In September 2020, the Ocean Legacy Foundation embarked on a 15-day \waste cleanup mission around Vancouver Island and the Northern Gulf Islands of Canada. The ship had four 300W Sunman eArc module installed, which powered core equipment such as GPS, sonar equipment and the principal VHF radio. The energy from the 4 panels also powered two freezers and crew electronics. The demonstration project was designed to determine how the Sunman eArc modules perform in a marine environment.  This includes if the Sunman modules can productively function when exposed to rough seas, salt corrosion and other factors. 

  During the journey, the eArc modules were put to a strenuous test, as two modules were mounted on the outside of the hull of the ship where they were subjected to the full force of the waves. At certain points of the trip, the panels installed on the helm of the ship were completely submerged in water. The eArc modules proved to be durable and performed favorably given the conditions to which they were exposed during the voyage.

To maximize power production, a total of four eArc panels were installed. Two modules were mounted on the outside of the hull of the ship, facing towards the reflected light off the water. The other two panels were installed behind the helm facing the stern of the ship. They were oriented at a slight angle up into the sky.  Bonding eArc to the hull of the ship increased system energy yield by 30%. The extra generation from increased surface utilization was essential when the boat encountered less-than-ideal weather conditions and fire smoke coming from California and Oregon.

Although the amount of force the eArc modules endured during the transit and the rest of the expedition was significant, the modules performed uninterrupted. The data recorded by the Samlex 1200 inverter throughout the trip confirmed the uninterrupted performance of the modules. During sunny days, the system was fully adequate to supply power to the ship's freezers that store food resources.

An expert review of the system was conducted in early December 2020.  The risk assessment found that the modules are in good condition with no damage or delamination found.  In addition, the J-boxes, connectors, and conductors are in good condition with no evidence of water ingress.  The use by OLF of dielectric gel was found to be effective in preventing water ingress.  The connection board too showed no evidence of arcing or corrosion. The panels installed on the bow with adhesive tape and Sikaflex sealant also showed no signs of detachment. The eArc modules adhered to the ship are still being used and performing well providing power to the ship's freezers.  A check of the power output of the modules during the expert assessment, taken on a sunny day, further confirmed the performance of the modules. 

The Ocean Legacy Foundation (OLF) is a Canadian non-profit organization that plans and implements plastic pollution emergency response programs and innovative marine debris solutions? worldwide.   OLF works with communities who are in a plastic pollution crisis or have plastic pollution management concerns.  Using their integrated EPIC (Education, Policy, Infrastructure ad Cleanup) system, Ocean Legacy incorporates mitigation, prevention, response, and recovery measures. This systematic approach enables strategic planning and pragmatic solutions to minimize the impact of risks to marine life, property and the environment through plastic pollution. The system enables OLF to coordinate and integrate all activities necessary to build, sustain and improve the capability and capacity to mitigate, prepare and plan for, respond to and recover from threatened or actual plastic pollution disasters.

The Foundation is led by co-founder Chloé Dubois and is supported by a board of directors, technical advisory committee, government leaders and hundreds of volunteers worldwide. The Foundation combines sustainable technologies with education and skills training to convert plastic waste and plastic pollution into economic value while providing local communities with the tools they need to prevent plastic pollution and protect their local environment.  Since 2014, Ocean Legacy has become a world leader in innovative methods in remote plastic pollution removal, pragmatic policy development and processing infrastructure; cleaning in five different countries while engaging hundreds of thousands of individuals in plastic pollution awareness and education.