http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27659068

Still struggling to see what practical use, if any, will come out of this expensive experiment. But then I'm sceptical of the whole solar battery scenario anyway. Making them creates more pollution than they offset.

The plane is a technological experiment - you do it because you can. But just for the record: It does not just push the barriers of solar power, another key thing is that it's body is an ultra lightweight construction. I have been flying gliders which were build with similar fiber plastics but nowhere near as extreme as this thing. Back in the 90s did I hear a lot of "but what is it really good for?"... by now the latest commercial jets use the same materials to make them lighter and stronger, which:
- saves petrol
- makes it possible to fly longer distances
- the stronger cabin means you can pressurize it to a higher degree which means less tired guests with less head ache...


I don't think solar panels with save the world, but they will be a cog in an increasingly complicated system that will have to replace traditional fuels. In the last century did many projects simply try to push technological boundaries... these days are there not that many visionary projects going on and I think Solar Impulse is a greater idea than building another land speed record car or the like. Ideally does it not just influence material science, but more importantly many boys and girls to make them choose a career where they can work on improving the world rather than say investment advice. ;-)

It's the same argument as what use F1 is... well, the improvements in the following have been transfered from F1 racing to everyday cars, and it is no surprise that some of the biggest names in the car business sponsor or are involved in F1 racing:
Tyre Technology Brakes
Suspension
Gearboxes
Aerodynamics
KERS
Safety
Engines

All pretty essential components to modern cars.

More info here: http://www.quora.com/Formula-1-1/Whi...y-to-road-cars

It's called science: the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

__________________
Never let right or wrong get in the way of a good opinion

That's what they said about lasers - a solution looking for a problem they said. Look at how we use them now.

The fact is that you have to push the boundaries, you have to take things as far as you can. It's in our nature. If it wasn't in our nature or we listened to everybody how grumbled about cost we'd still be living in caves.

I installed a solar hot water system last week, why pay for hot water when you can have it for free. Payback is about 5 years.

Necroing badly I know, but didn't think it was worth a new thread.

Looks like the American military will benefit now

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/solar-i...oject/46172512

To be honest I thought it was already in a museum at Payerne.

Let me explain:






Its HUGE. Definitely not for an indoor exhibit unless you build a huge hangar for it... and too flimsy to store outside.

Now that was a huge waste of money, thrown away after 4 years, needs constant maintenance from covering up to cleaning. Annual service costs exceed energy savings!

You learned the hard way that maintenance and lifespan needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt. I know someone who installed solar in Scotland!

A lot of small scale 'environmentally friendly' options only make financial sense with huge subsidies. I doubt they make environmental sense at all if you took a full accounting of the energy and materials expended throughout creation, installation and decommissioning and also failure rate/lower than expected useful life.

The crane required to remove it added €300 to the costs, thats the last time I will 'go green' at my expense.

Presumably that preheated water using the sun. That should be the simplest, cheapest, most fool proof option for solar. The manufacturer is still very much alive.

I use a small electric wall mounted heater for the kitchen sink and washbasin, and a monster one I turn on selectively for birthdays and Xmas when I shower. I thought about something like you had to preheat the hot water feed. I assumed they would be maintenance free for the first 10 years or so! Blimey, 300 to remove it! That removal cost is a good 10 showers and 5 years hot water to my basins!

Don´t you just want to go back in time to slap Lewis Strauss who once said that nuclear energy will be too cheap to meter.