Solar Impulse HB-SIA takes to the Sun

The Switzerland-based Solar Impulse group flew its HB-SIA solar-powered aircraft for 26 hours, using solar cells to collect sunlight during the day and sunlight-powered batteries at night. It is now the longest and highest manned solar flight.  

The Solar Impulse is relying on sun power as it rides around the clock and attempts night flight.

A University of Missouri professor of engineering has developed a solar panel that collects up to 95% of the sunlight that falls on it. Traditional solar panels absorb only about 20%, which is very inefficient. These nantennas could one day make very inexpensive solar panels.

The Australian research organization CSIRO confirms that Australia is building what will be the world’s largest solar power tower of its type at the National Solar Energy Centre in Newcastle.  

Written by: Graeme Philipson | Published in: TechnologyA North Carolina TV station has published pictures of a 100 acre (40 hectare) solar energy farm that Apple is building adjacent to its new data centre in that state.

The Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility made its first formal public appearance on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. The operations of the facility will help commercialize NANOPLAS, a nanoplasmonic solar cell technology being researched and developed by Swinburne University of Technology and Suntech Power Holdings.

The Australian Solar Institute has awarded A$16 million for three major solar research projects in Australia. This money will help Australia maintain a leading role in the world in solar research.

Armidale based RMteK has developed a system, RMCam, for video monitoring of remote locations that combines a camera, motion and other sensors, solar power and Next G wireless modem supported by processing power 'in the cloud'.

With a whole lot of exploration of the Solar System going on over the next few years, NASA announced on October 7, 2010, that 2011 will be the Year of the Solar System. But, wait, there’s more!