The $2,200 solar powered SunTable is now shipping

Remember SunTable? After some delay and well-placed design touch-ups, the table made from teak, stainless steel and you guessed it, solar cells is now shipping. Better yet, it's no longer priced at $3,600 either. For $2,200, UPS will ship the 45-pound weatherproof, 120 volt table with enough battery storage for about 4-hours of laptop / TV use or 6-hours of night time lighting from a 25 watt bulb -- after a 4-hour direct sunlight charge mind you. As pricey as it is, we're feeling strangely compelled by our fear of the omniscient baby-Gore to place an order for the Engadget victory garden.

Gallery: The $2,200 solar powered SunTable is now shipping

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[ShadowMaker @ Aug 8th 2008 4:40AM]

With a table as expensive as this, I'm sure to protect it with a table cloth.
Oh wait...

[Flashpoint @ Aug 8th 2008 9:57AM]

Just remember not to leave your laptop or cellular phone exposed to direct sunlight.

[Cash @ Aug 8th 2008 4:51PM]

Sure hope this thing ships with a bunch of coasters.

[Greg @ Aug 8th 2008 5:00AM]

Can I use it as a ping pong table ? That would be cool :)

[Derek @ Aug 8th 2008 5:01AM]

This is an awesome idea in concept, however at my house it would be covered in crap, thus rendering it useless.

[Bad Beaver @ Aug 8th 2008 5:03AM]

I assume this has a tempered glass cover all over? A very nice idea, all in all.

[SmartSid @ Aug 8th 2008 5:03AM]

For $2200 its legs are ugly as hell...

[poulan @ Aug 8th 2008 10:02AM]

Anyone with any sense whatsoever would quickly realise that you can save yourself about $2,000 by buying a second battery for your laptop or just own one of the several laptops that offer 7+ hours of battery life - I mean really how long does one sit in one place for? I thought the whole idea of being mobile meant not having to lug about a big ass table.

[Paul Dullford @ Aug 8th 2008 5:05AM]

On a roof? Yes, unless you're putting it there just to mount the satellite dish on it. Patio table? Maybe, as long as you keep the decorations and objects to a minimum. Office desk? Never.
Outdoor companion to a Microsoft Surface? Definitely.

[Mike @ Aug 8th 2008 5:11AM]

The problem: If it's hot enough to charge the table, you don't want to be sitting there and you won't be able to see your computer screen.

[neofolklore @ Aug 8th 2008 7:44AM]

because cold weather always stops sunlight from getting through the atmosphere...

[p3ngwin @ Aug 8th 2008 8:24AM]

yes, it always amazes me that people think:

"oh it's cold and there's a cloud in front of the sun so the solar isn't producing anything!"

if that was the case and the sun is COMPLETELY blocked, how the hell do you think you are seeing ANYTHING in the daytime?

if you can SEE then there's sunlight bouncing around finding its way into your eyes. the same ambient sunlight that solar can absorb until the cloud is gone and DIRECT SUNLIGHT can resume full efficiency.

places like far southern/northern territories (think Alaska, Greenland,Iceland,etc) are the best places for solar as the temperature is low, the sun isn't occluded by clouds and the air pollution is non-existent as the atmosphere is so thin.

[HC @ Aug 8th 2008 5:20AM]

Is it not about time for that damn Scaramanga Solex to surface?

[Armoured @ Aug 8th 2008 5:32AM]

Genuis!

[Down @ Aug 8th 2008 6:00AM]

So much for trying to demonstrate that it can power a laptop by showing a picture of the table and an unconnected laptop.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Aug 8th 2008 7:16AM]

The cable and the man using the Laptop are both unvisible. DUH.

[neofolklore @ Aug 8th 2008 7:46AM]

God loves you as he loved Jacob

[Alex Kirby @ Aug 8th 2008 7:36AM]

iss it just me or will that table be too hot too touch ??

[Steve A. @ Aug 8th 2008 11:06AM]

You're correct, during a sunny, summer day, my well ventilated rooftop solar panels are usually 125 degrees at about 2pm. That's pretty hot.

[Rick @ Aug 8th 2008 8:08AM]

The pictures shows the laptop on the table top. On a nice sunny warm day not only will the laptop get toasted by the table top, which will be blazing hot form the sun, but also you'll toast your nuts when you put the laptop on your laptop.

[blade417 @ Aug 8th 2008 9:50AM]

so are you saying that your nuts will be between your lap and your laptop!?

gross...

[duncan.macleod @ Aug 8th 2008 9:17AM]

I wonder if its more efficient to not stack one laptop on top of another laptop..hmmm. Kidding asside, This thing has a BATTERY. You can charge it all day, and then put the laptop out there as the sun is going down.

[duncan.macleod @ Aug 8th 2008 9:17AM]

furthermore, once its charged, surely you can put a cloth or something on it.

[Bob @ Aug 8th 2008 10:21AM]

Going green? More like your green is going.

[Scott Hardy @ Aug 8th 2008 10:25AM]

I think this is fantastic. Think about how GREAT it would be to have this on your dock, at your ocean front house. Before, when you were on your deck you were stuck on internal battery power while manipulating the market to your whim and crushing rivals. NOW you can juice it up for hours of ocean side world conquering goodness.
Oh, you don't have a deck overlooking the ocean? How about a lake. . . No? OK, so maybe you're like me and just have a backyard and pool, but it'll still come in handy. If only I could justify $2,000 for a table out back with a baby on the way and power outlets in ready supply. Baby doesn't need diapers, right?

Seriously though, this would be great for a Doctor buddy of mine who was complaining he doesn't have power on his dock at his lakeside abode. I wonder how long it would be able to power a kegerator? ;)

Thanks,
Scott
http://www.topclassactions.com

[Gustavo G @ Aug 8th 2008 1:32PM]

I wonder when in my lifetime, scientists would use a solar panel this small ,to power my whole house. In my opinion 2200 is still a high price to pay for what it can power. I wish solar power would be 5 times more affordable than what it is today. and 5 times more compact also. Get to work you spineless solar power scientists!

[Shinigami @ Aug 8th 2008 2:09PM]

For $100 its a great thing. For $300 I'll think twice. For $2200 I'll just ignore it no matter how much I need that extra juice.

[wunch @ Aug 9th 2008 12:09AM]

If you made something like this yourself as a DIY project, the materials alone (solar panel, charge controller, batteries, a/c converter, misc mats) would easily cost you over $500. Most of that cost is in the solar panel, followed by the batteries. While it sounds expensive, $2200 actually seems like a fair price to me for a professionally made one.

[mattkenny @ Aug 9th 2008 9:54AM]

I see one major problem with this design - solar panels hate ANY part of them being in covered. It's not just a case of 5% being covered gives 5% less power, instead it will at least halve the output of the panel. This is just the way PV panels work. In other words, if you are using the table, it won't be supplying much power (if any).

Also, who has their table in direct sun?

[bandgeekndb @ Aug 9th 2008 1:31PM]

wow...amazingly cool, but i agree with mattkenny, not the most practical...now, a solar paneled umbrella for over that table? that would be nice, with outlets down the whole pole for people to use!