Solar power taking off…
Monday, September 10th, 2007 by Nigel
This is the kind of story that appeals to the short-trousered boy in me.
A solar-powered plane has just broken the record for solar-powered flight, albeit unofficially, staying aloft for 54 hours. OK so the unimpressively named Zephyr High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) - cough - doesn’t actually carry any passengers, just a small payload, and it’s been developed by defense industries for military use, but on the plus side it’s an example of how solar powered technology is finally beginning to deliver.
The solar panels were capable of generating enough energy to store enough electricity to keep it flying through two nights - and through thunderstorms at between 50 and 60 thousand feet. It’s kind of beautiful, isn’t it?
Alternative technology needs a lot of encouragement if we’re going to meet the idea of a zero-carbon Britain that the Lib Dems recently put their name to, in an effort to embarrass the newly green-friendly Conservatives.
On solar power in particular, there’s been a lot of dawdling in the last twenty years. Crucial time has been lost as investors look for bigger returns in more conventional oil-based technologies. But rising oil prices are starting to mean that the smart money is finally beginning to move towards new alternative tech. After years of turning up their noses at solar, venture capitalists have just invested big in this solar thermal power company in the US that plans to create electricity by using the sun’s heat to power steam turbines.
I like the look of the Umicore solar car too - the Belgian entry to next month’s Panasonic World Solar Challenge. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the challenge takes place in Australia, where unbroken sunshine is in plentiful supply. Solar cars are going to race 3,000km from Darwin to Adelaide. It’s been a bi-annual event for the last 20 years, but this looks like having the biggest entry yet.
Again, perhaps not ideal for a family of four with a dog and luggage. The point is, there’s finally a sense of possibility around - that solar power is going to be practical part of the solution to reducing carbon emissions. Cars with a solar component are being taken seriously now by manufacturers.
Like this lightweight electric concept car just unveiled by Mitsubishi, the iMiev Sport, which includes photovoltaic cells mounted on the roof to keep the battery topped up.
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