eli5 – Why can’t planes take off/land using fuel but fly using solar power when in flight (daytime)

Question

Surely it would save some carbon emissions if the plane was clad in solar panels and could use solar energy once airborne/above the clouds?

In: 0

Answer 1

Batteries are heavy. Even the lightest lithium ion batteries are several times heavier than the equivalent energy of jet fuel.

The name of the game in aircraft is keep things light, so in all you’re less efficient adding more batteries, expensive hybrid motor systems, and solar panels than you are just sticking with the kerosene.