From housetops to deserts to mausoleums in cemeteries, solar panels are coming up in nooks and corners. Perhaps the ultimate would be as fuel for air flight, something known to contribute increasingly to global warming.
The first solar-powered plane trip around the world is now one step closer to reality. A 1500 kilogram solar plane will complete its first test flight next April. The plane, which has a 61-meter wingspan, will attempt to travel around the world in May 2011. It will go into commercial production the same year.
Solar is raring to go, with efficiencies picking up, even as innovations in cheaper materials keep pouring in. It would be tempting to go for a ‘solar-wash’.
But, as one of our blog visitors Gopal notes, most of the demand from rural areas is not so much for electricity as it is for heat for cooking. Solar still has the problem of storage and it is prudent to go for requirement-based resources.
There is no one-size-fits-all in the energy area as anywhere else. No one source can be touted as better than the other, unless seen in context. The requirement and availability of sources have to be mapped to get the best mix. Rushing into implementing new ideas without proper research has bogged down many excellent projects.
Let us know if you come across innovative use of energy. It is time to spread the word, wouldn’t you agree?
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