The power of the sun enables incredible feats all over the world and in space - contact Wayne's Solar when you are ready to be amazed by the amount of money you can save by switching to
solar power for your Florida home energy needs.
Fastest solar powered vehicle Australia - January 7, 2011
The record for the fastest solar-powered car was 55 miles per hour and was achieved by Sunswift IV, built by the University of New South Wales Solar Racing Team and driven by Australian Barton Mawer at the naval base HMAS Albatross near Nowra, Australia, on January 7th, 2011.
Largest solar powered building
China - December 2009
In December 2009, China unveiled an office building in Dezhou, Shangdong province, that meets almost all of its energy needs with its rooftop solar panels. The building covers 807,000 square feet and contains research facilities, display areas, and a hotel.
Longest journey by solar electric vehicle
Canada - September 15, 2004
The Midnight Sun solar car team from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, traveled a distance of 9,364 miles through Canada and the United States, departing from Waterloo on August 7th and finishing in Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada, on September 15th, 2004.
Most distant solar powered spacecraft
Space - November 2, 2000
On April 18th, 2002, NASA's Stardust spacecraft, en route to sample comet Wild 2 in January 2004, was a distance of 253 million miles from the sun. Solar powered spacecraft are usually used to explore the inner solar system, as the more distant planets do not receive enough sunlight to efficiently power spacecraft at those distances from the sun.
Fastest crossing of the Atlantic by solar power
Atlantic Ocean - February 2, 2007
The fastest transatlantic crossing made completely under solar power is 29 days by sun21 (based in Switzerland) and its crew of five from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to Le Marin, Martinique, from January 4th, 2007 to February 2nd, 2007.
Largest solar panel array in space
Space - 2009
The primary source of electricity on board the International Space Station is its massive solar arrays. Delivered and installed over four separate shuttle missions from 2000 to 2009, they have a combined surface area of about half the size of an American football field. Sunlight reflected from these arrays makes the International Space Station an extremely prominent object in the night sky as it passes overhead every 91 minutes.
Most powerful solar chimney
Spain - February 8, 2005
Enviromission's prototype solar chimney power station in Manzanares, Spain, produced 50 kilowatts of electricity between 1982 and 1989. It consisted of a large area of greenhouses, in which air, heated by the Sun, expanded upwards through a 656 foot central tower, powering turbines as it escaped into the atmosphere.
Longest flight by solar powered spy plane
United States - July 23, 2010
Zephyr is a High-Altitude Long-Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle made of ultra-lightweight carbon-fiber. It flies on solar power generated by amorphous silicon arrays covering the aircraft’s wings, no thicker than sheets of paper. It is powered day and night by rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries that are recharged during the day using solar power. On July 9th, 2010, Zephyr was launched at 0641hours and set three new world records. The flight took place above the US Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona and the aircraft was landed on the morning of July 23rd.
First flight of manned solar powered aircraft
Switzerland - April 7, 2010
On April 7th 2010, Marcus Scherdel flew the Solar Impulse - the world’s first, manned solar-powered aircraft - for a one and a half hour test flight at Payerne in Switzerland. The aircraft is powered by 12,000 solar cells driving four electric motors. The aim is to construct a version that will enable a flight to be undertaken around the world by solar power.
