First solar-powered charging station for electric aircraft in Europe

The non-profit English company NUNCATS has set itself the task of supplying remote regions in England with solar-powered light aircraft, offering an alternative to transport with diesel vehicles.

Around 150 kilometers from London, a photovoltaic charging station for electric aircraft has now been set up as a demonstration facility at Old Buckenham airfield. The station is equipped with 33 Q.Peak Duo L-G8 solar modules from Q-Cells, which have a total output of around 14 kilowatts. According to NUNCATS, this is the first facility of its kind in Europe.

The charging station is currently being used for a Zenith 750 aircraft. This prototype has a 30-kilowatt-hour battery that keeps the light aircraft in the air for about half an hour. The system currently uses a single-phase, 5-kilowatt charger. However, the charging infrastructure can be adapted and improved, allowing for more potential applications. For example, electric aircraft could be used in parcel delivery in the future.

Sources

pv-magazine, article by Ralph Diermann (2/22/2022):

https://www.pv-magazine.de/2022/02/22/europas-erste-solarbetriebene-ladestation-fuer-elektroflugzeuge-eroeffnet/, accessed: 2/23/2022 at 12.15 p.m.

Q-Cells press release:

https://www.q-cells.de/pressemeldungen/20220222.html, accessed: 2/23/2022 at 3 p.m.