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]

Filed under: Household

IKEA starts selling totally hip SOLIG solar lighting devices originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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]

Filed under: Storage

MIT team develops solar car, bodly calls it Eleanor originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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]

Filed under: Storage

MIT team develops solar car, boldly calls it Eleanor originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

SunCat batteries boast built-in solar charging wrappers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Proving (as usual) that it’s not too big for a little tit-for-tat with its crosstown rival, LG showed its own concept solar phone at MWC this week to match up with Samsung’s Blue Earth. The prototype LG handset doesn’t have a name — takes a whole team of high-priced consultants to christen a product like that, we’d wager — but we do know that the slider can eke 3 minutes’ worth of life out of a 10-minute charge in natural light. The thing looks like it was thrown together in a week, but hey, as long as it works, we know LG can take care of the design side of things by the time production rolls around.

Filed under: Cellphones

LG shows off solar phone, battery cover at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The entirety of civilization seems fairly well and dedicated to one-upping each other in the “green” department, and Samsung is looking to up the ante once again by stating that “blue is the new green” and putting out the new Blue Earth solar phone to prove it. Sadly, the Blue Earth isn’t quite ready to go — currently it’s only to be seen in non-working mockup form, though the hardware is certainly looking good. Samsung’s showing off its eco-packaging and built-in energy-saving functionality, including an “Eco Walk” function to let you know how many trees you save by walking places. The phone itself is built from castor bean extract and recycled plastic, and Samsung claims the integrated solar panel saves up to 34.6% of the battery’s energy. They’re also showing off a hand-crank generator, external solar chargers, and even a solar-charged stereo headset. It’s clear that Samsung isn’t just playing lip service to green (or blue, as the case may be) but at this point in time this technology is likely to act more as a gimmick and promise of things to come than a truly life-changing device.

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung’s Blue Earth is saving the world from behind glass originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It may not have the glam or the flash of the Samsung Blue Earth, but ZTE’s Coral-200-Solar takes solar power to a side of the market that needs it far, far more urgently — the side without power outlets. The Chinese manufacturer is teaming up with Jamaica’s Digicel Group to roll out one of the world’s first mass-market solar cellphones to folks with “limited or no access to the power grid,” which represents some 2 billion people around the globe. The phone gets its juice via an integrated solar charger — that is, there’s still a battery lurking in there, you just don’t need an outlet to charge it — and should be available by June of this year. Pretty amazing world we live in where people have mobiles before they have power, isn’t it?

Filed under: Cellphones

Digicel launching ZTE’s Coral-200-Solar phone in emerging markets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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]

Filed under: Gaming

DS Lite solar panel mod lets you leave the PSU at home originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, it’s just a concept for now, but this Aptera-designed solar-powered boat is looking pretty decent, so we thought we’d bring a few of the details over here for you. The Loon, as it’s called, has got a pontoon shape to it, and is relatively lightweight for its size, with 1000W solar panel roofing which is collapsible for compact storing of the boat when not in the water. It’s 22 feet long, and is made of recycled materials, bamboo and natural fibers, with an estimated top speed of 7 knots (it should be able to travel about 35 miles a day). We don’t know when to expect these bad boys on the waterways, nor do we know how much they’re going to cost, but we’re hoping they’re not thousands of dollars.

Filed under: Transportation

Aptera designs solar-powered pontoon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, it’s just a concept for now, but the Aptera design team (Design 11) have unveiled this solar-powered boat, and it’s looking pretty decent, so we thought we’d bring a few of the details over here for you. The Loon, as it’s called, was designed for the Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company, and it’s got a pontoon shape to it, and is relatively lightweight for its size, with a 1000W solar panel roofing which is collapsible for compact storing of the boat when not in the water. It’s 22 feet long, and is made of recycled materials, bamboo and natural fibers, with an estimated top speed of 7 knots (it should be able to travel about 35 miles a day). We don’t know when to expect these bad boys on the waterways, nor do we know how much they’re going to cost, but we’re hoping they’re not thousands of dollars.

Filed under: Transportation

Aptera designers unveil solar-powered pontoon, the Loon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Granted, we’ve no idea what it takes to really push the efficiency level of a solar cell, but we’re getting pretty bored with these incremental improvements year after year. If you’ll recall, the record for solar cell efficiency sat at 40.7 percent in 2006, and that was raised to an amazing 40.8 percent last August. Today, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems have announced an all new milestone: 41.1 percent efficiency. According to team head Frank Dimroth, the crew is simply “elated by this breakthrough.” Meanwhile, the rest of planet Earth is suddenly depressed by the thought of perishing from old age before this data point ever breaks the big five-oh.

[Via Gizmag]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Baby steps: new solar cell efficiency record isn’t awe-inspiring originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cruising across the open seas may seem like a great way to get close to nature, but take a look at the sheer quantity of fuel most boats suck down as they power through waves (and manatees) and you’ll realize the truth. Thus a new breed of eco-friendly boat has arisen, the latest entry being San Francisco’s Alcatraz Cruises Hornblower Hybrid ferry. The ship, which will take passengers on trips to the Rock and elsewhere in the Bay, uses two vertical wind turbines and a solar panel to power its on-board electronics, with any excess juice going to the boat’s propulsion systems — which still rely mostly on diesel to get the craft and its passengers where they’re going. Okay, so it’s perhaps not as green as other eco-boats we’ve seen, but a tour on this one should be a good bit more affordable when it enters service early this year.

[Via Inhabitat]

Filed under: Transportation

New eco ferry uses wind and solar to get you to the Rock — and hopefully back originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The very shoe-like 2010 Toyota Prius has made its official debut at this week’s Detroit Auto Show. The company estimates it’ll have a 50 MPG rating — up from 46 MPG in the previous model — and there’s a bigger, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine for improved highway mileage. In addition to Power and Eco driving modes, EV Drive will let you run on battery alone for about a mile, which if nothing else should provide a little extra push for getting to the gas station when you’ve held off for too long. One of the coolest (literally) new features is the optional solar panels in the moonroof that will generate power for circulating air and keeping the interior temperature from going too high. If that’s not enough, there’s a remote-controlled A/C system that can run on battery alone and lets you set the temperature before you get in. Check out the read link for more specs and the full press release.

Filed under: Transportation

Next-gen Prius now official, uses solar panels to keep car cool originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinesis’ K2 solar / wind charger will power any USB device and is guaranteed to disappoint people mistaking it for a handheld fan. Of course, if you’re feeling less environmental, feel free plug it into an AC outlet to reenergize the thing. Anticipating popular demand, we’ve put video after the break.

[Via OhGizmo!]

Continue reading Kinesis K2 solar / wind charger hands-on: Captain Planet approved

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Kinesis K2 solar / wind charger hands-on: Captain Planet approved originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household

MiniWIZ debuts solar-powered Solarbulb lamp / bottle cover originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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.

Filed under: Transportation

Toyota is definitely maybe developing solar-powered car originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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]

Filed under: Wearables

Solar panel-packin’ sunglasses power your gizmos, make Kanye inordinately envious originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d heard that Nippon Oil and Nippon Yusen were working on a million-dollar solar upgrade for a car freighter called the Auriga Leader back in August, and it looks like things have gone as planned — the cargo ship launched today from Kobe, Japan. The $1.68m project involved the installation of 328 solar panels, which produce 40 kilowatts of power — a measly .03 percent of the engine power required to move the 656-foot, 60,000-ton ship when fully loaded with 6,400 cars, but enough for seven percent of the juice required for lighting and other systems. That’s a slow start, but we’ll take what we can get, we suppose — now let’s bolt on some of those new record-high efficiency panels and see what happens.

[Thanks, Yossi]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

First partially-solar-powered cargo ship launches in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You don’t usually equate CES with big time Energizer introductions, but this year is going to be different. While our fingers are still crossed that a 50-foot drum-toting bunny is seen storming around in the Vegas heat, we do know that said outfit will be bringing along its minty fresh Zinc Air Prismatic batteries, not to mention the newly unveiled Rechargeable Solar Charger. The above pictured device will boast a USB port to power an assortment of devices, and it can also be charged from an AC outlet if you just can’t seem to locate the sun. Better still, its weatherproof nature should make it suitable for argonauts, and it’ll only run $49.99 with a pair of rechargeable cells when it lands next summer.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

Energizer’s Rechargeable Solar Charger gets detailed, pictured originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Until Apple pumps out the next-gen iPhone with integrated solar cells, we suppose Solar Arcadia’s solar-powered cases are your next best option. Available in both SideFlip and Leather Flip models, the cases not only offer relatively stout protection for your handset, but they also include a solar panel in order to give your mobile a few more minutes of life while you’re out and about in the sun. Each one is constructed from ABS sheepskin and is available in either red, white or black (Leather Flip is black only) motifs; not too shabby for $45.95 — just don’t expect this thing to dramatically increase your time of use.

[Via TUAW]

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals

Solar Arcadia deals solar iPhone cases originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 02:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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