The purpose of Swiss Solar Boat is to design and build innovative zero-emission foiling boats, bringing together cutting-edge technologies to accelerate the maritime sector’s transition toward sustainability. The project immerses over 80 students from diverse sections of EPFL into a real and complex challenge, with a strong emphasis on renewable energies, efficiency, and hands-on education.

Swiss Solar Boat’s first cycle (2019–2023) was built around the Dahu, the world’s first foiling proa. The team proudly achieved multiple podiums at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, including the eco-conception award in 2021 and victory in the championship race in 2022. In 2024, the Dahu was hybridized with hydrogen, enabling a symbolic milestone: the first-ever zero-emission crossing between Lausanne and Évian.

Building on this success, the team is now developing its second prototype: the REF (Renewable Energy Foiler) — a hybrid solar-green hydrogen foiling boat. With retractable foils, a custom high-voltage battery, and a 60 kW hydrogen fuel cell, the REF is designed to combine performance, endurance, and sustainability. The main hull was completed in summer 2024, and full integration is ongoing, with a first launch targeted for spring 2026.

Alongside the prototype, Swiss Solar Boat has participed in the creation of the Lausanne Nautical Innovation Days (LNID) — a new event taking place on October 4th, gathering key players from academia, industry, and institutions to position the Lake Geneva region as an international hub for sustainable nautical innovation. The association is also preparing the Green Ribbon 2026, a pioneering 160 km zero-emission challenge they created alongside the Société Nautique de Genève across Lake Geneva.

The adventure continues: in summer 2026, the REF will make its debut at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, carrying forward Swiss Solar Boat’s mission — to innovate, to inspire, and to train the next generation of engineers.