14 DAY TRIAL // Solar energy harvesting, as a concept, has existed for a long time, but practical applications have been few and far between, and efficiency is still fairly low. As abundant as sunlight is, it isn't easy to turn into usable electricity.
Or perhaps we should say it was difficult, since it looks like the technology is far enough along to enable cross-continental plane rides.
That's right, a plane was able to fly over the United States using only sunlight. It left San Francisco in early May and reached John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York at 11:09 p.m. last Saturday night (July 6, 2013).
It is called Solar Impulse. Perhaps not the most inventive of names, but it does more or less represent its purpose.
The plane uses roughly 11,000 solar cells, mounted on a pair of jumbo wings. Its top height is of 30,000 feet (roughly 10,000 meters).
“It was a huge success for renewable energy,” said Andre Borschberg, pilot of the Solar Impulse. “The only thing that failed was a piece of fabric.”
The plane had to stop in cities like Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Dulles, St. Louis and Cincinnati, which is why it took so long.
Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that this is one of the biggest leaps in renewable energy. With geothermal sources still hard to harness, and eolian plants lacking the same potential, sunlight is the most logical choice.
And since we've been seeing sun panels installed on phones and other consumer electronics, albeit just as tests, we can safely say that the age of no wall socket chargers is upon us.
In fact, 3D Graphene Nanoballs were invented, which allow for the making of supercapacitors that can be used in phone/tablet/vehicle batteries capable of recharging in minutes instead of hours.
Combine that with the advancement in solar energy harvesting and there almost aren't any reasons left to worry about the apparent depletion of fossil fuels.