Researchers are investigating technical alternatives to conventional aircraft, such as solar-powered airships equipped with super-efficient solar cells and lightweight batteries. Professor Christoph Pflaum and Professor Agnes Jocher, along with student Tim Riffelmacher from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), have published a paper in the International Journal of Sustainable Energy outlining the route a solar airship would take to fly from London to New York in the most time-efficient and eco-friendly manner.

They concluded that solar airships have the potential to significantly reduce both transportation expenses and CO2 emissions associated with air travel. Professor Pflaum has developed an enthusiasm for solar-powered air travel and published several papers on the topic. He also notes that the technology for solar airships can be implemented quickly but has been overlooked for decades. However, with new models, solar airships present a promising technical alternative to traditional aircraft.

By Impact Lab