(Credit:
IKEA)
Here's one more gadget that will help you reduce your electricity bill and do your bit for the environment at the same time. The Sunnan desk lamp from IKEA has solar cells that you leave in direct sunlight over the course of the day. A 9- to 12-hour recharging period will yield about four hours of light from its LED bulbs for use at night.
Like many other products from IKEA, the Sunnan desk lamp has an attractive design and, more importantly, isn't expensive. This one is listed at $20.
(Source: Crave Asia via bookofjoe)
Soon even more star power than usual will be absorbed by the Staples Center and Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
In an initiative to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the two venues, Solar Power Inc., or SPI, has been hired by AEG to install its line of photovoltaic solar-panel power systems on their roofs, beginning in October.
The Staples Center, which seats approximately 20,000, is home to the LA Lakers, LA Sparks, and LA Clippers basketball teams, the LA Kings hockey team and the LA Avengers arena football team, as well as host to concerts and events such as the Grammy Awards.
When installation is complete, approximately 24,196 feet of the Staples Center roof will be covered with 1,727 of SPI's photovoltaic modules, which include cells made by Motech Industries, adding up to a 345-kilowatt solar-power system.
The famous roof "surfboard," bearing the Staples logo, will not be removed, but rather will be incorporated into the new design, according to SPI.
The Nokia Theatre LA Live is a slightly smaller, 7,100-seat venue that has hosted the 2008 American Idol finals, the American Music Awards, the ESPY Awards, and numerous concerts. Approximately 836 photovoltaic modules will be installed, covering about 11,663 square feet of its roof and supplying a 167-kilowatt solar-power system.
"Our investment to purchase these state-of-the-art photovoltaic solar-energy systems for both Staples Center and Nokia Theater LA Live, making them the first facilities of their kind to do so at this level, reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that our venues are the most environmentally friendly in the industry," Zeidman said in a statement.
The solar installation can be added to the venues' list of "green efforts," which includes things like waterless urinals and energy-efficient fluorescent and LED lighting.
If you spot Reware's shiny new briefcase on the commute to work, it's probably doing more than reflecting the sun. It's using that energy to charge portable electronics tucked inside.
Reware, maker of the Juice Bags line of solar-charging bags, released the Juice Bags ProFolio this week. The solar-powered briefcase is yet another tote that offers a way to charge electronics--including PDAs, cell phones, and MP3 players--away from the office. The attache can connect to your electronics via a built-in car lighter adapter, and can power electronics from one to four hours, depending on how many Juice Bags they're connected to.
(Credit:
Reware)
The bag doesn't contain enough solar power to charge a laptop, though it can carry a 15-inch machine.
Reware managing partner Henry Gentenaar said the ProFolio answers a request from businesspeople for a device that would charge electronics on the go. He also said the bag marks an easy step for companies trying to go green.
Reware claims its solar panels are so powerful they obviate the need for a backup battery--so long as employees have the time to lay their briefcases out in the sun long enough to charge up their gear.
The ProFolio costs $299 in a current introductory sale, but will cost $399 in the future.
The ProFolio is just the latest in the fast-growing field of solar-powered bags. Reware also makes messenger bags, backpacks, and beach totes with its 7-watt solar panel made up of 52 micro solar cells. In January, Voltaic Systems introduced the Voltaic Generator with a 14-watt solar panel for charging laptops, which was a step up from the original 4-watt bags.
Also making their way onto the market are solar-powered purses, notably the Power Purse or the Solar Bag from Picard, which reportedly cost upwards of $600.
The prices and sometimes questionable looks of solar-powered bags may make some sunshine-appreciating buyers wary. For those folks, maybe a solar-powered bra is the answer?
(Credit:
Czeers)
Boats that run on solar power have been around for awhile, but they're usually reserved for touring watercraft and other conveyances designed for a leisurely pace. And that's precisely what makes the Czeers MK1 stand apart from the aquatic crowd.
This Dutch-made prototype is billed as "the world's first solar speedboat," which has reached speeds of up to 30 knots. The 10-meter boat was built by the Delft Technical University Solarboat Team, which rode it to first place in the 2006 Nuon Frisian Solar challenge, according to Gizmag.
Its success was attributed in no small part to its lightweight carbon fiber shell, as well as 14 square meters of solar panels that power an 80-kilowatt motor. But the MK1's design is anything but utilitarian, featuring a touch-screen LCD control system and full leather trim--in bright orange, no less. (It is Dutch, after all.)
(Credit:
Boing Boing)
The merits of solar-paneled bags transcend mere fashion, of course, but we're still surprised at how long it's taking for these green-conscious accessories to find their true aesthetic value. Try as they might, too many of them simply can't shake the look of chicken-wire siding or some other material that might seem more appropriate for a prison yard.
As seen with other products, the subtly named "Solar Energy Purse" absorbs ultraviolet rays to power any number of gadgets inside, with a backup battery for those rainy days. Despite this undeniable usefulness, as Boing Boing says, it still looks like it's made from "cut-up bits from your grandfather's old belts and velour loungewear." Harsh, but fair. Especially because they could have hired that student from Iowa State University who designed the "Power Purse."
(Credit:
OhGizmo)
Let's say you're a road warrior who's always running out of batteries but doesn't have the biceps to keep your gadgets juiced and ready at all times. Here's a way to take care of those needs with a power supply that looks just like a briefcase so no one will be the wiser.
Inside the "Solar Briefcase" are two solar panels that produce 13 watts of power, OhGizmo says. That's enough to recharge a mobile phone in an hour or so, when the sun's at its peak. If you're a true gadget freak, you may want to consider a 20-phone charger or the 600-watt "PowerCube" if you've got a flatbed truck.
(Credit:
Strapya)
Long ago Crave made a plea for for solar chargers that wouldn't induce hernias and, thankfully, more than a few manufacturers have answered that call. But now Strapya, which offers a keychain-size version of its own, is going in the other direction with a 22-pound beast called the "Sola Unagi Solar Generator."
(Credit:
Strapya)
Developed by Fuji Technologies (PDF), this mega-charger that can purportedly power as many as 20 mobile phones at a time, according to Red Ferret. It would be the perfect accessory for the kind of phone junkies who are so addicted that they embed microphones in their teeth.
We're not sure about the name, however, as unagi means freshwater eel in Japanese. Maybe it has something to do with electric eels instead.
(Credit:
Gizmodiva)
As much as we like the idea, there must be a more attractive way to design bags that use solar energy. As chic as these "Noon Solar" bags may seem on one side, their fashion points take a deep dive when it's turned over to reveal its industrial-looking solar panels.
That's only half the story, of course, as it can power all manner of gadgetry after six to eight hours of daylight. And the bag's green theme is continued through its construction, according to Gizmodiva, with "Bavarian sourced, chrome-free, naturally tanned and dyed, full-grain cowhide leather and naturally dyed hemp cotton blend." The perfect accessory for the upwardly mobile hippie.
Still, we think that something like this line from Picard or even the "Power Purse" satisfies both aesthetic and practical needs equally and discreetly, without looking like a tract-house roof. But if all else fails, maybe we should just wear the solar panels directly in our clothes.
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Brunton)
It may be getting easier and cheaper to harness the sun's energy, but all too often the equipment needed to do so isn't the most portable. At least one manufacturer has figured this out, however, and is apparently responding to that inconvenience.
Brunton started shrinking its solar chargers a year ago with its "SolarPort" and is continuing its weight-loss program now with the "SolarRoll," according to Newlaunches. As its name indicates, the latter is basically a mat of solar panels that can be rolled up and carried around in a bag or even a coat pocket, not unlike some rollaway keyboards we've seen.
The company says the SolarRoll, which comes in three sizes, can even charge a car battery. But judging by the weather these days, we wouldn't recommend trying it until spring.
(Credit:
Iqua)
Iqua is an interesting company, and not just because of its unusual name. The Finnish company always seems to come up with noteworthy products, whether it's a wireless "miniUFO" car speakerphone or an L-shaped Bluetooth phone that attaches to the back of the headrest.
Its latest invention has gone green, a wireless headset powered by solar energy. The Iqua "Sun," developed with partner Suntrica, is based on the previous "Vogue" model (pictured here) that was a hit on the French market with conventional batteries, according to OhGizmo. It beats having to wear a solar collar all the time.
