Hasta La Gadget!

Good news, kids — the solar-powered jet with globetrotting ambitions has started sneaking out of the hangar and onto the runway for some mild exercise in the form of landing gear and taxi testing. Captained by Bertrand Piccard — a real person — the Solar Impulse project is still on track for a 2012 globe circumnavigation attempt powered only by the sun’s rays from above and the well-wishes from below. The humongous bird is described as having “the wingspan of an Airbus and the weight of a car,” and its recent outdoorsy jaunts have done nothing to dampen spirits, making that roadmap for its first flight early next year seem entirely viable. We’ve got no less than three videos for you after the break, but we won’t mind if you only watch one.

Continue reading Captain Piccard’s Solar Impulse starts runway testing

Captain Piccard’s Solar Impulse starts runway testing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Inhabitat, Wired  |  Solar Impulse  | Email this | Comments

A Japanese team from Tokai University has taken the top spot at the World Solar Challenge, which was held at the end of last week in Australia. The team beat out the Delft University team which won four consecutive previous Challenges, and this year took second place, with the third seat going to the University of Michigan. The race course travels from southern to northern Australia over 3,000 km (about 1864 miles), and the winning team’s car, Tokai Challenger, completed the race in just under 30 hours, averaging 62 miles per hour. Other notable participants included the MIT-built Eleanor.

[Via Wired]

Filed under: Transportation

Japanese team takes top prize at World Solar Challenge originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Dell has added a shiny new feather to its cap today with the announcement of a freshly completed Solar Grove renewable energy installation. The system is composed of 512 solar panels, which provide shelter for 56 cars, and are capable of harvesting 131,000 kWh of energy per year. This power will be primarily used in the adjacent Round Rock HQ, but CleanCharge stations will also be available should you wish to juice up your electric vehicle on Mother Nature’s finest. No matter how much Dell might have splashed out to bring this integration together, we can’t help but suspect that the smug satisfaction of getting free energy — both in pecuniary and ecological terms — must be priceless. Video awaits after the break.

Continue reading Dell and Envision Solar refashion parking lot into clean energy farm, EV recharge station (video)

Dell and Envision Solar refashion parking lot into clean energy farm, EV recharge station (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Continue reading Sharp solar cell sets Conversion Efficiency record

Sharp solar cell sets Conversion Efficiency record originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

With eco-friendliness on everyone’s mind, it’s no shock to see more and more progress being made in the realm of solar. Shortly after hearing that boffins across the way were swapping carbon nanotubes for silicon, a Tel Aviv-based startup is now hoping to push its colored panels into the mainstream thanks to their ability to work sans direct sunlight. Granted, the tinted cells have only shown a 12 percent efficiency rate in testing, but they can reportedly be produced for around half of what a conventional panel costs. In essence, the cost savings comes from the dearth of silicon within, as GreenSun Energy has discovered that power can be generated by simply diffusing available sunlight over the whole panel and allowing nanoparticles to handle the rest. We’ll invite you to visit the links below for the science behind it, but we’re just interested in helping Ma Earth while replacing every windows in our apartment with a stained glass alternative.

[Via Inhabitat]

Filed under: Science

Colored solar panels work without direct sunlight, double as PAR Can filters originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments