Solar Plane Makes History, Flies For 24 Straight Hours

In mythology, Icarus flew too close to the sun and had his wings made of wax melt, which sent him crashing back to an unforgiving Earth. If only Icarus could see how far we’ve come when it comes to flying and the sun. On Thursday, an experimental solar-powered plane flew and did so because of solar rays that are provided by the same sun that took down Icarus. The plane gained enough energy from the sun during the day that it completed a 24-hour flight. This shows that not only can a plane run off of solar power but also can collect enough energy during the day that it will stay in the air even at night.

This is a milestone not just for aviation but also from an environmental standpoint. This historic flight (before the plane made it’s 24 hour flight it only flew briefly in the air) may one day lead to larger planes being able to be charged and powered by the sun. This will not only save fuel that is used on planes but will also be a stepping stone to the next step in aviation. In fact, the team that ran the flight are already planning a global flight for 2013 that will hopefully have the solar plane fly around the world while being powered on the sun alone.  Breakthroughs in technology like this compliments the green design (LEED certification) that Niranjan Shah incorporates into this projects out of Globetrotters Engineering Corp.  It’s a great sign that multiple industries are starting to catch the energy efficiency bug.  With all of them working together, the likelihood of a green infrastructure being implemented and operating in full swing becomes much greater.

Icarus may have flown too close to the sun and fell to the Earth, but if he were like this historic plane then he would have not only been able to fly in the sun safely, but also into the darkest of night.

Niranjan Shah and GEC Cutting Edge Tech, UNPEPP Develops ATV Hybrid – Explores Wind/Tidal Turbines

Niranjan Shah is no stranger to technology. As CEO of Globetrotters Engineering Corporation (GEC) he works with cutting edge technology all the time. Just as Shah incorporates energy conservation measures (ECM’s) into the GEC designs, a couple other organizations are pairing up to take their crack at energy efficiency as well.

UNPEPP (University-National Park Energy Partnership Program) is a program that brings together Universities and students from around the country to help protect and maintain national parks by way of ECM’s including energy audits and renewable energy technology (RET) implementation. The students, faculty and park managers come together to bring solutions to problems that are affecting each nation world-wide.

An example of this would be in 2004 when James Madison University partnered with Shenandoah National Park to create a biodiesel/electric hybrid for an all terrain vehicle (ATV) at the national park before hybrid vehicle design had become as mainstream as it has today. The vehicle was designed, and put together by James Madison University students and allowed rangers of the park to use it when silent vehicle travel was especially necessary to keep wildlife from being scared off.  The vehicle also reduced gas consumption and harmful emissions.  More recently, the program has adapted to explore bigger systems, such as the use of tidal turbines and wind turbines for a hybrid system aimed at providing Golden Gate National Recreational Area (Alcatraz Island) with electricity.  Several years ago the electrical cable coming from the mainland was severed.  Rather than replacing the cable along the water bed, UNPEPP stepped in to seize the opportunity to implement and promote alternative energy.

Thanks to individuals and partnerships like this we get closer to a green infrastructure everyday.