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Renewbl.com is a renewable energy blog, covering wind energy, solar energy, hydropower, biomass and geothermal energy. Our content is updated daily so you will always be informed about the latest developments in the growing renewable energy industry.

Archive for the ‘Gadgets’ Category

Solar powered bird repeller

January 26th, 2010 | Posted in Solar | Comments (1)

Solar powered bird repeller

Solar-powered bird repeller is one of those not-that-expensive gadgets that show your neighbors how green you are. The device can be mounted or just placed in the garden, patio, pool area, boat, etc. A cat, of course, can be a cheaper solution, but with an electronic device, no birds will be killed or eaten.

As for some specs, this gadget comes with rotating, telescoping arms that extend up 2 1/2 ft. each, and sweep continuously in a maximum 5-ft. diam. In the package, you also get streamers for even greater deterrence.

As for the pricing, the solar-powered bird repeller could be yours for $52.97 from WhateverWorks.com.


Solar powered jet takes first steps out of hangar

December 3rd, 2009 | Posted in Solar | Comments (1)

Solar powered jet

The first solar powered jet, which we covered before, has been making its way onto the runway. As of yet, only tests of landing gear and taxi testing have been taking place.

Bertrand Piccard has been leading the testing and the Solar Impulse project, which is well on its way to its goal of circumnavigating the globe by 2012. All of this, of course, will be powered by only the sun's rays, and a lot of good wishes from the ground.

This airplane has been described as having, "the wingspan of an Airbus and the weight of a car."

The recent trips it has been taking out of the hangar have only given those involved high-hopes. Its first flight is to take place early next year, and this seems like a viable goal.

[Via: Engadget]

Printed solar-powered LED lamps could bring light to 1.5 billion people in impoverished areas

November 8th, 2009 | Posted in Solar | No Comments

Printed solar-powered LED lamps

Frederik Krebs is working on a promising project that could help give light to 1.5 billion people living in impoverished areas with no access to electricity. The trick is in combining PV cells printed on sheets, LEDs and ultra-thin lithium batteries. The problem, however, is in the efficiency rate which at the moment doesn't crosses the 1% mark.

The good thing, on the other hand, is the price, which goes at $7 a piece, promising mass addoption if some large scale program is accepted by the UN and governments of the countries where this technology could be used.

At present, some prototypes of the lamps are being tested in Zambia. During the day, people leave these solar panels laying flat, whereas in the night they roll them up (and secure with snap-button) into a cone-shaped lamp. Great idea and one more proof that the future lies in the renewable energy! :)

[Via: Gizmodo]

i.Tech's Solar powered Bluetooth headset – clean productivity

October 8th, 2009 | Posted in Solar | No Comments

HiResPhoto_SolarVoicei.Tech announced a new product in its portfolio called SolarVoice 908. This is a Bluetooth headset, with noise reduction capabilities, and is powered by a battery which can be recharged using solar energy. The module itself has a solar energy absrobing surface (aka "solar cell") which converts just enough sunlight into electricity to charge the batter and ensure non-stop operation of the headset.

The company stated SolarVoice 908 is aimed at consumers who are environmentally conscious, and would like to stay productive and green at the same time. Furthermore, each consumers carbon footprint is thus reduced, albeit by a miniscule amount, but when considering how many wireless headset users there are and their average daily usage times, the numbers quickly add up and provide a significant enough reduction in carbon footprint.

SolarVoice 908 provides background noise reduction for clear phonecalls, employing an advanced suite digital signal processing software. It is A2DP capable, meaning you will be able to listen to your favorite tunes from your personal media device of choice, while you inspect the wind turbines at the wind farm. ;) Innovative earbuds, which come in four sizes, account for a more comfortable user experience, and have no need for an ear hook to hold the device in place. When a green light flashes, the device is being charged using solar energy. It also comes with a cradle which makes it easy to find a great "hot spot" to charge your headset using sunlight when not in use.

SolarVoice 908 provide four hours of talk time, and about 140 standby time when not in sunlight. Additionally, the Li-ion internal battery can be charged via an A/C power socket if the weather is bad. It sports many modern hands-free calling features, and the price has been reported at about USD 75.

Uganda Telecom offering solar powered mobile phone

September 14th, 2009 | Posted in Solar | Comments (1)

Uganda Telecom has secured exclusive rights to launch a ZTE supplied solar powered mobile phone in Uganda. The new phone was launched today in Arua, a Ugandan district which has been suffering from limited access to the national power grid. The company emphasized its commitment to developing products that are relevant to the communication needs of Ugandans, resulting in "Kasana", the country's first solar powered mobile phone on the market.

ZTE-solar-phone

Even though Uganda has about 30 million people, 80% of whom live in rural areas with only about 10% having access to the power grid, mobile phone penetration is only about 30%. What this means is people who haven't got access to the power grid basically have to walk sometimes very long distances in order to charge their mobile handsets. With the solar powered phone, that need is now eliminated, and mobile phone users will truly be able to charge their phones on the go.

[via: Cellular News]

Flexible solar panel vests – true solar power on the go

September 10th, 2009 | Posted in Solar | Comments (2)

A transport service in Kenya has found a way to keep its employees mobile phone always charged and available by using wearable flexible solar panel vests. Bicycle riders, the popular "boda-boda" riders, wear vests which have flexible solar cells installed on the back, connected to a tiny storage battery. This battery stores enough power to keep their mobile phones charged at all times, so calls can be taken, and customers tranported. "Boda-boda" is the local name for a service which basically provides bicycle rides for individuals wishing to travel from "border to border", through no man's land between country borders.

boda-boda-wearing-solar-vest

Boda-boda riders rely mainly on mobile phones during working hours, from early morning to late in the evening. Rides are mostly booked by phone. The service is used in every day life as well, by people going to and from work, school, or simply to do some grocery shopping. Currently, there about 1.5 million boda-boda's in the whole country.

Solar vests allow boda-boda riders to generate electricity both on the bike and off. Additionally, when at home, or not riding, the vest can easily be mounted on a window or porch and continue to generate electrcity as long as there is sunlight.

Others who may benefit from solar vests are fishermen, farmers, outdoor workers, tourists (keep your camera batteries charged), campers, hikers, just to name a few. More info about solar vests is available here.

[via: Textually.org]

Go green with iPhone 3G/3GS – use a solar charger

September 4th, 2009 | Posted in Solar | No Comments
SURGE

SURGE

Just got the new iPhone? Great, now go green with this nice looking solar charger/USB port. It's NovoThink's product called Surge, and it is made to work with iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

Your iPhone simply needs to be inserted into the device, and you have solar charging on the go, without the need of any additional cables. Additionally, the same device has built-in USB connections for easy syncing, without having to take the phone out of the charger. The package also includes a cord for hanging from your wrist, belt or backpack. Access to the headphone jack is open, as well as the camera, screen, buttons and the silent switch.

The product will be available in Q4 2009. The iPod Touch version will sell for USD 70, so this is probably the price to expect for the iPhone version.

[via: Alternative Consumer, AppModo]

Solar powered e-ink display uses light from surrounding light sources

July 13th, 2009 | Posted in Solar | No Comments

E-ink displays, mostly known for their application in ebook readers (ex. Amazon Kindle) are a great way to save power while still being able to enjoy content on fairly large screen. A company called Neoluxiim has decided to go the extra mile and added solar power supply to their e-ink "ink-in-motion" display. They are hoping their device will find its way to advertisers who wish to have large, animated, power-saving screens for pushing their advertising messages – think street displays, airport displays, etc.

The technology is quite simple in its application – take an e-ink screen, add a solar cell to the side, and possibly store excess energy in a small-sized battery to provide power for the display during low-light hours. You'll notice noone mentioned sunlight – that's because the solar cell harnesses light energy emitted from the surrounding lighting systems (street lights, indoor lights). Last but not least, see if you can cram all that in a 7.5 mm thin housing – Neluxiim did it. It's 265 by 165 mm, 7.5 mm thin, has an 18 month continuous usage period. The solar cell is 124 by 39 mm, 2mm thin. Here's what it looks like:

solar-cell-ink-in-motion

Come to think of it, this concept would probably be quite applicable within our very homes. A small electronic device charger which stores, otherwise lost, light energy from the many light sources in the house. It should be pretty cheap to make micro-solar cells and stick them in the path of light sources around the house, interconnect them, and store generated energy in a battery. Well, off to the local DIY store…

Orange shows off solar tent concept for the outdoor enthusiasts

June 25th, 2009 | Posted in Solar | Comments (1)
Solar power generating fabric generates electricity during the day. (Image credit: Orange)

Solar power generating fabric generates electricity during the day. (Image credit: Orange)

UK telecom company Orange unveiled a solar tent concept at the Glastonbury music festival in the UK. Apart from the interesting domed design of the tent, the major innovation is the use of flexible thin-film solar technology to covert the top surfaces of the tent with electricity generating solar cells. There is no need to emphasize why this sort of application would be useful for campers, but let's simply mention night light, electronic gadget charging, flashlight battery charging, heating…

The concept involves weaving especially coated solar threads into the fabric, making a solar power generative surface and a flexible tent material at the same time. The Concept Tent, as it's called, uses this technology with three directional glides which can be moved throughout the day to maximise its solar efficiency. This way the tent is able to capture the optimum amount of energy, which can be used throughout the tent in various ways.

You can't miss it in the night. (Image credit: Orange)

You can't miss it in the night. (Image credit: Orange)

In case you are camping in a larger camp area, with many other campers pitching their tents, it's easy to get lost, especially in night hours, after an exciting festival evening. Concept Tent solves this by glowing in the dark. The so called "glo-cation" works by implementing mobile SMS or RFID detection, which once activated makes the tent glow, guiding the "lost" owner back home.

The tent posseses a wireless control hub which is able to display generated and consumed energy data, as well as providing WiFI internet access. Neat! Info is displayed on a flexible touchscreen LCD display. It further features wireless charging pouches for smaller devices such as mobile phones, PMPs, etc. The tent's groundsheet contains embedded heating elements, which are also controled through the central hub. The Concept Tent has been designed as a celebration of the 11th year of Orange's presence at the Glastonbury festival.

And now the cold shower – you can't purchase the tent, it's just a concept, and there is no announcement about whether it will be available any time soon to the general public. We'll just have to wait. In the meantime, the backpack stays the same bloated back breaker, full of necessary camping gadgets.

Sharp introduces solar modules for mobile devices – the thinnest available in the industry

May 26th, 2009 | Posted in Solar | No Comments
Sharp's new ultra-thin solar module for mobile devices. (Image credit: Sharp)

Sharp's new ultra-thin solar module for mobile devices. (Image credit: Sharp)

Sharp Corp. has developed and will soon introduced to the global market the new solar module meant for mobile devices, or rather for charging mobile devices. The new LR0GC02 is only 0.8 mm thick, and is the thinnest such product in the industry. Mobile devices are seeing explosive growth, and one of the main issues is having power available on the go. Solar energy is one of the possible solutions for providing basically an endless supply of electricity for you mobile device's battery, which makes it truly a welcome travel companion.

The new solar module makes use of the compact semiconductor packaging technology, which enables the modules to be just 0.8 mm thick. The cells are based on polycrystalline silicon and can deliver up to 300 mW. Additionally, the electrode pattern on the modules can be modified to meet the needs of mobile device manufacturers, which allows for greater freedom in mobile device design.

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