solar panels
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Notre Dame heralds paint-on solar cells, wants to smear your home with its goop (video)
Leave it to the Fighting Irish to take a stab at solving the world's energy woes. Notre Dame researchers have successfully developed solar cells that can be easily painted on to any conductive surface. Imagine, for a moment, applying this solution to your home rather than attaching solar panels to the roof. The paint mixture incorporates quantum dots of titanium dioxide, which is then coated with either cadmium sulfide or cadmium selenide, and is then suspended in mixture of water and alcohol to create a spreadable compound that's capable of generating electricity. While its efficiency isn't currently much to crow home about -- which hovers around one-percent -- scientists are now actively pursuing ways to improve this aspect while making a more stable compound. Most importantly, the paint can be made cheaply and in large quantities, which suggests that even if efficiency remains in the doldrums, it may be a very worthwhile pursuit. Touchdown Jesus is already watching the video after the break.
Has James Bond gone green? Bulletproof electric roadster in the works
Warding off assassins while saving the environment just became a cake walk with the Jo-Mojo, an upcoming creation by Lativian armored vehicle company DARTZ. This two seat convertible roadster brandishes an 80 horsepower electric engine capable of pushing zero to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph -- yet most of its "mojo" is outside the hood. Custom seating, color-changing chameleon paint finish, bulletproof tires, and others are just a few of the many "drooling" features. The sunroof is given a task with flexible solar panels built-in, good for juicing up the batteries while idle or on the go. Aimed to hit the market at the end of Q2 2012, its estimated price tag starts at 30,000 euros (~ $40,000), within range of most low-end luxury automobiles. Check past the break for a video slideshow of this snazzy piece of metal by Gray Designs, DARTZ's partner in the venture.
GE's new factory will push out one solar panel every ten seconds
General Electric is sending its troops to Colorado to conquer the thin film solar panel business. The 38th state will play home to a new facility that leverages the supermodel-thin panel know-how of PrimeStar Solar, which GE scooped up back in 2008. In traditional solar panels, sand is refined into silicon ingots, sliced wafers of which are then placed in a frame. The thin film process eliminates this, sandwiching layers of semiconductors between panes of glass -- saving time, money and, most importantly, energy. The factory will open ahead of schedule in 2012 and is reportedly capable of producing a new panel every ten seconds. You can learn all of that and more in the press release we've got for you after the break.
Solar panels light up Yosemite National Park, don't spoil your view
Normally we like to keep our technology and nature reasonably separate, but like peanut butter and chocolate, some combinations turn out better than you'd think. In the latest in a long line of projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Yosemite National Park has installed over 2,800 solar panels in the El Portal maintenance complex, neatly hidden from the all seeing eyes of the public. The plenitude of photovoltaic plates will produce about 800,000 kWh per year, saving the park $50,000 annually on its power bill and scoring it $700,000 in rebates from PG&E over the next 5 years. The 5.8 million dollar system cuts the park's reliance on carbon fuels by 12 percent, and is now the largest grid-connected solar energy system in the National Park Service. Press release junkies can hit the break for the official announcement; solar fanatics looking for a better view should check out KCRA's coverage in the links below.
Quantum dots could coat the world in nano-sized solar panels
We've long believed in the mystical power of quantum dots, so it makes perfect sense to us that one day they'll be used to fully harness the Sun God's rays and thereby save the planet. The nano-particles turn light into electricity, and could potentially be manufactured cheaply and abundantly enough to coat surfaces in current-generating paint. The main obstacle to this has so far been efficiency: the clever little dots just don't work very hard. However, scientists at the University of Toronto now claim to have discovered a fix. Instead of using a single layer of particles, which can only harvest one meager wavelength from the full gamut of solar light, they added a second coat on top and configured it to be sensitive to an additional part of the spectrum. By adding third and fourth layers, the researchers hope to achieve a commercially viable efficiency of 10-percent within the next five years. We humbly call on Ra to be pleased with their efforts.
Solar Cross e-bike soaks in the sun, powers your pedals
Ah, the bicycle -- that first symbol of locomotive independence from our youth. How we've often wished you came with a motor, solar power and some rechargeable batteries to make that ride less... taxing. Well, chin-up childhood glory days, because Terry Hope's done all that and a bit more. The self-described EV enthusiast outfitted a Specialized FSR bike frame -- chosen for its double crown suspension fork -- with an array of three solar slats, a 24-volt one horsepower motor, and three 5,000mAh Li-ion batteries to assist your pedaling on those grueling uphill climbs. The sun-soaked panels powering this 18-speeder's motor are a homemade mix of polycarbonate sheeting, aluminum and 18- x 6- x 6- inch mono crystalline cells that generate a combined 8.7-volt charge to the batteries of your choosing. While its beneficial turbo boost isn't intended to replace that Harley you've got covered in the garage, it will takeover on those lazy days when you just feel like cruising. Hilarious robot voice over for the environmentally-conscious cyclist after the break.
California raceway gets 1,600 solar panels, flaunts green track status
As far as sports go, the one where you drive cars around in circles several times is likely not one of the most energy efficient. With that in mind, it's nice to see locations like Northern California's Infineon Raceway working toward sustainability, announcing this week the installation of more than 1,600 solar panels. The panels, manufactured by Panasonic, will provide around 41-percent of the Infineon's energy usage. Also on its list of earth-friendly features: a solar-powered billboard and 3,000 sheep, which take care of a lot of the lawn mowing on the grounds and apparently aren't of the electric variety.
B-Squares bring portable solar energy and Arduino compatibility to toy blocks (video)
We've seen plenty of portable solar chargers in our time, but few have looked quite as versatile as B-Squares -- a new collection of 3D modular energy storage devices that can be arranged in various configurations, according to the kind of gadget you're looking to juice. Developed by MIT grads Jordan McRae and Shawn Frayne, each solar-powered B-Square features a sticky microsuction surface, along with magnetic and electric contacts at each corner, making it easy to connect and arrange them in different formations. Rotating a single square will change its electrical circuit, depending on its adjacent connection. Some B-Squares, for example, feature LED surfaces, allowing you to create solar-powered lanterns, while others have solar panels, or simply serve as rechargeable battery sources. There's even a square devoted to Arduino boards, along with another surface designed to dock and charge iPhones. McRae and Frayne have already put together a full "recipe book" of different configurations, though the DIY route seems a lot more enticing to us. Their B-Squares are set to leave the prototype phase on May 1st, at an as yet unspecified price. Check them out in video action after the break. [Thanks, Ryan]
UM students make cheap and portable solar charger / light source for developing nations
Solar power is the most egalitarian of all energy sources, yet residents in many parts of the world still lack access to electricity. Three University of Michigan engineering students have created an affordable solution to this problem -- to the delight of camping geeks everywhere -- with the Emerald, a portable solar panel that does double duty as both a cellphone charger and personal light source. We've seen the personal solar panel idea before, but the price of entry made it an untenable solution for developing nations. Solar-powered light bulbs have been around for a while too, but the Emerald's light lasts for eight hours on a charge (as opposed to the bulbs' two to six hours), and it's able to fully charge a phone in the same time it takes an outlet to do the job. They aim to sell the device for the low, low, price of under twenty bucks for customers in the developing world, which is 90 percent cheaper than other solutions and 100 percent more awesome.
KDDI's biblio Leaf SP02 priced, due out Christmas Day in Japan (update)
E-readers are flooding the market these days, and KDDI has delivered its most recent offering just in time for the holiday season. Since the biblio Leaf SP02's specs were first released, battery life seems to have grown to 13,000 pages, with presumably a few extra thrown in courtesy of its solar array. The device utilizes KDDI's LISMO Book Store and its 20,000 titles to obtain content, and if that isn't enough reading material for you, the company claims that five times as many titles will be available by 2012. All this can be had on Christmas day -- if you're lucky enough to hail from the land of the rising sun, that is. Update: Details on the e-reader, much like the device itself, seem to have gotten lost in translation. As a few readers have pointed out -- and our own Engadget Japanese editor Ittousai confirms -- the SP02 has an "open" price of around ¥15,000 (about $180 in US currency), with 3G prices ranging from ¥525 per month for data on a two-year contract, or ¥1,575 without ($6.28 vs. $19, respectively).
Proposal would put a solar garden on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
If you've ever spent any time on New York City's finest roadway, the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, garden is not one of the first words that comes to mind. That could change on one particular strip in Brooklyn if a concept -- which you see above -- gets approved and built. The concept is part of a project calling for solutions to a trench that runs from Carroll Gardens to the Columbia Street Waterfront in Brooklyn. Starr Whitehouse Landscape architects floated three possible solutions for improving the stretch, which would cost between about $10 and $18 million, very cheap in comparison to other projects of this type. The Green Canopy proposal calls for a massive plant covered canopy with solar panels to stretch over top of the entire area making it self-sustaining and reducing noise in the area. Hit up the source to check out the other proposed projects.
Uplink Audio Strap System offers solar power for runners on the run
Designer Adam Hammerman's concept -- the Uplink Audio Strap System -- is for all you sports enthusiasts that want to listen to tunes while running but don't want to be bothered with headphones. It can connect with a variety of different mobile devices, and boasts four ultrasound speakers, meaning that you can hear the music but nobody else can, so you're not disturbing the peace! For outdoorsy types, of course, it would be a much safer system for things like running, since you would still be able to hear the street noise around you, and the device would also have flexible solar panels which charge the speakers on the go. It's just a concept for now, but one we'd like to see in reality.
Toshiba's Charge Grid puts your solar panels to work, smartly charges your EV
Got a bunch of photovoltaic cells and a vehicle that requires electricity? Toshiba's thought up a process dubbed "Charge Grid" by which you can juice the latter efficiently. When the sun's out and the electrons are flowing, it doesn't pay to put them into the grid, so this system stores them in a rechargeable battery ready to rapidly charge your EV. For nighttime when the electricity rates are low, a bidirectional inverter lets you hop right back on the neighborhood grid, so your solar cells are put to good use and your car is always well fed. The company tells Tech-On commercialization of the system is still a few years away, so you've plenty of time to raze that roof antenna in favor of some photosynthesized electricity.
Casio's solar-powered Pathfinder watch plays the green card twice
Plotting their latest spread of watches this spring, Casio executives decided it was time to "go green." Some poor schmuck in R&D took them at their word. Thankfully for mother nature, the Casio Pathfinder PRG110C-3 is more than meets the eye; the watch -- suited for argonauts needing an altimeter, barometer, thermometer and digital compass -- also has a miniature solar cell built into its face to automatically recharge the battery. Though Casio's claim that this last will cut down on the three billion batteries Americans trash each year seems a little reaching -- watch batteries last a lot longer than a AA -- the timepiece does help the planet some merely by being packaged in recyclables. The $250 device will be available exclusively from Amazon, and yeah, the color you see here is the color you'll get.
Caption contest: solar suits, or the future of punishment for eco-abusers?
We get the impression that these guys are really just putting the pressure on "evil corporations" to stop grounding mountains in the everlasting search for coal, but it's not really the environmental activism that caught our attention here. Rather, it's the fact that we're 84.3 percent certain we saw these exact same characters in a Daft Punk video back in college. Seriously -- check the video out after the break and tell us we're loony. Josh T.: "Totally off the grid in regard to both power and girlfriends." Thomas: "And now Solar Sprockets, we dance!" Joe: "You have to go as far as Brussels to find a Devo tribute act worth its salt." Richard Lai: "In the future, humans won't need to eat." Paul: "Sure, they know how to capture the electricity, but do they know what to do with it?" Justin: "In the future, all bands will play the washboard." Laura: "Did anyone make a Beastie Boys joke yet?" Darren: "SABOTAGE." Richard Lawler: "This is not what Boston meant when they said I take what I find."
CoolerBot photographs nature, gets its power from it
If you're into real life bunny wabbits and other such wildlife, but not a fan of the cold, wet and windy outdoors, what do you do? We'd say just boot up the console and shoot you some pixelated peoples, but Steve Norris' idea might be just a tad more practical. He has authored the above mobile snap-station, which is equipped with an infrared video camera, a Nikon DSLR, and pairs of motors, 10Ah batteries, and solar panels. Power flows from the latter into the former to turn wildlife stalking into a pleasurable pastime for even the most indoorsy of folks. Video demonstration of the hardware after the break.
ReNu solar panels announced for iPhone charger, sound dock, LED desk lamp
Sure, we've been frustrated by solar-powered iPhone chargers and amused by the irony of solar-powered lamps in the past, but that doesn't mean we're not looking forward to the day when we can meet our gadgets power needs without relying on fossil fuels. That's why we're pleased to note that a company called ReNu has just announced a solar panel that can be used to charge your iPhone or iPod, power the device's sound dock, or even keep your desk light shining sans mains power. Featuring a modular design, the panel can dispatched to your window to soak up the rays for 10 or 20 hours (depending on the amount of sunlight it receives) and then returned to your dock for about nine hours of music playback, recharge your iPhone (twice!), or provide about four hours of light with the LED desk lamp. Of course, most people are going to hang this thing in the window once, forget about it, and then spend the next several years powering their devices with the included AC adapter -- but at least they're trying, right? Available for pre-order now, the ReNu solar panel ($199) and the Renu panel / iPod dock combo ($249) both ship in February 2010, while the Side Light desk lamp ($89) ships in next March, and the Sound Dock ($149) should see the light of day sometime in April. Hit the read link to place that order, but not before peeping the galley below. %Gallery-76533% [Via TreeHugger]
Dell and Envision Solar refashion parking lot into clean energy farm, EV recharge station (video)
Dell has added a shiny new feather to its cap today with the announcement of a freshly completed Solar Grove renewable energy installation. The system is composed of 512 solar panels, which provide shelter for 56 cars, and are capable of harvesting 131,000 kWh of energy per year. This power will be primarily used in the adjacent Round Rock HQ, but CleanCharge stations will also be available should you wish to juice up your electric vehicle on Mother Nature's finest. No matter how much Dell might have splashed out to bring this integration together, we can't help but suspect that the smug satisfaction of getting free energy -- both in pecuniary and ecological terms -- must be priceless. Video awaits after the break.
DIY Solar Flyer motorcycle tearing around Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix area resident and motorcycle enthusiast Richard Gryzch got tired of gassing up his bike all the time, and he decided to do something about it. Rather than getting a fancy electric motorcycle, he modded one for himself -- making an electric bike that is seemingly covered in solar panels. The motorcycle uses no gas, goes up to about 90 miles per hour and has a range of around 50 miles. There are very few details about the inner workings of the bike, so we're loathe to say it's 100 percent solar, but Richard does plan on extending his bike's range of 300 miles. Hit the read link to watch an extremely tiny video of Richard and his bike.
DS Lite solar panel mod lets you leave the PSU at home
If you've got some 60 x 60 solar panels, a few diodes, some scotch tape, and a little time on your hands, you may never need to plug in your DS ever again. According to "dark sponge," a poster over at Instructables, you can convert the Lite into a solar-powered wonder that will obviate the need for your standard PSU, and make your green leaning friends, er... green with envy. The mod involves slapping panels on both the bottom and top of the device which -- when wired in parallel -- get 6 volts of power at 80 mA, which is apparently perfect for a trickle charge. The only downside is you'll have to leave the device face down for a bit, and it's advised to keep it out of the sun all day. Still, it's an excellent mod that doesn't seem too difficult to execute, and ends up saving hassle and energy... and who can knock that? [Via SlashGear]
