Featured in Tipping point – 11-2023

Giving innovation wings

In July 2016, Solar Impulse completed the first solar-powered flight around the world in a single-seater, fixed-wing aircraft. It was equipped with 17,000 Sunpower-Maxeon PV cells and a novel electric propulsion system. The 42,000 kilometer adventure has created a desire to promote cleaner technologies, reports Valerie Thompson.

By

Valerie Thompson

09 Nov 2023

Project leader and pilot Bertrand Piccard soars above the Pacific Ocean in a solar-powered aircraft. | Photo: Solar Impulse Foundation

Bertrand Piccard, as quoted in pv magazine’s coverage of the first successful solar-powered flight around the world, sent a powerful message. “The future is clean. The future is you. The future is now. Let’s take it further,” he announced. Piccard’s words have been put into action at the Solar Impulse Foundation, a non-profit following up on …

This article is part of pv+

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