Solar-powered plane sets record by flying all night

“When you took off it was another era. You land in a new era where people understand that with renewable energy you can do impossible things.”

Solar Impulse co-founder Bertrand Piccard to pilot André Borschberg

At 9 AM this morning Swiss time, the Solar Impulse airplane entered the record books by landing — after 26 hours aloft powered only by the sun.

The flight was the culmination of a seven-year long effort by a team of 150 engineers, scientists and other experts, led by project co-founder Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss aviator who made the first non-stop, round-the-world journey in a hot air balloon in 1999.

Solar Impulse pilot Andre Borschberg

The Solar Impulse has the wingspan of a jumbo jet (63.4 meters, 208 feet) but weighs about the same as a Honda Accord (1,600 kg, 3527 lbs). The $88 million project has been funded by mostly-Swiss partners and public donations.

After completing the flight over the Jura mountains and Lake Neuchâtel, Swiss pilot André Borschberg described his “extraordinary night” to reporters.

“Just sitting there and watching the battery charge level rise and rise thanks to the sun,” he said, “and then that suspense, not knowing whether we were going to manage to stay up in the air the whole night. And finally the joy of seeing the sun rise and feeling the energy beginning to circulate in the solar panels again. I have just flown more than 26 hours without using a drop of fuel and without causing any pollution.”

Revolutions in solar and battery technology

Piccard credited recent improvements in solar power technology for the successful flight.

Solar cell "skin"

“Compared with 2003, energy efficiency has increased from 16 to 22 percent,” said Piccard. “And the cells are now half as thick.”

The ultra-thin solar cells — only 150 microns thick — were developed by leading solar manufacturer SunPower and scientists at Neuchâtel University. The long wings of the Solar Impulse are covered with a skin of 11,000 silicon solar cells.

Swiss chemical giant Solvay worked with South Korean-based Kokam to produce a new lithium polymer battery with an energy density nearly double the previous form. The lighter batteries combined with the lighter solar cells and newly designed ultra-light motors to allow Solar Impulse to generate sufficient electricity during the day to fly and still have enough stored energy to stay aloft during the night.

The solar-powered plane flew at an average speed of 25 mph and climbed to an altitude of 28,000 feet.

Piccard and his team are set to begin work on a new plane. This version will need several improvements to achieve the team’s next goal: flying around the world in five days — broken up into five stages.

The most recent post in the team’s blog celebrates this morning’s event and concludes with these instructions for readers: “You all go off and pick a sunflower, plant it in your yard, and keep the spirit alive. Till the next, fabulous step toward a greener, more sustainable world. Cheers.”

For more on Solar Impulse, see the video below and visit the Solar Impulse website.

Who to Look For at the SOTU

When the camera moves across the gallery during tonight’s State of the Union, keep an eye out for two Arizona leaders in clean, renewable energy. Dr. Jeffery Britt, head of Tucson-based Global Solar will be there as a guest of Representative Gabriele Giffords (D-AZ). Donald Karner, the CEO of Phoenix’s own eTec, will be in the gallery, too, invited by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Global Solar

Thin-film solar cell

Britt’s company produces a variety of solar products, using the thin-film solar cells manufactured at its twin Tucson plants. One plant is powered by a 750 kW solar field.

“After working for many years in the solar energy industry,” Britt said earlier today.

“I am particularly interested to learn about the president’s proposals on renewable energy. Besides energy, there are so many critical national issues at stake now – health care, jobs, the economy – that make this a truly historic moment. I suspect that passion will be running high in the president and all the members of Congress. Television just cannot capture those feelings. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Giffords for giving me the opportunity to be present at this event.”

eTec

eTec charging stations

Donald Karner’s company should be familiar to Phoenix Sun readers. We’ve reported several times on eTec’s work designing, building and deploying new-generation battery chargers for electric vehicles.

eTec received nearly $100 million in stimulus funds to (I can’t help myself) jump-start the EV industry with charging stations being built in four states, primarily along highway corridors between major cities. eTec is installing several chargers along Interstate 10, for example, between Phoenix and Tucson.

It’s an exciting moment for clean, renewable energy in general and for solar power in particular. As the Senate drags its collective feet on passing a climate bill, companies like Global Solar and eTec are helping to reshape our economy, climate and even our way of life.

If you want to know the state of the Union, tune in tonight. When the camera is pointed at the gallery, you may get a good glimpse of the positive changes already underway here in Arizona — and throughout the Nation.

UPDATE

(January 28) Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has announced a $1.4 billion loan to car-maker Nissan for retooling their factory in Smyrna, Tennessee, to manufacture the EV Leaf and for constructing a new facility to build advanced batteries for the cars. The new factories are expected to produce 150,000 cars and 200,000 battery packs a year.

Chu added that the project will provide as many as 1,300 new jobs in Tennessee.

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Due out this fall in selected areas, the Nissan Leaf was a definite crowd-pleaser at a Phoenix area mall this afternoon. The fully electric car has a top speed of 90 mph, holds five passengers and has a 100-mile range on a single charge.

A close up of the plug-in area shows multiple outlets. Using an adapter, the Leaf can be plugged into a normal wall outlet for 110-volt charging, or a faster 220-volt line, or the less-than-an-hour service from a charging station.

Charging stations are being built in Phoenix and in other test markets. They’ll also be located at intervals along the Interstate between Phoenix and Tucson.

Inside View

The interior looked comfortable and surprisingly roomy, with a dashboard made of recycled plastic and the kind of touchscreen instrument panel that fits with the EV’s modern form and function.

One of the car’s high-tech features is its cellphone compatibility. You can program the car to send you a text message when it’s fully charged. Or, when it’s sitting in the garage, battery half-empty and not plugged in, it can text you a reminder to “feed” it.

All this and solar, too?

Yes, the Leaf comes equipped with a small solar panel built into the roof at the back of the car. Not large enough to power the car’s main battery, the panel does keep all electrical accessories charged (lights, radio, etc.)

They weren’t allowing test drives this afternoon, but I may be able to take it on the road this Monday morning. If that happens, I’ll be sure to post about it here.