Partnered with Solar Power, Inc., Twentieth Century Fox remodel its Century City Studio to eco-friendly building. Solar Power, Inc. has completed the installation of 160 kW photovoltaic (PV) solar system (produce enough power to supply the equivalent of up to 150 homes). It was mounted on Fox Studio’s historic Building 99 using Solar Power’s SkyMount commercial rooftop system, as well as conventional racking.
Researchers at Wake Forest University developed a device that capable of capturing two forms of energy from the sun, photons and heat, simultaneously. According to their claims, this technology is the first in the world.
David Carroll, Ph.D., director of the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest University, said, “It’s a systems approach to making your home ultra-efficient because the device collects both solar energy and heat,”
Portable solar panel has a lot in the market, it’s just that most of the existing products can only be used for charging mobile phones or gadgets with battery power is low.
Wagan Tech showed off a portable solar panel that they could be used to supply power at 1500 watts for about 7-8 hours.
Limoneira Company has installed Limoneira Solar in Santa Paula.
Detailed description from Limoneira after the pictures…
LED companies from Bulgaria, Megatex Inc. has developed an environmentally friendly product innovation that combines an LED screen with a solar panel.
Emma Caselton designed Solar Garden Lamp that charges itself during the day and shine in your garden at night. The solar garden lamp, with six illuminating petals, is suspended by use of its cable give the appearance of falls butterfly wings that are illuminated. Made of transparent solar cells and each one embedded with LED, making the solar panels as a decorative element and also the environmentally friendly power source for illuminate your grass, garden or pond side.
Designed by Andrea Ponti, “Luce” is a clear polycarbonate laptop inspired by light, features a transparent touch-keyboard and double solar panels (one under the transparent keypad and the other on top).
Brooklyn design company SMIT (Sustainable Minded Interactive Technology) has created Tensile Solar, a cool and lightweight shade powered by the sun (through CIGS photovoltaic cells).
From Wikipedia:
Copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS) (CAS NO. 12018-95-0) is a I-III-VI2 compound semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide (often abbreviated “CIS”) and copper gallium selenide, with a chemical formula of CuInxGa(1-x)Se2, where the value of x can vary from 1 (pure copper indium selenide) to 0 (pure copper gallium selenide). It is a tetrahedrally bonded semiconductor, with the chalcopyrite crystal structure, and a bandgap varying continuously with xfrom about 1.0 eV (for copper indium selenide) to about 1.7 eV (for copper gallium selenide). It is used as light absorber material for thin-film solar cells.
Tensile Solar is come in various designs: saddle, tent, pole mount and the last is intended to a larger architectural structures, such as a party tent.
One of the things that a potential obstacle in the development of solar energy is limited space. All existing solar panels in a solar power generation should receive sunlight for at least the same intensity to produce electrical energy optimally. Therefore, all the solar panels should be installed in rows, which mean that also require large open space.
In addition, the performance of solar panels that are widely used today are still influenced by the temperature generated by the environment and direct sunlight. The higher the temperature, the performance of a solar panel will also decrease.
Usually, solar power and wind turbine stands apart. But unlike this one, called Heat WAVER and created by University of Liverpool (led by Dr. Joe King), it combines traditional turbines with photovoltaic technology. The idea is quite simple, they just design a wind turbine with rotor blades covered with solar panels.
But the team has faced problems. Preliminary computer simulations have found that turbines installed with solar panels will cause blinding beams of light shoot across the surrounding area. There are real fears that the turbines could potentially blind pilots and people who live nearby. Not only that, but on a very hot day, turbines will produce solar rays that can make the buildings on fire if it is concentrated.
Their solution is to design colored solar panels that do not reflect the sun’s beam.
Toyo Ito has completed construction on Taiwan solar powered stadium upon a clear area of approximately 19 hectares, nearly 7 hectares has been reserved for the development of integrated public green spaces, bike paths, sports parks, and an ecological pond.
It will generate 100% of its electricity from photovoltaic technology (14,155 sq meter solar roof and 8,844 solar panels). It is able to provide enough energy to power two jumbo vision screens and the stadium’s 3,300 lights that illuminate the track, field and 50,000 seats.
The all-new Infinyte i8 is beautifully styled boat designed to offer eco-friendly cruise needs. It is an emission-free boat that is loaded with latest technology.
Infinyte i8 is fully electric version with bio diesel generator, and integrated solar panels in the fold-down hardtop for storing and delivering additional energy when needed.
With a seating capacity for 12 people, making it an ideal boat for an average family. It is also integrated with a bar and a refrigeration system.
During the 2011 Security Show in Tokyo, Panasonic introduced Solar Table, a new concept of wireless power transmission station with a solar panel tablet and wireless charging pads for portable devices.
Panasonic Solar Table has a bunch of antennas that can transmit power to any device like a mobile phone wirelessly via the Qi wireless charging standard.
OS Retractable Mobile Solar Power System (GSR-110B) is a portable power source from solar panels that can be rolled up (retractable).
With a similar shape as a screen for the projector, GSR-110B can produce up to 40 watts of power source in which the solar panel contribute 16 watts and the built-in battery 24 watts.
Designed by Marko Vuckovic, Sunflower Monitor is a conceptual computer monitor powered by the sun rays with the help of four sensors located on a monitor.
Set your device to the holder and solar panels on the front of the monitor will transform energy and stored in the generator.
Sunflower monitor also has an integrated hard drive that can be synced via wireless Bluetooth.
