Many of my readers already know of my strong interest in flying.  And we’ve had more than one discussion here-abouts regarding solar energy.  Well then, even though there is (at this moment) no Philippine connection, I couldn’t resist this when I came across it the other day.

If you had been around for the Wright Brother’s first flight at Kitty Hawk, would you realize the significance of that historic event?  Had you been present on On 2 May 1952 (yes it was that long ago), when de Havilland Comet G-ALYP took off on the world’s first all-jet flight with fare-paying passengers, would you have been aware you had seen the future?

Well, if you are reading this blog, you now know that even if you aren’t a real aviation “wignut” at heart, you have just been around for an historic aviation first that will go down in history, mark my words:

Solar Impulse Flies On Pure Sunlight

"Finally we can say we are flying a solar plane," pilot Andre Borschberg, CEO of the Solar Impulse project, wrote in his blog last Friday. The 12,000 solar cells on the wings of the one-of-a-kind aircraft for the first time produced more energy than the aircraft was consuming, providing thrust for the engines with enough power left over to start charging the batteries. "At this precise moment," Borschberg wrote, "the fulfillment of a dream — to fly solely on solar power, day and night — came one step closer to reality." The flight was the first time the aircraft was powered solely by solar energy. Borschberg flew twice last Friday, on the first circuit using up the energy that had been stored in the batteries overnight; on the second flight he activated the solar cells for the first time and began to recharge the batteries.

"Never before in my 40 years as a pilot have I experienced anything like this," Borschberg wrote. The aircraft flew at Payerne Airfield in Switzerland. The project was launched seven years ago by Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard. Their ultimate goal is to fly the aircraft around the world on solar power alone in 2012. They plan to fly five hops in quick succession, weather permitting. … if this piques your interest, you can read more and follow the project on their website, Solar Impulse

And if you are one of those who likes to write to tell me how you read a book and an expert said, Solar will always be too expensive and impractical, then save your digital ink.  Because if you can build a flyable aircraft and not only power it butt generate excess energy “fuel” while it is flying (not true perpetual motion but getting damn close) then think of how you can put solar energy to work here in the Philippines where we get roughly five times the usable sun power as Switzerland does.

How many ever looked at the TED video I recommended over in the side column about going back in time or forward if time travel were possible?  Which direction would you go?  For me, the answer is easy, I’d go forward … too many naysayers in the past, and even today IMO.

If you want to learn more about solar and other free energy, like the wind, here’s a course/how to do it manual that teaches everything you need to know about doing your own solar energy production in any country … here in the Philippines for sure. It’s not free, but it’s 100% risk free, you be the judge of whether it works for you or not.

Yesterday I saw a news item where the Philippine DOE (Department of Education) had just converted a school near me in Luzon to solar power. My wife pointed the article out to me with the comment of, "OMG, solar is still very expensive to do." Unlike most such articles this one had some facts and figures.

The plant for the school cost half a million Philippine Pesos and was able to produce 1 to 5 kilo Watts per hour (all the power produced is used, because excess is stored in deep cycle batteries and sold back to the grid as needed) So did the DOE get a bad deal or a good deal?

Well my last electric bill shows I am paying 11.692 Pesos per Kilowatt Hour. That means each hour the school solar plant makes electricity worth almost 30 Pesos. (I’ll take the average between the stated low and high outputs). Ten hours a day of useful sun, means the school is netting about 300 Pesos per day from their small, six-panel pilot program. ( very little difference in day length from summer to winter here)… that means the school is netting 120 Pesos per day, or well over 100,000 Pesos per year … I’m knocking off some potential profit to allow from cleaning, maintenance and periodic deep cycle battery replacement.

So they will get the investment back in about 5 years … unless the commercial rates go even higher, which might happen I suppose. Isn’t that something like a 12% per anum rate of return?

How much are you CD’s earning these days?  Do you think the DOE made a good investment? Do you still think solar can’t be made to pay?

Learn how to figure your own rate of return before you accept snap judgments about what is too expensive. It looks to me like solar is a pretty decent investment on it’s own here in the Philippines these days. Of course, YMMV, that’s why it’s a 100% satisfaction guaranteed no risk offer.

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