A prototype solar-powered airplane completed several important
tests last Thursday and Friday.
Solar
Impulse's HB-SIA, which was finished this past summer, taxied down a
runway using power from the 11,000 solar cells covering its wings and did a
series of acceleration and braking tests. The next test will be revving up the
plane to its 35km/hour take-off speed.
Founder of Solar Impulse, Bertrand Piccard, a former
astronaut and the first man to circle the world nonstop in a balloon, hopes to perform
the same feet in a solar-powered plane derived from on the HB-SIA design. Solar
Impulse aims to test the prototype in flight next year and to achieve a 36-hour
flight without fuel shortly after that. Results from these tests will be used
to build a solar-powered plane to will attempt a transcontinental flight
sometime after 2012.
A number of solar-powered aircraft exist already, such NASA's
Helios,
the Solar
Riser glider or the Sunseeker which flew across the US in 1990 using
a mix of solar power and gliding.
The Solar Impulse prototype is made of lightweight
materials, weighing only 3,500 pounds and it has a wingspan of 210 feet. It is
intended to fly at only 28 miles per hour to keep energy consumption low. It
will store solar energy for night flight.
The video below shows computer simulations of Solar Impulse's plane, and the real thing on the runway.
It seems that everywhere you turn you are seeing more and more Solar products beginning to emerge. One of the latest trends that is hitting the Global Market is Solar For Golf Carts. Many Golf Courses are taking the Eco-Friendly approach to their Golf Courses by using recycled water, biodegradable materials, Chemical Free pesticides and fertilizers to name a few. But the Newest and most fascinating is putting Solar Tops on the Golf Carts!
May 2009, Sebonack Golf Club in Southhampton, NY converted 39 of their 40 Golf carts into Solar. Earlier in the year, the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course in Hong Kong became the first club in the world to outfit it's entire fleet of golf carts with Solar Tops. Both claim an annual savings of over $50,000.00 US by going Solar. Hawaii Prince Golf Club has also converted 10 of their golf carts.
The impact this is having is not only the reduction in their Carbon footprint, but the reduction in downtime for their golfers and the savings on electric costs because they do not have to plug in as often. And one of the greater advantages to going Solar is the extended battery life. The costs savings become tremendous as well as continuous.
SolarForGolfCarts.com has opened the doors for the international market as well with their distributorship in Turkey and Panama.
This is definitely a trend worth watching. And encouraging for those of us who look to business' that become more Eco-Friendly.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Comments
May 2009, Sebonack Golf Club in Southhampton, NY converted 39 of their 40 Golf carts into Solar. Earlier in the year, the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course in Hong Kong became the first club in the world to outfit it's entire fleet of golf carts with Solar Tops. Both claim an annual savings of over $50,000.00 US by going Solar. Hawaii Prince Golf Club has also converted 10 of their golf carts.
The impact this is having is not only the reduction in their Carbon footprint, but the reduction in downtime for their golfers and the savings on electric costs because they do not have to plug in as often. And one of the greater advantages to going Solar is the extended battery life. The costs savings become tremendous as well as continuous.
SolarForGolfCarts.com has opened the doors for the international market as well with their distributorship in Turkey and Panama.
This is definitely a trend worth watching. And encouraging for those of us who look to business' that become more Eco-Friendly.
SolarGolf
01/29/2010
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