Solar Impulse II Makes California

wrote:
On Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 8:31:04 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Larry Dighera wrote:
On Wed, 27 Apr 2016 08:16:24 +1200, george152 wrote:

On 4/27/2016 4:39 AM, Larry Dighera wrote:

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Solar-Impulse-II-Makes-California-226128-1.html
Solar Impulse II Makes California

Solar Impulse II completed a 56-hour leg from Hawaii to Mountain View,
California just before midnight local time on Saturday. The aircraft, which had
to undergo a refit in Hawaii after the epic leg from Japan wrecked its
batteries, reportedly performed flawlessly on the trip, which ended with a
dramatic entrance over the Golden Gate Bridge on the way to Mountain View just
south of San Francisco. "WOW. A normal day as an explorer," the organization
tweeted as it sent out an iconic photo of the aircraft over the bridge shot
from a chase aircraft with founder Bertrand Piccard at the controls.

"It's a new era. It's not science fiction. It's today," Piccard told CNN from
California after landing. "It exists and clean technologies can do the
impossible." A big window of benign weather, rare for the North Pacific, helped
the effort and the landing was under clear skies. The Mountain View landing was
a diversion from the scheduled U.S. arrival point of Phoenix and it's not clear
what route the aircraft will take as it crosses the U.S. It has a major
challenge ahead with a northern Atlantic crossing on its way to finishing the
circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi. Video: https://youtu.be/wQCOfuwG6ss.

It's a toy.
One seat
flies at 30 odd knots
and cooks batteries in a -c environment
And is accompanied by an inflatable hangar, ground crew in commercial
airliners

Personally, I wouldn't characterize it as a toy, but more like a proof of
concept vehicle, to demonstrate the feasibility of harvesting the sun's energy
to potentially provide clean, sustainable transportation.

At any rate, if Solar Impulse II successfully flies around the world solely
powered by energy from the sun, I'd equate that with Lindbergh's solo Atlantic
feat, at least.

At last, electric power appears to have planted its banner solidly in the
fertile soil of transportation. And, hydrogen fuel makes it a clean, feasible
alternative to gasoline, that can be generated by solar powered electrolysis of
water (on the ground) without the pollution of petrochemical extraction and
emissions. Current photovoltaic cell's limited efficiency preclude their use
to power heaver than air aircraft in a practical way, but for lighter than air
aircraft, they may be quiet well suited, as they won't have to provide the
power to support the weight of the aircraft, only propel it.

It's about time superior technology pushed aside the vested interests, and be
recognized for its true benefits. Perhaps there's hope the 21st century may
initiate an era that transcends politics, profiteers, and plutocrats,
recognizes the limitations of a closed system, and offers long term,
sustainable solutions. We can hope ...

What vested interests would that be?

Perhaps the Chineses panel makers dumping panels?

Maybe the tax subsidies that are required before anyone with any economic
sense gets involved with solar power?

Absent a fantasic improvement in solar cell efficiency, just around the
corner now for about a half century, solar power will remain a niche
technology.

Solar energy firms bankrupt in 2015: Enecsys, QBotix, Solar-Fabrik, Soitec,
TSMC Solar. On the brink of being bankrupt: Spire Corporation, Andalay Solar,
Abengoa.

Solar energy firms bankrupt in 2014: Areva's solar business, HelioVolt,
LDK, Masdar PV, SolarMax, Sopogy, TEL, Xunlight.



--
Jim Pennino

At the start of June, Germany produced 50 percent of its electricity
needs from solar power: a new world record. Tobias Rothacher, expert
of renewable energies at Germany's Trade and Invest, stated that what
his country has done with solar power is a testament to what the
renewable resource can accomplish in modern societies.

Fraunhofer ISE research institute revealed that solar panels in the
eastern European country generated a record breaking 23.1 GW of
electricity in one hour on June 6th. On June 9th, a national holiday,
solar energy production peaked at 24.24 GW, which equalled approximately
50.6 percent of the electricity demand.

http://guardianlv.com/2014/06/50-per...ar-new-record/

---

Wasn't it in Germany where one of the very heavily subsidized solar
producers was found to be delivering power at night via rented diesel
generators and if they had not been delivering at night no one would
have caught on to them?

Doesn't Germany have the highest electricity prices in Europe?

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-920288.html

http://americanenergyalliance.org/20...nergy-failure/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclem.../#7301c40860e6

http://fuelpoverty.eu/2014/07/09/ene...inning-debate/




--
Jim Pennino

On Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 10:31:05 PM UTC-4, wrote:

Doesn't Germany have the highest electricity prices in Europe?

No, because there are 81 million people in Germany, and half of
them use solar power. People with solar panels don't pay anything
for electricity, instead... the power company pays them. It's called
net metering. So you have to average the 40 million who get paid, in
with the other 40 million. The panel installations are part of the
home's equity and are transferable cash value.

It's all mute anyway, because fossil fuels are responsible for the
acidification which is destroying the worlds coral reefs now at an
accelerated pace, among other proven mass extinction events.

---

wrote:
On Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 10:31:05 PM UTC-4, wrote:

Doesn't Germany have the highest electricity prices in Europe?

No, because there are 81 million people in Germany, and half of
them use solar power. People with solar panels don't pay anything
for electricity, instead... the power company pays them. It's called
net metering. So you have to average the 40 million who get paid, in
with the other 40 million. The panel installations are part of the
home's equity and are transferable cash value.

"German consumers already pay the highest electricity prices in Europe."

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-920288.html

It's all mute anyway, because fossil fuels are responsible for the
acidification which is destroying the worlds coral reefs now at an
accelerated pace, among other proven mass extinction events.

Yeah, sure.


--
Jim Pennino

On 5/5/2016 2:47 AM, wrote:
On Thursday, April 28, 2016 at 10:31:05 PM UTC-4, wrote:

Doesn't Germany have the highest electricity prices in Europe?

No, because there are 81 million people in Germany, and half of
them use solar power. People with solar panels don't pay anything
for electricity, instead... the power company pays them. It's called
net metering. So you have to average the 40 million who get paid, in
with the other 40 million. The panel installations are part of the
home's equity and are transferable cash value.

It's all mute anyway, because fossil fuels are responsible for the
acidification which is destroying the worlds coral reefs now at an
accelerated pace, among other proven mass extinction events.

News
The toy has broken down again

On 5/25/2016 4:12 PM, george152 wrote:
News
The toy has broken down again

It can't be too broke, it's in the air right now.

Still, this is "bleeding edge" technology and "stuff" is bound to
happen. That's how we learn.

Vaughn Simon wrote:
On 5/25/2016 4:12 PM, george152 wrote:
News
The toy has broken down again

It can't be too broke, it's in the air right now.

Still, this is "bleeding edge" technology and "stuff" is bound to
happen. That's how we learn.

I gave up trying to find any technical details on their web site for
all the hurrah for us hype and green propaganda so it is difficult to
tell just how much of the thing is actually "bleeding edge" technology.

Solar cells and lithium batteries have been around for a while, so unless
the thing has custom motors or batteries not yet on the market, I would
hardly call it "bleeding edge" technology.


--
Jim Pennino

On 5/26/2016 12:34 PM, wrote:
Vaughn Simon wrote:
On 5/25/2016 4:12 PM, george152 wrote:
News
The toy has broken down again

It can't be too broke, it's in the air right now.

Still, this is "bleeding edge" technology and "stuff" is bound to
happen. That's how we learn.

I gave up trying to find any technical details on their web site for
all the hurrah for us hype and green propaganda so it is difficult to
tell just how much of the thing is actually "bleeding edge" technology.

Solar cells and lithium batteries have been around for a while, so unless
the thing has custom motors or batteries not yet on the market, I would
hardly call it "bleeding edge" technology.


Its a scam.
The slowest ever way to get around the world for one pilot.
Should be that it lands, maintenance carried out, restocked, pilot swap
and off again in a matter of hours not bloody weeks or months.

On 5/26/2016 9:53 AM, Vaughn Simon wrote:
On 5/25/2016 4:12 PM, george152 wrote:
News
The toy has broken down again

It can't be too broke, it's in the air right now.

At the time I posted it was broke

Still, this is "bleeding edge" technology and "stuff" is bound to
happen. That's how we learn.
No. There's no edge and no learning required.
It's a toy.
Single seat. No payload. Cruising speed lower than stalling speed on a
real aircraft.