight material similar to foam made from recycled ocean plastic.

The trailer’s solar panels are also made from recycled ocean plastic to make them lighter, says Palmer, adding that the solar cells were sponsored by green energy specialists LONGi. The company claims to have one of the highest efficiency rates in the market, converting around 24% of the absorbed sunlight into electricity, compared to the usual 20 to 22%.

In case of bad weather or cloudy coverage, Palmer explains that the trailer has another set of solar panels that can be deployed on the ground when the vehicle is parked.

Designed to accommodate four people, the trailer includes a small kitchen, toilets, and a shower room, as well as a versatile space that can be used as a bedroom, conference room, and studio. Its other ecological features include rainwater collection and purification, a solar-powered water heating system, as well as fabrics and bedding made from biodegradable textiles.

Palmer hopes to become fully self-sufficient with “minimal impact on the environment,” although if the car needs to be charged, the electricity used will be offset by the Swiss nonprofit organization myclimate, which has also helped offset the emissions generated by the construction.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to know that we’re not causing any trouble (to the environment),” says Palmer. “We can enjoy the beauty of this world without destroying it.”

As a symbol of transformation, Palmer hopes that the SolarButterfly will inspire more people to make positive and sustainable changes.

“Everybody in the world is aware of climate change, and everybody wants to do something, but has a feeling that they can’t,” says Palmer. “We can solve this problem, and that’s what we want to get across.” 

NOTE:

This is not the first foray into eco-travel for this 50-year-old former teacher: in 2007, he became the first person to circumnavigate the world in a solar-powered car during his 17-month, 53,451-kilometer adventure with the “SolarTaxi.”

Source: Article from CNN