Few weeks ago I was calculating my carbon footprint using student I2sea tool. As I try my best to adopt green living style, my expectation was to get results far less than average carbon footprint. But something interesting struck my mind, undoubtedly my carbon footprint was negligible in aspects like home and appliances, food consumption etc. but an exception was there. I had a significant footprint in transportation via aviation as I had attended three international conferences in 2015 alone for which I was obliged to use airplane as the only means of transportation. The results popped up many questions in my head I just wished if our aircrafts were solar powered.

On 1st January 1914, for the first time commercial airline flight was scheduled. Here are some of the data extracted from International Air Transport Association (IATA):

On an average everyday around 100000 flights are used for passengers and cargo

Each Day more than $16billion of goods travel by air (1/3rd of all world trade by value)

3.4% of global economy relies on aviation

Over 3.7 billion passengers will fly this year

The Global Aviation Industry produces around 2 percentages of all human induced carbon dioxide emissions.  The aviation industry consumes around 1.5 billion barrels of Jet A-1 fuel annually. At times the world feels so small, hi- tech and connected with aviation but on the dark side at the cost of our environment. Aviation is nearly inevitable in this fast growing world and economy however it's a high time for revolutionary shifting towards clean technology. In order for the aviation industry to reach its target of 1.5% fleet fuel efficiency improvement per annum from 2010 until 2020, the world's alliance have to purchase 12000 new aircraft at a cost of $1.3trillion. (Source: Air Transport Action Group)

How wonderful it could have been when our airplanes are solar powered? Let me share about a private financed Swiss Project Solar Impulse which experimented solar powered aircraft.  The first solar impulse Solar Impulse 1 was designed to remain airborne up to 36 hours and conducted its first test flight in 2009. Swiss psychiatrist and aeronaut Bertrand Piccard and Swiss engineer Andre Borschberg completed successful solar-powered flights from Switzerland to Spain and then Morocco in 2012 and then conducted a multi stage flight across United States in 2013. After this success the second prototype Solar Impulse 2 commenced its first flight on 2nd June 2014 from Abu Dhabi, UAE. Solar Impulse 2 carries 17000 photovoltaic panels covering the wings and fuselage charge the battery pack, which powers four 17.4 horse power motors. Though the plan was to circumnavigate the globe with multiple flight by 2015 due to thermal damage of aircraft's battery took some delay and resumed its multistage flight from 21st April 2016 and the mission is ongoing. Live updates are available via the official website www.solarimpulse.com

For sure, tremendous research is necessary before such aircrafts be commercially viable. Reminding what legendry Nelson Mandela said," Everything seems impossible until it's done" and with this belief I am hopeful in near future our avian technology will be powered with clean perpetual solar energy. If this happens certainly would be contributing substantially in reducing global carbon emissions.

References:

Air Transport Action Group (ATAG): www.atag.com

International Air Transport Association (IATA): www.iata.org

www.solarimpulse.org

Photo sources:

Solar impulse arrives in Hawaii (www.arabnews.com)

Abu Dhabi prepares for the arrival (www.masdar.ae)

Abb and Solar Impulse (www.abb.com)