An experimental solar-powered aircraft launched on Wednesday has landed safely in Switzerland after successfully flying through the night.

The feat is a step toward the makers’ aim of circling the globe using the power of the Sun to fuel the plane.

The four-engine aircraft was steered by Andre Borschberg, a former fighter jet pilot from Switzerland.

The aircraft used super-efficient solar cells and batteries to stay in the air after the Sun’s rays had faded. 12,000 solar cells arranged on its wingspan which collected enough energy to power the plane for the flight.

During the flight it reached a height of 8,700 m (28,543 ft) and the plane landed at Payerne airport after a total flight time of 26 hours, an airfield about 30 miles (50 km) from the Swiss capital Bern.

It is the longest and highest flight recorded by a solar-powered plane.

Assistants rushed to stabilize the experimental aircraft as it touched down, ensuring that its huge 63m (207ft) wingspan did not scrape the ground and topple the plane.

Previous flights of Solar Impulse have included a brief “flea hop” and a longer airborne test earlier this year. But this week’s attempt was described as a “milestone” by the team.

The designers, the Solar Impulse team led by Mr Borschberg and fellow aviator Bertrand Piccard, say that this proves that a plane can be kept in the air around the clock.

The plane emerged from the darkness of night with three hours power remaining in its batteries, more than had been expected.

“That was the moment that proved the mission was successful, we made it.”

It’s the first time ever that a manned solar airplane has flown through the night,” Mr Piccard told journalists.

The team will now build a new, more advanced, model of the plane and aim to circumnavigate the globe by 2013.

“Nothing can prevent us from another day and night, and the myth of perpetual flight.”

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About The Author
Tom Norris is the Managing Director of the QFJ Media Price Comparison Network and writes passionately each week in the Compare Prices Supermarket Blog, Conservatories Supermarket Blog and Solar Panels Supermarket about home improvement and renewable energy issues.
me improvement and renewable energy issues.

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Solar energy is a form of renewable energy that can serve different purposes. Since a long time, human beings are exploiting this energy using various tools and technologies for the enlistment of the society. Solar energy has a large number of applications in various fields. This article is all about the various benefits of the solar energy.

The sun is a consistent source of power that will be with us every time. Unlike fossil fuels that release carcinogens, green house gases, carbon-dioxide and other poisonous gases in environment, solar cells do not release any of these venomous gases in the air. Thus it is environmentally friendly that does not pollute the air.

Solar energy portals are highly reliable as they do not contain any moving parts. Hence any sorts of replacements are not required. In fact, electricity for 1000s of hours with little or no maintenance can be easily generated by using solar energy portals. In the midst of numerous renewable energy resources, this is the only resource that makes no noise while collecting energy from them. These sources are completely silent.

Solar electricity is cheaper as compared to other sources of electricity. There is a start up cost but after that it does not require any more investments for the production of electricity. Once break even point is reached, everything after that is profit. A number of solar panel systems are available. Some of them can be expensive and some can be very cheap. This means that everyone has the entry point to get into solar panels.

Connecting to power grid is not at all required. Everyone can live off-grid and can become self-sufficient. Excess electricity that is generated can be sold if a large solar panel system is built. Easy money can be made by using this method as all the power companies will gladly buy the excess electricity. Hence, there are various benefits of solar energy.

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About the Author:
For more information on Solar energy and the benefits of Solar energy Israel and Solar energy Portals please visit the mentioned website
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Installing solar panels is a win-win situation.  You win because you save money on your energy bills.  You win because you earn money on the energy you sell to the national grid. You help the UK go green and use less fossil fuel.  You help ensure there is never another Gulf of Mexico or Exxon Valdez disaster through reducing reliance on those sources of fuel.  You help preserve this planet for your children.

That’s right – you get PAID money to switch to a green energy technology through selling solar energy back to the grid as well as reducing household expenses and making sure you protect yourself from peak oil issues.

Solar energy offers you a chance to not only reduce your reliance on oil and gas and coal for lighting and heating you home but as any excess is sold back to the UK grid you can also help the whole of the country reduce their reliance on fossil fuels as well.  This means you can help the UK go green and save money all while saving your part of the planet.

Did you know that by installing Solar Panels at your property to generate electricity, you could earn an income of up to 8% pa tax free with the Government backed Feed-in Tariff Scheme?

Solar energy uses panels and not the somewhat unsightly domestic wind turbine.  By switching to solar panels and instead of consuming energy feeding that energy back into the grid, you will form one part of a larger whole of many people just like you who want to not only switch to environmentally friendly energy but want to help the whole country do so.  You don’t have to worry about a cloudy day – that’s a myth. You will create and store solar energy and feed it back to the grid, ensuring you and everyone around you is going green and stopping coal and oil polluting our environment.

In summary, you can benefit in four ways from installing Solar PV Panels:

1. You will be paid for each unit of electricity you generate.
2. You can use the electricity you generate yourself, so reducing the amount of electricity you need to buy from your normal supplier.
3. You will be paid again for each unit of electricity which you do not use, if you export it to the national grid (via your normal electricity supplier)
4. You will be protected from future electricity price rises, as you will not need to purchase as much electricity from your supplier, as you will be generating it yourself on-site.

On balance, it seems almost selfish not to switch to solar panels and with grants available, now is the perfect time to switch.

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About the Author:
BritishEco Ltd is a supplier and installer of all the major renewable energy systems, including Solar PV Panels and is MCS accredited.  BritishEco is a national company with local consultants, is manufacturer independent and is able to offer advice on Government incentives, such as grants, Feed-in Tariffs and Renewable Heat Incentives.  BritishEco have set up a website dedicated to provide information on the Feed-in Tariffs www.Feedin-Tariffs.com
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There is a growing awareness in the field of energy because we all knows that the energy resources can only last for few more years, and are not going to final for a long term.

For this reason, all the energy markets are undergoing rapid changes. There are some political issues as well as other issues such as the changing climate of the ground.

This article is about the importance of solar energy.

Some of the major advantages of solar energy that makes it the most important one from among all other natural sources of energy available are that solar energy is highly abundant and that this kind of energy is unanimous.

There will never be a scarcity by the use of this energy. In winter season also, a moderate quantity of solar energy is available. That means this is a renewable source of energy that is consistent and will never end.

This fact completes the search for a source of energy that is ever lasting. Best of all; Solar energy is absolutely free . We do not have not to pay anything to get or use energy from the sun. It is absolutely free. Although a tiny investment have to be done setting up a solar panel system, but afterwards no body has to pay anything to get the energy.

It can satisfy the energy requirements effectively with no expenditures. Solar energy is highly cost-effective. As compared to all other natural resources present, setting up solar panels are really cheap. There is no doubt that the solar photo voltaic is expensive. But due to the advancement in technologies, scientists have created the generation of power from this energy in a very cost-effective manner.

The solar hot water panels have been improved in recent years and its cost has highly reduced. The prices of other resources like coal, crude or mans gas are increasing day by day but on the other hand, energy derived from sun has become the alternative for all these resources as it is so much cheaper.

Solar energy is clean. The most important advantage of this energy is that it is absolutely clean. Slowly and gradually it has become the best alternative for fossil fuels and nuclear power that will never be short. Solar power can be gained lacking making noise. Hence, we can say it does not make any type of noise pollution either.

Wherever there is sunshine, solar power can be generated. It doesn’t require any special laboratories. In the production of solar power, there is no production of any green abode gases, carbon-dioxide and other poisonous gases. Hence, it does not aid air pollution.

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Since a long period, solar energy has been harnessed by the human beings using different technologies.
With the advancements in the technology, extraction of solar energy is becoming easier and cheaper day by day.

There are several companies that are finding unused ways to use the renewable sources of energies. Therefore, solar energy can be used to the maximum extent to make this world better.

This is the most important energy out of all the natural sources of energy available as it is very abundant. There will never be a scarcity of this inexhaustible source of energy.

Solar panels are very important for the extraction of the solar power.
Using the solar power, electricity can be generated that completely depends upon the photovoltaic cells and heat engines.

There is a wide range of applications of solar power.
Some of the major applications include space cooling and heating through its architecture, solar cooking, and potable water by distillation and disinfection, day lightning, hot water and the high temperature process heat for several industrial uses.

The simplest method of extracting the solar energy is the implementation of solar panels. On the basis of the way the solar energy is captured, converted and distributed, the solar technologies are classified as active solar and the passive solar. Solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic panels are used in active solar technology to extract the energy.

On the other hand, passive solar technologies include selecting materials with appropriate thermal mass or light dispersing properties, orienting a building to the sun and designing the spaces that naturally circulate the air.

Hence, solar energy can be used for various purposes to make this world better place to live.

The great idea of making a Solar Panel System sounds scientific and to an ordinary man it is complicated, how much more building it on your own? Well, do not be threatened by its big name, it is actually easy to build. Although it is necessary to have basic knowledge on how electricity works, it is not that important that to have a background in electronics or know-how in order to do this project.

But first, we have to shed a light on how a solar panel work in giving us the electricity that our house needs, and how the system is said to be environmentally friendly.

Electricity is generated through the lights that are captured by the solar panels. The more intense light it gets the more electricity it creates. Nowadays, a lot of buildings, institutions and households are shifting to the use of solar panels as a source of electricity, it helps in cutting off their electric bill plus it is environmentally friendly since it does not emit any harmful chemicals and is completely hazard-free.

Upon discussing the importance and advantages of a solar energy system, you might be eager to know how to build one on your own. There are two easy steps in doing this project.

First step in making your very own Solar Panel System is to locate a place, any hardware store or DIY shop, where you can find all the necessary items needed in building it like DC meter, screw driver, wire, pliers etc. It will also be very helpful if you can ask for discount.

Second step is to research online. Once you have all the items, you are now ready to build your own Solar Panel System, unfortunately this article doesn’t have the “step-by-step guide” that you need in building one. Do not be disappointed though because the information you need is available online, you just need to do some research.

The internet offers a lot of information, some are free and some are not. The methods that you need in creating your own solar panel system can be researched on the internet and even a complete solar panel kit are also sold online.

Nowadays, building your very own solar energy system does not require a professional or expertise in electronics, one just have to follow the easy step-by-step guide that are included on the kits. And if ever you have questions, you can always visit web forums and post your inquiries there.

Building you very own solar panel system will surely be enjoyable if done properly, it will all depend on the tools that you have and the information that you gather.

Creating a Solar-panel System or a Wind Generator could be a very satisfying and rewarding project; however, it is very important that you use a sound and reliable step by step set of instructions designed specifically for this purpose. SUPPORT along the process is a must.

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About the Author:
If you really wish to succeed at building a Renewable Energy System, you must visit How To Make Solar Panels. To go to the Website: Click Here Now!
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In the situation of global warming, “low-carbon economy”, based on low power consumption and low pollution, has become a global hot spot. American and European countries vigorously promote the “low-carbon revolution” with the core as energy efficiency and low emission. They focus on developing “low-carbon technologies” and make great adjustments to the policies of industry, energy, technology, trade and so on. A battle for “low-carbon economy” has quietly started in the world. This is a pressure as well as a challenge for China.

The First Challenge:
With the acceleration of industrialization, urbanization and modernization, the energy demand is growing rapidly in China. The large-scale infrastructure construction should not be stopped. Poverty and backwardness have struck China for long time. In pursuit of all-round well-off society, China has made great effort to improve and enhance the living standard and life quality for 1.3 billion people. As a result, one difficult problem for China is how to ensure the rising of people’s living standard, while in the mean time, not to repeat the traditional development pattern in western developed countries, in which development is achieved at the expense of environment.

The Second Challenge:
The resource condition of “rich coal, less gas and short of petroleum” determines the coal-dominated source structure in China. China has very limited choice in low-carbon energy resources. Hydroelectric power only accounts for about 20% of electric power, while thermal power accounts for more than 77%. “High carbon” is absolutely in the dominant position. It is calculated that burning one ton of coal will produce 4.12 tons of carbon dioxide gas, which is 30% and 70% more respectively than that produced by oil and natural gas. However, it is estimated that, over the next 20 years, China’s energy sector will invest 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars in electricity. The threats of large-scale development of thermal power to the environment can not be ignored.

The Third Challenge:
The main part of the China’s economy is the second industry, which determines the major sector of energy consumption is industry. Data shows that, from 1993 to 2005, China’s average annual growth rate of industrial energy consumption was 5.8%. The industrial energy consumption accounted for about 70% of total energy consumption. In 2005, the energy consumption of the high energy consumption industries such as mining, steel, building materials cement, electricity power, etc, accounted for 64.4% of the industrial energy consumption. So it is a major issue for China to adjust economic structure and improve industrial production technology and energy application level.

The Fourth Challenge:
As a developing country, the biggest restriction for China’s economy transition from the “high carbon” to “low carbon” is the overall scientific and technological backwardness and limited R & D capabilities. Although the “United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” stipulates that the developed countries are under an obligation of transferring technology to developing countries. However, the real situation is far from satisfaction. China has to depend mainly on commercial channels to import advance technologies. It is estimated that, according to the GDP in 2006, China needs an annual fund of 25 billion U.S. dollars to achieve the transition from “high-carbon economy” to “low-carbon economy”. Such huge investment is obviously a heavy burden for China.

China has to make great effort to solve the serious problems brought by some harmful carbonaceous gases such as carbon dioxide, so as to realize the transition from “high-carbon economy” to “low-carbon economy”.

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About the Author:
Green Alice is the freelance writer for e-commerce website in the chemistry. LookChem.com is just a place for you to Look for Chemicals! Our LookChem provide the most convenient conditions for the international buyers and let these leads benefit all the business person.
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So you’ve reached the next step of your journey in sustainable living: alternative energy. Solar panels are in my opinion the best option, but they’re also a large up front investment. However, you can save tons of money in the long run and severely cut back on your emissions.

Although The Initial Investment Is High, The Savings Are Astronomical.

Most people that get interested in solar energy back out when they see the up front cost. I totally understand, it’s a large amount of money that people don’t have sitting around to spend on a 10 year or more return on investment. However, the return is gigantic if you play it right.

Depending on what state you live in, you may be eligible for hefty tax rebates each year. Look into this and see how that factors into your expenses. An average home can save around $20,000 over 25 years, or achieve a 200% return on investment.

Calculate On Your Own How Many Panels You Will Need.

I strongly urge you to do the calculations in advance for determining how many panels you will need. Wattage, roof space and sunlight are all critical factors. Not taking these precautions can run the risk that you will be oversold on panels.

A few years ago I decided to do the math on my own for a solar panel system. I stuffed the math away under the couch, and had an estimator come out to do his thing. Not surprisingly, his estimate ended up having me purchase several more panels, also rated at a higher wattage. Being oversold on panels is sadly not uncommon and I urge you to learn as much as you can to safeguard against this.

Consider Building Some Panels On Your Own.

While building your own panels won’t create as much free energy as a full-on solar panel system, the experience is very fulfilling and still enables you to save money and cut emissions. Building panels yourself can cost under two hundred dollars to try.

There’s tons of information out there on building your own solar panels, and I support looking into this option. You could build a small array in a short time while involving your family to keep it interesting. While buying a full solar panel system has very real long term savings, this method has near immediate results that you can see.

A large amount of headaches can be avoided by doing the legwork yourself. Getting multiple estimates and doing your own math will end up saving you money on the front end, and most likely increase your long term savings too. If you don’t feel ready for this yet, I urge you to try building a small panel yourself to understand how it works and what you can save on a smaller scale.

Of course, these suggestions are just the beginning. A complete grasp of solar energy is quite a task and involves many, many factors. However, if you understand the benefits of investing in a full system while also looking into building your own setup, you will be in a great position to benefit and prosper. The more you educate yourself about their characteristics, the happier you will be with your decision in the long run.

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About the Author:
Free sustainability report reveals how you can achieve outstanding savings in little time. Discover it here while it lasts: http://www.tylers-ebook-reviews.com.
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Event organisers go through great strides to think outside the box on how to be ‘green’, they have loads of press releases about how they’ve ‘greened’ the event and people who attend have a warm fuzzy feeling that they are being green. However, it isn’t long before people choose convenience over reading by putting plastic in the closest bin rather than the designated one. While some people go the whole nine yards on recycling, being sustainable and buying only organic, the mass of society is still interested in instant gratification, convenience and having a comfortable lifestyle.

The cities of South Africa had a lot of good ideas on how to green the World Cup, but can society implement the concepts and actually stick with the plan. Being ‘green’ might be trendy, but another current trend happening right now is displaying country flags on cars and blowing vuvulezas.

Flags stuck on cars show our pride for our countries, but there is a reason Cape Town is known as the Cape of Storms. Already a few have found their way to the gutters and trees on the side of the roads. The question is also even if the flags hold on through the winter, will they still be used after the hype is over, or will our cities dumps and waste piles be decorated with cocktail flags. Then there are the vuvuleza’s; regardless of the obvious flaws, with noise pollution and the amount of plastic which has been used to create them, where will these plastic creations of chaos be dumped after the game?

Before the World Cup even started, there were (and still are) issues about what we are going to do with the stadiums after the event. While the stadiums are built with sustainability in mind, the idea of them not being used ever again isn’t sustainable, considering that the definition of sustainable is ‘Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment.’

There are two large ‘green’ projects that have been focused on for the event. These projects, along with others, were funded by the Global Environment Fund, who donated US$ 1 million. The first was to green all the lightening in and around the stadiums with solar panels. 12 billboards, along with 60 traffic lights and 78 streetlights will switch to solar power.

The second is the Green Passport, an initiative to encourage visitor’s to make ‘green’ choices while in the country. The Green Passport is a 32 page booklet that will be distributed to 100, 000 World Cup spectators. Work it out – that’s 320 0000 pages of paper being distributed to spectators who are there to watch a game. Think about what you do when you get a pamphlet while waiting at the traffic light, or an event programme at a conference.

Hopefully the event co-organisers put the “paper” bin in a convenient spot else they might find themselves neighbours to the lost flags.

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About the Author:
Celeste is the director for South African Biodiveristy Media which is media company focusing on biodiversity and the environment in South Africa. – http://www.southafricanbiodiversity.co.za
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Home made solar panels are gaining in popularity across the United States and across the globe. The reason for this surge in uptake of do it yourself solar energy solutions is simple, you stand to save a lot of money whilst saving the environment, when you take those factors into consideration why wouldn’t we all undertake a solar panel project for our households?

We have known about solar for decades now, but unfortunately the costs associated with having a solar system installed was extremely high, (often running into the many thousands of dollars) this put the idea out of the reach of the ordinary householder. But the last year has seem a massive shift from people looking to buy a solar system to people discovering a more cost effective solution, which is to build their own home made solar panels.

Unlike a retail system, a DIY (do it yourself) solar system can be built for a very small amount of cash with materials readily available at your corner hardware store. Heck a lot of you will find most of the materials around your house or buried at the back of the garage.

Once installed you stand to save up to 80% off the cost of your current power bill and as solar energy is green, environmentally friendly energy, you will be doing your bit to help save the environment as well.

The crucial thing you need to do is purchase a good guide to act as a blue print for you to follow, that walks you step by step through the entire process. You can get some brilliant guides online, many delivered via hand book or video and often with email support to make sure your solar project is a success.

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About the Author:
SO what are you waiting for? Get to it! And join the growing number of people enjoying the benefits of their own home made solar panels.
Check out the following link for reviews of the best instruction guides available online DIY Solar Power Kits

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