Did you know today is World Energy Efficiency Day đź’ˇ
Being energy efficient can have lots of benefits
đź’° Saves us money
🏠Reduces greenhouse gas emissions (because we’re not there with renewable energy)
🪨 Reduces the amount of energy we need to produce - either with renewables or unsustainable methods
There are lots of ways we can become energy efficient, but when it comes to boats, it seems giving the hull (the bit in the water) a good clean is the way forward.
When a boat is popped into the water, all sorts of plants and animals make the hull’s hard surface their home. Algae, barnacles, and tubeworms, for example. While it might sound like providing a home is a good thing, there is a catch.
The hull is designed to allow the boat to move effortlessly through the water. As more and more marine plants and animals take up residence on the hull, they make the hull rough, which creates friction. The more friction, the more fuel needed to move the boat forward.
In fact, one report from the GloFouling Partnerships and Global Industry Alliance for Marine Biosafety suggests that because of the additional fuel needed, a vessel with a 0.5 mm slime layer across 50% of its hull emits 25% - 30% more greenhouse gases than a clean ship. Add some light calcareous growth – tubeworms and barnacles – and those excess emissions creep up to 60%. If that calcareous growth increases, vessels could emit up to 90% more greenhouse gases than if they were clean.
Curious to read the full report? You can access it here (no paywall) 👇
https://www.glofouling.imo.org/_files/ugd/34a7be_02bd986766d44728b85228c3ec9b95ee.pdf