Offbeat & Off the Grid: 15 Mobile Solar Gadgets

Solar power projects go truly off-the-grid in mobile applications that range from practical if goofy solar panel-equipped Ray Bans to donkeys that stroll around with photovoltaics mounted to their backs.

While some are just for fun, others have the (solar) power to bring electricity to remote places, or get around restrictions that hold back renewable energy progress.

Shrub Rover Solar-Powered Camouflaged Car

It looks like an ordinary shrub. Then it starts inexplicably rolling along the ground as if it has gained sentience a la the plot of a particularly terrible horror movie from the 1950s. The Terrestrial Shrub Rover by Justin Shull is a solar-powered, foliage-covered vehicle that lets drivers explore new territories in disguise (as long as you wait to actually drive it until after dark.) Cameras on the outside display the car’s surroundings on screens within so you can see where you’re going.

Pop-Up Solar Power Station

Solar installations can be costly and time-consuming to install, but load them into a shipping container so that they can pop right out when it’s opened and you’ve got a convenient mobile solar power station. The Ecos PowerCube is available in 10-foot, 20-foot and 40-foot ISO shipping container footprints with solar panels hidden within protective drawers. Batteries inside the container store power. Once unrolled, the panels increase the size of the array to three times the footprint of the shipping containers.

Solar-Powered Wheelchair

The winning entry in a competition for inventions that can make a significant difference to people with disabilities, this solar-powered wheelchair can run continuously on the power of the sun. Designed by students at the University of Virginia, the wheelchair features a custom-built 11-square-foot solar panel that doubles as a sun shade and enables the wheelchair to travel indefinitely at 1mph without drawing power from the battery.

Autonomous Solar-Powered Lawnmower

The equivalent of a Roomba for your lawn, this open-source robotic lawn mower runs entirely on solar power so you don’t have to sweat it out on a hot summer day. No need to even control it via remote, since it’s totally autonomous. If you’re handy with electronics, you can try making one yourself – instructions are available at Open Electronics.

Freshwater Floating Solar Power Plant

The world’s largest freshwater solar power plant will be installed over reservoirs and lakes in India’s southern state of Kerala in a $72 million, 50 megawatt project. Using freshwater gets around the problem of landowners overcharging for solar developments, with projects paying rent to the owners of the bodies of water. The total cost will end up being around 15 percent lower than equivalent land-based projects.

Solar Panels Carried by Donkeys in Turkey

Even the most remote locations where vehicles are rarely seen can have access to solar power when people get really creative – as they have in this totally unexpected project utilizing donkeys in Turkey. As the donkeys wander around during the day, solar panels mounted on their backs soak up energy, enabling local nomads to charge cell phones, laptops and lights.

Scooterdillo Solar-Powered Electric Scooter

Resembling a roly-poly bug when the panels are all closed up, the SunRed conceptual scooter is an ‘armored’ moped with a retractible shell. The panels gather energy when the scooter is parked, offering enough juice to give it a top speed of 30 miles per hour and 12 miles per charge.

DIY Solar Powered Car

Not all solar-powered transportation projects have to be high-tech and high-concept. This one, by Nigerian student Segun Oyeyiola retrofits a classic Volkswagen Beetle to run on solar and wind power for a total cost of just $6,000. Relying mostly on donated and salvaged materials, the solar-powered car has a reinforced suspension to support the weight of the massive solar panel mounted to its roof. It takes about five hours in the sun to charge the car’s battery.

iPhone-Charging Solar Ray Bans

If you’re going to be in the sun all day, without access to power outlets, you might as well gather enough energy to keep your cell phone charged. And while you could do that with any number of portable solar panels, none of them are quite as quirky as this pair of sunglasses. Panels are built right into the arms of the Ray Ban-inspired design. When the sun goes down, just take the side off the glasses and plug it right into your iPhone 5.

Solar-Powered Tent for Aid Workers

The V Plus disaster relief tent features built-in solar cells, a battery and LED lights to shelter aid workers responding to natural disasters. It’s also a cool idea for camping in general. Multiple units can be connected to accommodate larger groups.

Phone Charger for Developing Nations

Barely larger than a lunch box, this little device is a solar-charging hub that can provide up to 40 cell phone charges per day in areas where electricity is hard to come by. BuffaloGrid’s charger, which costs about $425 to manufacture, is provided for free to entrepreneurs in the community, who travel around offering it up to locals. Customers pay for the service via a text to the company, and the operators receive a portion of that revenue.

SunCutter Off-Grid Laser Cutter & 3D Printer

Sand and the sun may not seem like adequate materials to produce much of anything, but industrial designer Markus Kayser puts them both to work with a genius 3D printer. Powered by the sun, the printer turns the sand into glass, producing all sorts of objects. And since it’s using plentiful and natural sand rather than plastic, the possibilities are literally endless. A second project, the Sun Cutter, uses concentrated sunlight to make precision laser cuts.

Solar Bike Helmet Charges Phones

Developed in just three days at India’s Nirma University, this project simply mounts some solar panels onto a bike helmet to harness enough energy while riding around to power up a phone. It takes just 40 minutes of riding to gather up enough power, and the design could be replicated for as little as $22.

Solar-Powered Cockroach

It may just be a toy, but the solar-powered cockroach is an interesting example of solar energy being integrated into toys or taken on the go in totally unexpected ways. Sized to fit in the palm of your hand, it could definitely catch people off-guard when placed in the sun near an unsuspecting crowd.

Solar Bikini

While it’s not exactly suitable for swimming, the solar-powered bikini by Andrew Schneider can definitely make a day of sunbathing a little more productive by keeping your phone or mp3 player juiced up. It’s made up of thin, flexible photovoltaic film strips for comfort and costs about $200.

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Solar Roads

Innovative solar panels designed by Julie and Scott Brusaw can be installed on roads, driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots.

Inventors want to cover all concrete and asphalt surfaces with solar panels.
Solar Roadways will generate electricity, reduce environmental impact, melt snow, and flash LED lights to warn drivers of upcoming danger.

Working solar road prototype can already handle 250,000 pound trucks.

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This Bonsai Tree Isn't Just for Looks, It Actually Charges Your Gadgets

From afar at night, this may actually look like a miniature bonsai tree with lights, but it's actually a nifty solar charging station, called the Electree Mini. This device captures light through flexible mini solar panels held by the branches, mimicking the process of photosynthesis, and also lights up automatically at dusk; if you simply rotate it, the light sensors change color.

Inhabitat reports, "The solar charger has a USB port and rests on a flat tray that holds the devices while they charge. Its branches can be manipulated into different positions. Electree Mini is a multi-functional sculptural object-a beautiful lamp that illuminates spaces with sun's rays while charging your smartphone."

  

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Tinder Hot Box Solar Fire Starter – Say bye bye to rubbing wood together for hours

The single most difficult thing to do when going out in the wild is starting a fire unless you have all the necessary tools. Having a match box at your disposal comes in really handy but matches run out, so  there’s definitely a need for a single tool that can start a fire easily without needing any fuel or friction.
The all new Tinder Hot Box Solar Fire Starter is the world’s first solar powered fire starter that works without needing any external agents, except for tinder of course.. On your next camping trip, you don’t have to worry about the fire stuff at all, as long as the sun is bright you’re all set.

This genius little device is waterproof and airtight so your tinder will always remain dry regardless of the weather conditions, and it works by using a parabolic reflector to focus all the sunlight on to the tinder to ignite it in just a few minutes.

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7 Ways to Bring Solar Lighting to Your Home

Solar power has made some recent debuts at high-profile venues such as NFL stadiums and the Pentagon, but new technology is making it increasingly affordable, efficient, and accessible for the average homeowner looking to cut energy costs. If you’re looking for solar solutions, here are a few options.

Sun Tubes

Also known as tube lighting, tunnels, or tubular skylights, sun tubes provide many of the same benefits as skylights, but with better heat insulation and greater flexibility for indoor use. Tube lights are especially bright additions in rooms where the natural light from windows or skylights is minimal. The technology captures natural light through a reflective dome on a roof, then transfers it back through a tube to illuminate a dark room. When installing, take time to pick a path from the roof to the ceiling where you won’t hit wires, plumbing, heating ducts, or other obstacles.

Deck Lights

These add a little glow to an outdoor deck or patio. Most models turn on automatically around dusk and will keep going strong for about 8 hours if they’ve received a full day of sun. Besides lowering your energy bill, the best part of solar deck lights is their design. The market is full of string lights, decorative sconces, and even owl and tiki torch models. Some deck light sets include a remote collector panel that should be placed in the area that gets the most sun. More popular versions, though, have built-in panels, and those individual lights should be scattered in similarly sunny areas.

Stair Lighting

Similar to deck lights but less conspicuous, stair lights illuminate steps that might otherwise get too dark at night. Installation is simple: The light fixtures often come with small mounting screws that are built to fit all staircases. Just make sure you’re putting these lights on a set of steps that gets direct sunlight during the day.

Rope Lights

Light up a walkway, pool area, fence, or railing with a simple string of rope lights. An energy-efficient alternative to holiday lights, these often come in white or multicolored strings of 30 to 50 lights. They require almost effortless installation. Just make sure they’re hung in a spot where they can receive direct sunlight.

Path Lights

Dot these small lights around a garden or walkway for an extra outdoor glow. Make sure tall plants, trees, or long stalks of grass don’t overshadow the lights. You want them to soak up as much sun as possible.

Floating Pool Lights

By day, these floating orbs in the shapes of flowers, colorful balls, or transparent spheres soak up the sun and decorate a pool. By night, they shine and reflect off the water to create a natural, sophisticated glimmer. For every hour of sun they get during the day, they’ll typically last about an hour at night, so keep them outside as long as possible if you’re planning on an all-night pool party.

Security Lights

Solar-powered security lights can flash on to alert homeowners about suspicious movements outside their homes, but they do so without the electricity and energy costs. Since there are no wires involved, installation is easy compared with other floodlight and security options. If possible, mount it in a southward-facing spot for maximum sun exposure.

Before You Buy

Take a few key steps before installing any of these technologies in or near a home. First, check with local tax laws to see if there are tax breaks or sales tax exemptions for purchasing solar technology. Many cities, states, and utility companies are now offering incentives to make the switch to solar power. Then, research potential products. Durability is the No. 1 concern when it comes to solar technology. Check to see whether the manufacturer has offered a guarantee for when harsh UV rays, winter weather, or thunderstorms threaten to shorten a product’s life span. Taking a few precautions before installation will ensure extra years of affordable, eco-friendly light.

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Rawlemon’s Spherical Solar Energy-Generating Globes Can Even Harvest Energy from Moonlight

The solar energy designers at Rawlemon have created a spherical, sun-tracking glass globe that is able to concentrate sunlight (and moonlight) up to 10,000 times. The company claims that its ß.torics system is 35% more efficient than traditional dual-axis photovoltaic designs, and the fully rotational, weatherproof sphere is even capable of harvesting electricity from moonlight.

The ß.torics system was invented by Barcelona-based German Architect André Broessel. He sought to create a solar system that could be embedded in the walls of buildings so that they may act as both windows and energy generators. But the project isn’t only noteworthy for its solar efficiency capabilities -  the ß.torics  system is designed to generate lunar energy too!
The spheres are able to concentrate diffused moonlight into a steady source of energy. The futuristic ß.torics system is catching a lot of attention for its clean and beautiful design. (Despite solar power’s huge potential, we haven’t seen too many beautiful solar power technologies). We’re excited to see how architects will incorporate these energy generating orbs into alternative energy agendas and future building designs!

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