Solar plane prepares for international flight
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - A team of Swiss adventurers are preparing their solar-powered plane for its first international flight next month.
The Solar Impulse team says the flights to Belgium and France are a big challenge because the plane will need to navigate across international air traffic networks.
The single-seater prototype with the wingspan of a Boeing 777 made its 2009 maiden flight in Switzerland and further tests have all taken place there.
Pilot Andre Borschberg said the success of the first cross-border flights depends on the team receiving authorization from national authorities.
The team says it will ready the plane from May 2 and take off to Brussels when weather conditions are right.
The plane is expected at the 49th International Paris Air Show from June 20-26.
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Saskatchewan to credit solar panel owners, but not as much as old program did
REGINA - Saskatchewan has unveiled a new program that credits electricity customers for generating their own solar power, but it won’t pay as much as an older program did or reimburse them with rebates for their costs to buy and install equipment.
The new net metering program takes effect Nov. 1, and customers will be able to use solar to offset their own power use at the retail rate.
But they will only get 7.5 cents per kilowatt hour credit on their bills for excess energy they put back into the grid, rather than the 14 cents in the previous program.
Dustin Duncan,…
