The first 100% solar-powered boathouse has recently deployed a first of its kind highly visible solar-powered channel marker lights! The Marin Rowing Association (MRA), a world-class rowing facility on Corte Madera Creek in Greenbrae, California, has taken another leap forward in its commitment to solar and safety by solar-powering the innovative channel marker lights where the club practices.
The non-profit club provides classrooms for teaching, locker rooms, a private dock, 28kW of solar, 4 EV chargers, electric coaching launches, three boat bays, and a workout room with rowing ergometers, stationary bicycles, treadmills, and free weights. It is committed to developing highly skilled, competitive youth and adult rowers.
The club’s sixteen illuminated channel markers are now powered by the sun, thanks to the incorporation of Voltaic Systems’ components. Each marker is equipped with an efficient and durable P120 solar panel, an A101 Adapter, and a V50 battery and is designed to deliver continuous power, ensuring that the markers remain illuminated, guiding the way for rowers early in the morning and in the afternoon after the sun sets. This initiative not only aligns with the club’s commitment to minimize its environmental impact, but also ensures enhanced safety when boating in the dark.
Working closely with the United States Coast Guard and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District over multiple years, MRA developed these 16 channel marker lights that meet the following criteria. Nothing was off-the-shelf:
- Does not interfere with existing marker lighting or signs
- Is consistent with the specific Coast Guard light spectrums (Red and Green wavelengths)
- Is solar powered (Voltiac P120 Panels)
- Uses custom brackets that allow for different angles to maximize the sun exposure for each marker
- Selected Voltiac V50 Batteries to provide illumination even with 6 days of no sun
- IP67 Waterproof Rating
- Electronic/digital Timer to be on when dark and the rowers are likely to be in the channel, off otherwise
- Bluetooth controlled for changing timers throughout the year (e.g. Daylight Savings)
- Easily maintained
- Able to survive in a harsh saltwater and sun environment
- Targeting a minimum 5 year life
John Younger, Rower, Chairman of HireMojo,, and Board member of MRA, emphasized the significance of the project, stating that the solar-powered channel marker lights “dramatically improve the safety of our channel for everyone; the rowers, private boats and the ferries. This was possible due to Voltiac’s solar panels and batteries.”
The Marin Rowing Association’s move to solar-power the channel marker lights with Voltaic Systems exemplifies how the club continues to lead by example in integrating sustainable practices within athletic facilities. More than just an upgrade—it’s a statement that sustainability and sports can go hand-in-hand.
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