Thursday, July 02, 2009 at 2:16:14 PM - by Danny Vo

Southern California residents are getting a look at one unique solar energy resource thanks to a joint effort by the Port of Long Beach and Japan's NYK shipping line.

A report in the Los Angeles Times features the M/V Auriga Leader, a 60,000 ton car carrier ship which is docked at the Port of Long Beach and which uses enough energy to power 100 homes.

According to the newspaper, the vessel has 328 photovoltaic panels on its deck, generating 40 kilowatts or about ten percent of its overall energy needs. This is said to be first use of solar energy to help power a ship instead of simply using it to run on-board lights and other such functions.

The ship is said to offer a possible way for Long Beach and other ports to reduce their heavy carbon footprints and overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar energy is steadily moving beyond applications like electric power to become more of a factor in transportation. For example, researchers are developing a solar powered airplane with an eye on flying it around the world in a couple of years, while college students have also designed solar powered automobiles for various competitions.