Solar

camping

LightCap Transforms Cancer Into Neat Lantern

For those among us not afraid of mosquitoes or Bisphenol A, the LightCap 200 is a solar-powered LED light that screws onto 2" water bottles (like those from Nalgene), transforming them into lanterns. Just 2.6 ounces heavy and weatherproof (...though "waterproof" might have been more reassuring), the $20 LightCap seems like a practical way to reduce the load of your camping gear while still reining over wildlife as its technological master. Plus, drop it into a bottle of Gatorade and you've got yourself a party light. [Sol Lightvia OhGizmo!]

9:52 AM on Tue May 13 2008
By Mark Wilson
2,238 views, 17 comments

Latest by Git Em SteveDave: @ripfire4: Agreed. I took an idea from a really expensive bike light that had a water bottle shaped battery. I took an old water bottle, cut the top section off, and stuck a Radio Shack 7.2 volt rechargeable more »

environment

Glasgow Considering Installing Giant 'Solar Lily Pads' in the River Clyde

Scottish architecture firm ZM Architecture has come up with a way to deliver more renewable energy to Glasgow: solar panel lily pads. Yep, they want to populate the River Clyde with a series of gigantic solar islands that'll soak up the rays all day long, sending electricity to the grid while also acting as an aesthetically-pleasing attraction. Initially an entry in the International Design Awards "Land and Sea" competition where it took first prize, the Glasgow city council is now considering testing out a small run of the solar lily pads in the river. [BBC via Inhabitat]

1:13 PM on Mon May 12 2008
By Adam Frucci
2,562 views, 39 comments

Latest by bobdobbs: @DeadWriter: You forgot the endless opportunities for the mayor to badger the chief engineer, who can then reply, "We're given 'er all we got, Captain!" That would be great. more »

beijing

Beijing's Gigantic LED Wall Is Fully Solar Powered

Say what you will about the fiascoes leading up to the Beijing Olympics, but the event has brought along with it some amazing new architecture. Greeting visitors attending the Xicui entertainment complex near the site of the games is a 20,000 square foot wall of computer-controlled LEDs, the largest of its kind ever built. Better yet, the wall manages to power itself completely using only the sun. More »

12:30 PM on Sun May 4 2008
By Elaine Chow
7,212 views, 17 comments

Latest by celloids: Damn Commies just want to sell more sunglasses to fill their pockets more »

environment

Solar Water Heater Provides Free Hot Showers

The SolarStore is essentially a hot water heater that uses the sun as its energy source. Inflatable from a backpack, this guy will hold up to three full tanks of water and make it nice and toasty for your showering needs. It's a great, cheap alternative to hot water heaters, what with it costing a mere $200, but it'll be pretty much useless to anyone who lives in a climate that gets really cold in the wintertime. But for those in developing nations with the proper conditions, it could be a great choice. [Environmental Graffiti via New Launches]

4:00 PM on Sat Apr 26 2008
By Adam Frucci
6,706 views, 31 comments

Latest by ecobore: c'mon, just run a big loop of black hosepipe and you have the same effect. A friend gets all her kitchen hot water in the evenings by using a hose on her roof. Free heat! more »

earth day

Crafty Vendor Sells Solar-Roasted Chickens

Happy Earth Day everyone! Instead of urging you to recycle all those gadgets that will otherwise leak poison into our planet, we'd rather offer you a more positive, less obvious story to whet your Earth Day appetite. Sila Sutharat runs a Thai chicken stand outside of Bangkok. He roasts 50 chickens a day. And he does it completely through the sun. More »

10:00 AM on Tue Apr 22 2008
By Mark Wilson
12,579 views, 47 comments

design

One Day Poem Pavilion: The Sun's Powerful Rays Become Cheesy Couplets In Art-School Photosynthesis

Solar power doesn't just have to be for them holier-than-thou green types, it can also be for the filthy rich—or for lovelorn poets. Art Center student Jiyeon Song made the One Day Poem Pavilion of boards with holes punched at different angles. Depending on the angle of the sun to the earth where the pavilion sits, different parts of the poem shine through. After about five hours, you will have the complete message. I just thought of something: This dot-matrix sundial technique could easily be used to make a solar "digital" clock, by showing times instead of stanzas. Calibration would be a bitch, but someone could do it. Phil Torrone, are you hearing me?? [Project Page via Geekologie]

10:30 AM on Sun Apr 20 2008
By Wilson Rothman
4,784 views, 17 comments

Latest by samsonsu: anyone feels the perspective of this picture is somehow wrong? more »

solar

Sungevity Web App Makes Installing Solar Panels a Piece of Cake

Eco start-up company Sungevity is launching a new web application on Earth Day (three days away, people!) that will take the guess work out of solar panel installations. Enter your address on Sungevity's website and satellite-imaging software will zoom in on your home, calculate your roof's dimensions, select the right sized solar arrays and calculate how much money you'll save on energy costs. More »

4:30 PM on Sat Apr 19 2008
By Elaine Chow
15,188 views, 27 comments

lighting

Giant Chandelier Harnesses The Sun's Power For Electricity and Color-Changing Abilities

This chandelier design by Christoph Klemmt is truly the superhero of lighting fixtures. Besides the obvious aesthetic qualities, the segments that make up the structure itself gradually change from clear to brightly colored when struck by direct sunlight. It also gathers the power from the sun's rays and uses it to illuminate the LEDs scattered along the surface. The piece is currently on exhibit at the Milan furniture fair 2008, so I highly doubt that it will be available to place in your garden anytime soon. And even if it was, you probably couldn't afford it. Additional pic after the break. More »

2:20 PM on Fri Apr 18 2008
By Sean Fallon
3,659 views, 13 comments

Latest by Kendra: This is actually a rip off of a "rainwater tank" they developed in Australia. The tank sits on the roof with the cone shape in the middle of your room, cooling it during the summer and filling your showers with more »

energy

Solar Balloons, Too Good To Be True Adopted

When most of us think balloons, we think, "I never should have had children." But these solar balloons are a lot more promising than their carnival counterparts. Constructed of photovoltaic fabric, the soft tank is filled with helium and tethered by power wire above a home, saving space on the ground while optimizing sun exposure. But it's not just the physical footprint that makes the technology so appealing. It's the price per watt. More »

11:00 AM on Fri Apr 11 2008
By Mark Wilson
10,169 views, 35 comments

green

Smart Green Cell Station Makes Africa a Cleaner Place To Ask "Can You Hear Me Now?"

In an effort to clean up Africa's dirty and diesel-reliant mobile network, Swedish start up Flexenclosure has designed a green version of a cellular base station. Called the E-site, it runs primarily on wind and solar power and utilizes an intelligent operating system that adapts to local conditions. More »

3:00 PM on Sat Apr 5 2008
By Elaine Chow
2,569 views, 11 comments

solar power

Sola Unagi: A Solar Generator to Charge Your Stuff, Suckas

Yo! You may not know it but I'm a caring kinda guy. I worry about the environment: my fist's gonna see you later if you don't too. So you guys should check out the Sola Unagi generator, made by Fuji Technologies. Weighs just 22 pounds, and even you weaklings could carry that. It's got two solar cells, and the rechargeable battery will run your laptop for up to six hours, and a mini fridge for four. Hell, you can even charge 20 cellphones at the same time if you like. It's designed to help people in developing countries, but using it here will cut down on your power use. $1,360 each. [Red Ferret]

1:00 PM on Tue Apr 1 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,250 views, 14 comments

Latest by octopussy: I agree with axis360, I love when they say these tech stuff is intended to be used in developing countries. What are people from these countries supposed to do with this gadgets? Eat the gadget? Extract water from the gadget? more »

review

Lightning Review: MediaStreet eMotion Solar PMP

The Gadget: The eMotion Solar PMP, a 2GB machine that claims to play music, videos, Nintendo/Game Boy/Sega ROMs, e-books and more—all while charging itself and other devices via its built-in solar panels. If you're nice, it may even pump your gas and tuck you in at night.

The Price: $169

The Verdict: For a piece of crap, this thing is pretty awesome.

More »

5:35 PM on Thu Mar 13 2008
By Benny Goldman
8,696 views, 25 comments

Latest by akmarksman: @man_in_gauze: look at the buttons..it's not a half decent rip of the psps button layout and even the symbols for the buttons. more »

eco

GROW Shingles Shame Leaves and Solar Panels

While the future of solar technology seems to rest on nanotechnological innovation, these GROW panels by SMIT are fairly remarkable. Inspired by leaves, these tiny generators do one better than their biological counterparts, drawing power from the sun, but also capturing energy from the wind as they are jostled by the breeze. Developers currently showcasing the technology hope to sell modular kits through art/design resellers (as opposed to typical industrial outlets). Unfortunately, we're guessing that this more accessible purchase will have a major price trade off. [SMIT via inhabitat]

4:40 PM on Sat Mar 1 2008
By Mark Wilson
6,026 views, 19 comments

Latest by Out2gtcha: @mferrari: @djdare:Me thinks Bable Fish just imploded...... more »

art

Solar Dragonfly Flaps Wings Feebly, Makes Us Sad

James Watts spends his time putting together fantastic insect-bot sculptures, and the Solar Dragonfly is one of the best. The solar panels running down the body actually power the wings, which are then kicked into motion using a pager motor. Sure, it looks swell, but we can't help but think the Solar Dragonfly would lose its balance whilst flapping its wings feebly, all the while wishing it was a real dragonfly. How would Disney have tackled that one? A solar powered dragonfly that wants to be a real insect—now there's a cartoon we want to see. Pixar, hop to it. Hit the link for some more great shots. [Clockwork Robot via Make]

11:59 PM on Sun Feb 24 2008
By Haroon Malik
4,427 views, 8 comments

Latest by eaglei20200: The story is "The Artist of the Beautiful," by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the proto-steampunk story of a craftsman who creates a flying mechanical dragonfly, only to have it--wait for it!--destroyed (okay, I forget how--think it might have been a kid). Ah, more »

dangerous

69 Year Old Attempts Record Hawaii to Japan Trip in Wave Powered Boat

Ken-ichi Horie, a 69 year old Japanese sailor, is planning a solo 4,350 mile trip from Hawaii to Japan using the most advanced wave powered boat on the planet. If successful, the trip would earn him a Guinness record while simultaneously proving the viability of wave powered propulsion. His boat, the Suntory Mermaid II, turns wave energy into thrust using two fins mounted beneath the bow. These fins move up and down with the waves and use them to generate "kicks" that propel the boat forward. More »

8:50 PM on Fri Feb 22 2008
By Sean Fallon
9,930 views, 23 comments

Latest by CaliforniaKid: It's a bit ironic. He gets into a book named Guinness on a boat sponsored by Suntory, a sake company. more »

green energy

World's Largest Solar Farm Opens: A Billion Trees Probably Died to Build It

A solar farm has opened in Spain that consists of 120,000 solar panels over 100 hectares (247 acres). It also has a peak capacity of 20 megawatts and it can power up to 20,000 homes—making it the world's largest solar farm to date. The farm is expected to generate an estimated annual income of $28 million and reduce CO2 emissions by about 42,000 tons a year. More »

6:10 PM on Fri Feb 15 2008
By Sean Fallon
19,427 views, 82 comments