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solar-powered posts

America's (newest) largest solar plant set to go live in Florida

by Darren Murph posted Oct 25th 2009 at 8:33AM

If all goes well, this 25-megawatt solar plant in Florida won't be America's largest for long, but it's not like we'd pass up the opportunity to let this $150 million facility bask in its own glory (and the sun, if we're being thorough) while it can. The Desoto facility is just one of three solar projects that Florida Power & Light is spearheading, and judging by the proximity of this one (in Arcadia) to the 75-megawatt facility planned for nearby Charlotte County, we'd surmise that the two are linked in some form or fashion. President Obama is expected to show up rocking a set of Kanye glasses underneath a welder's mask when the plant is fired up this Tuesday, and while it'll only provide power to "a fraction" of FP&L's customer base, it'll still generate around twice as much energy as the second-largest photovoltaic facility in the US of A.

[Thanks, Yossi]

Colored solar panels work without direct sunlight, double as PAR Can filters

by Darren Murph posted Sep 21st 2009 at 3:36AM

With eco-friendliness on everyone's mind, it's no shock to see more and more progress being made in the realm of solar. Shortly after hearing that boffins across the way were swapping carbon nanotubes for silicon, a Tel Aviv-based startup is now hoping to push its colored panels into the mainstream thanks to their ability to work sans direct sunlight. Granted, the tinted cells have only shown a 12 percent efficiency rate in testing, but they can reportedly be produced for around half of what a conventional panel costs. In essence, the cost savings comes from the dearth of silicon within, as GreenSun Energy has discovered that power can be generated by simply diffusing available sunlight over the whole panel and allowing nanoparticles to handle the rest. We'll invite you to visit the links below for the science behind it, but we're just interested in helping Ma Earth while replacing every windows in our apartment with a stained glass alternative.

[Via Inhabitat]

Solar Roads get small DoE contract, confidence to change the world

by Darren Murph posted Sep 6th 2009 at 6:06PM

Solar roadways? Yeah, we've seen 'em before, but we've yet to see America's own Department of Energy give any one development company such a notable vouch of confidence. Just recently, the DoE handed over a $100,000 contract to Solar Roadways, which is just enough to build a prototype of the "first ever Solar Road panel." The 12- x 12-foot panels could theoretically be embedded into roads, and when shined upon, could pipe good, clean electricity straight into the grid. Heck, they could even boast LEDs in order to alert drivers to upcoming accidents or changes in road conditions. Reportedly, each panel would cost around $7,000 (at least initially), and if these were used on the entire US Interstate system, we could pretty much forget about using non-renewable energy sources to power our homes and businesses. Of course, our government is simultaneously wasting money on repaving perfectly good roadways with antiquated asphalt, so there's a tremendously great chance that this won't amount to anything.

[Via Inhabitat, thanks Miko]

Video: Solar-powered night garden fills Jerusalem with tranquility, world peace soon to follow

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 13th 2009 at 6:19AM

Juxtaposing the manmade and the natural in artistic expression oftentimes leads to creepy results. It is no mean feat, then, that the Jerusalem night garden -- built out of steel wires, laser-cut panels and 1W to 3W Power LEDs -- feels like a warm and welcoming place to visit. Whether it is the clean energy source, producing 720W of electricity per hour, or the ethereal light and movement of the flowers, something about the exhibition awakens the wistful child we've got locked away in the Engadget dungeons. He cries out for more of this aesthetically pleasing eco-friendly design, which in this case even comes with a specially composed soundtrack. To see if you agree with such juvenile enthusiasm, check out the video after the break.

[Via inhabitat]

Continue reading Video: Solar-powered night garden fills Jerusalem with tranquility, world peace soon to follow

Neoluxiim demos solar-powered e ink display

by Nilay Patel posted Jul 12th 2009 at 5:02PM

We've been sort of wondering when we'd see a solar e-ink display, and here we are -- Neoluxiim is demoing this panel for use in point-of-sale advertising. What's interesting here is that the background appears to be in color while the text is black, but we're assuming that's just a fixed image behind the e-ink layer. Everyone ready for impulse purchasing to go high-tech? Video after the break.

Continue reading Neoluxiim demos solar-powered e ink display

Captain Piccard unveils Solar Impulse HB-SIA solar-powered plane

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 3rd 2009 at 10:06PM

You might have seen solar-powered planes before, but few of them come with as much world-changing ambition as the Solar Impulse. Launched in 2003, the project aims to demonstrate the viability of renewable energy sources by being the first to perform a manned flight around the globe using only solar power. The technology is nothing to scoff at, as the 200-foot wingspan features 12,000 photovoltaic solar cells bringing power to four electric motors. Captain Bertrand Piccard, one of the key men behind this project, is best known as one half of the first team to circumnavigate the world in a balloon in 1999. He hopes, together with partner André Borschberg, to repeat that achievement in Solar Impulse's next iteration, the HB-SIB, in 2012. Make it so, guys.

[Via Gizmag]

IDEA's Solar lamp glows like a Sputnik heatshield

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 7:52AM

While the original Sputnik burnt out after only 3 months in orbit, here's an homage that promises to be rather more resilient. IDEA, Japan's answer to you know who, is offering a 30cm tall (11.8-inches) self-sufficient ambient light that pretty much does its own thing. Integrated sensors detect when the light should be on, while inconveniences like power cords and on/off switches are completely done away with. The light's batteries are recharged by the sun at a rate of 2 to 5 hours sunlight for 8 hours operation, while its waterproof design means it can be dumped outside to collect rays during the day and even provide garden lighting at night. It's quirky, to be sure, but the obvious design cues taken from the Russian satellite should make true geeks smile with glee. You can find a gallery of the various color choices courtesy of Engadget Japanese below, and if you're passing by the land of the rising sun later this month you can snap up your very own solar light ball for ¥1575 ($16).

[Via Engadget Japanese]

Energizer expands Energi To Go charging line with more solar, iPhone options

by Darren Murph posted Jun 3rd 2009 at 8:36AM

We've seen Energizer dabble in portable charging solutions before, but we've yet to see it go all out like this. Thanks to a newfound partnership with XPAL Power, the company famous for making drum-toting bunnies famous has issued several new wares in its Energi To Go line. The rechargeable power packs and emergency chargers -- over ten of 'em in all -- will all ship by July of 2009 and will include devices for PMPs, PNDs, portable DVD players, netbooks and digicams. There's even an AP Charger that mounts your iPhone (à la mophie's Juice Pack Air), and the SP line consists only of solar-driven power packs designed to rejuvenated your iPod, camera and pretty much any other handheld device. There's no mention of price just yet, but as with anything Energizer, you can go ahead and brace for sticker shock.

Solar-powered Trilobot takes wistful stroll outdoors

by Donald Melanson posted May 28th 2009 at 6:38AM

A solar-powered robot that's fully autonomous and able to control it's own energy acquisition may seem like a frightening proposition to some. But set aside those preconceptions for a minute and take a look at the Trilobot's video debut after the break, and then try to tell us you don't want to get one, name it Buddy and love it forever.

Continue reading Solar-powered Trilobot takes wistful stroll outdoors

75-megawatt solar plant to power "first solar city" in Florida

by Darren Murph posted Apr 11th 2009 at 4:11AM

Given that Florida has accurately been coined The Sunshine State, it's not at all shocking to hear that America's first "solar city" will be built in the state's southwest corner. Or, at least that's the plan. According to a new report, West Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners is currently developing a new city near Charlotte County, which will get juiced by a massive 75-megawatt solar plant. Said plant will cost around $300 million to build and will be installed by Florida Power & Light; if all goes well, homes will begin construction on a sizable plot of land dubbed Babcock Ranch by 2011. If things don't go so well, we're told that the actual power plant will still be erected and fed into the larger grid. In other words, Florida's gettin' some solar power, with or without this newfangled concrete jungle.

[Via Fark]

IKEA starts selling totally hip SOLIG solar lighting devices

by Darren Murph posted Mar 6th 2009 at 12:46PM

We've heard the excuse a gazillion times: "Yo, I want to go solar, but like, where do you even buy this stuff? Oh snap, 0 percent financing on a Hummer H2!" Finally, you can have a solid answer to that very quip (the first part, at least), as household megastore IKEA has begun stocking (in store; online is coming soon) a new series of solar-powered lighting supplies. The SOLIG series contains a handful of solar light sticks, orbs, garden lights, chain globes and even posts, all of which will surely brighten your outdoor patio, flower bed or Earth-friendly RV. Now, if only it were simple to relocate your life to southern Arizona in order to enjoy these more effectively...

[Via Inhabitat]

MIT team develops solar car, boldly calls it Eleanor

by Darren Murph posted Mar 1st 2009 at 12:23AM

When you name a custom built vehicle Eleanor, it better be good. It better be really good. But in fairness, the machine concocted by MIT's Solar Electric Vehicle Team is actually one of the more stellar creations we've seen on wheels. The newest iteration is a touch taller than prior versions and should be more comfortable to operate. Additionally, designers managed to increase the frontal area by 30 percent, all while keeping the drag area exactly the same. The juice comes from six square meters of monocrystalline silicon solar cells, and reportedly, the car can run all day long (providing the sun shines brightly the entire time) at a steady speed of 55 miles per hour. Eleanor will be competing later this year in the World Solar Challenge in Australia, and in preparation, the team is hoping to drive it across America this summer. So yeah, if you've ever wanted a summer to try hitchhiking, this would be it.

[Via Wired]

SunCat batteries boast built-in solar charging wrappers

by Darren Murph posted Feb 27th 2009 at 8:11AM

Solar chargers are a dime a dozen, but who honestly feels like carrying around rechargeable cells and a recharger? Guru Knut Karlsen has conjured up a far superior idea, and rather than just working up a few drawings and making us all feel dumb for not thinking of this first, he went out and proved that solar-charging batteries are definitely ready for production. In essence, he wrapped four C size NiMH rechargeable batteries with a few samples of flexible solar cells; by using a conductive silver pen and some flat wires from a broken Canon lens, he made a connection solid enough for trickle charging to occur. Moving forward, he'd like to install a capacity gauge as well as a method for faster charging, but we'd say this ain't half bad for a first attempt.

[Via Inhabitat, thanks Sarvesh]

Toyota is definitely maybe developing solar-powered car

by Darren Murph posted Jan 2nd 2009 at 6:25AM

Around half a year ago, we heard that Toyota was engineering a Prius that would get part of its energy from the sun; now, we're seeing an eerily similar story from Japan suggesting that the plan is still on. In a rather odd report, it's noted that the automaker is "secretly (oh, is it now?) developing a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy," though it's also working on a partially solar-powered whip that'll come out long before the pure solar alternative. Regrettably, details beyond that are few and far between, though the premise here is completely reasonable given the current economy and the desire for automobiles that run on anything other than petroleum. Guess we'll check back in six months for yet another elusive report on the so-called progress.

Solar panel-packin' sunglasses power your gizmos, make Kanye inordinately envious

by Darren Murph posted Dec 27th 2008 at 9:51PM

Before you get all "Oh, that comment was so heartless" on us, we will say that the spectacles you're peeping above are still a concept for now, though we wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that Kanye himself eventually funds their commercialization. At any rate, designers Hyun-Joong Kim and Kwang-Seok Jeong should be mighty proud of their concoction, which integrates dye solar cells into fashion-forward sunglasses in order to power your pocketable gadgets. Put simply, the SIG (Self-Energy Converting Sunglasses) convert the sunlight that they'll obviously see into usable energy, though it should be understood that these could give the impression that you're rockin' a head-mounted display. And we wouldn't want that, now would we?

[Via Engadget Polska]