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Solar plane soars, slowly, on first flight

PAYERNE, Switzerland
A solar plane with wings as wide as a 747 and the power of a small motorboat took to the skies for the first time Wednesday, cruising a mile high at low speeds for nearly 1½ hours in a step toward becoming the first sun-powered aircraft to circle the world.

The Future of Green Transportation

Solar Airplanes?

By Levi Quinn

Will there actually be solar airplanes in the future? Have you ever sat and wondered what our future will be like? Will we continue on the same course we are on, or will alternative energies take be a larger solution to some of our energy needs? Where will the future of solar power and alternative fuels take us? Will there be solar energy planes? That is an interesting question, one that many of us who are environmentally friendly ask.

In essence, solar energy is the constraining and using of energy, but energy that is produced by the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Today solar technology has allowed us to use solar power for many of our everyday power needs. For instance, we can use solar power for heating, home electricity, and even vehicular transportation. The future of solar energy is bright, but how far will it take us.

This is all well and great but is it possible to use solar energy for aircraft transportation?

Well after some research, it appears that alternative fuel testing to power aircraft has been tested, and some have worked. For instance, did you know that in 1935 aircraft steam engines were manufactured, tested and found to work?

Solar Power

By David Evermon

These days we are experiencing a growing awareness to the fact that our energy resources, as they have been used in the last few years, are probably not going to last for long and that the energy markets are exposed to more and more rapid changes, some due to political reasons and others because of the changing climate of the planet. The main conclusion that we all need to get to is that all sources of energy should be explored and that we should harness the forces of nature to assist us in this quest.

Solar power is not a new concept, it has been properly introduced to the global public many years ago and successfully implemented in different parts of the world in different ways, so it is fairly safe to say that solar power is known to most people, but it is still not as popular as it should be, as a cheap replacement for other sources of energy.

The History Of Solar Power

By Will Reece

With the recent rise in energy costs many people have been looking to alternative sources of energy. One of the greatest energy sources (our sun) is readily available for the taking. We just need to be able to harness it's power. For those interested, below is a brief history of how solar power came to be.

The history of photovoltaic energy (aka. solar cells) started way back in 1876. William Grylls Adams along with a student of his, Richard Day, discovered that when selenium was exposed to light, it produced electricity. An electricity expert, Werner von Siemens, stated that the discovery was "scientifically of the most far-reaching importance". The selenium cells were not efficient, but it was proved that light, without heat or moving parts, could be converted into electricity.

Solar Planes

Solar plane soars, slowly, on first flight

The Future of Green Transportation

Solar Airplanes?

Solar Power

The History Of Solar Power

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