For a 19-hour flight between Madrid and the Moroccan city of
Rabat this month, the Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard piloted
the Solar Impulse - a single-seat plane powered by nearly 12,000
solar cells distributed on a wing span longer than that of some
jumbo jets. The psychiatrist and former balloonist's journey was
part of a 2,500-kilometre round trip that began in Switzerland
last month, and he hopes to complete an around-the-world tour in
2014. André Borschberg, the solar plane's other pilot, on
Wednesday attempted to complete a shorter, even more perilous
solar-powered internal flight from Rabat to the city of
Ourzazate. In the minds of many, solar power is associated with
endless rows of photovoltaic (PV) panels or huge mirrors tilted
towards the sun. In some countries, it is common to see a
meshing of historic architecture with shiny PV panels on
rooftops in urban landscapes. But alternative energies have long
attracted creative enthusiasts determined to break the
stranglehold of conventional power gen