Hasta La Gadget!

Dead battery in Belgrade? Head to the city’s Obrenovac district, where a group of students has developed the world’s first public charging station powered entirely by solar energy. Known as the Strawberry Tree, the structure’s 16 ports support a variety of handhelds, allowing pedestrians to juice up their cell phones in just ten to 15 minutes, at no charge. Its built-in batteries can also store up to a month’s worth of back-up energy, enabling the station to hum along at night, or even during Serbia’s less sunny seasons. In the first 40 days following its November launch, the Strawberry Tree logged some 10,000 charging sessions — or about ten charges per hour. Creator Miloš Milisavljevic was just 17 years old when he came up with the idea, and now, at the ripe old age of 22, is looking to plant new stations across other Serbian cities, through his Strawberry Energy NGO. He says these installations won’t generate much revenue from consumers, but that’s not really the idea:

“Energy from the sun is free, and it would be unethical to charge people to use the Strawberry Tree…We are trying to inspire young people to think about the source of the energy they use, and behave and act responsibly.”

You can check out the Strawberry Tree in the video below, or find out more about Milisavljevic’s ideal-driven endeavors in the full PR.

Continue reading Strawberry Tree brings free, solar-powered charging to Belgrade’s BlackBerrys, more (video)

Strawberry Tree brings free, solar-powered charging to Belgrade’s BlackBerrys, more (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking at vacation homes in Osaka, are you? If you happen upon a blueprint that looks anything like the crib shown above, we’re guessing that it’ll cost you a pretty penny. Er, yen. Sharp has just started the evaluation process on its newly completed Eco House — an abode that aims to emit precisely zero carbon emissions while not compromising on the technology within it. It’s outfitted with a cadre of energy-saving appliances and AQUOS TVs, all networked in via HEMS and programmed to display energy usage to whatever landlord decides to stop by for the day. Not surprisingly, some of the energy is being sourced from photovoltaic modules, and we’re told that a downright absurd 180-inch LCD will be “evaluated for suitability to today’s green-conscious world.” Something tells us the company won’t have too many issues finding volunteers to occupy the joint.

Sharp begins Eco House evaluation in Japan, aims for eco-friendly tech mecca originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More than two years after breaking the world land speed record with its wind-powered Greenbird, Ecotricity has its eyes set on the record books once again. This time around, the UK-based green energy company is bringing its Ion Horse superbike to the Isle of Man TT raceway, in the hopes that it will become the first electric bike to average 100 mph over the course of the one-lap race. Developed by a team from Kingston University London and constructed in seven months, the Ion Horse is powered by a set of lithium polymer cobalt batteries, allowing it to blast from zero to 60 in three seconds, before topping out at 140 mph. Its engine also boasts up to 100kW of power, which should help the Horse make its way around the Isle of Man’s sinuous, 37-mile circuit. The bike cost some £150,000 (about $245,000) to produce, but if Ecotricity breaks the aforementioned barrier during this week’s TT Zero race, the team will receive an extra £10,000 (roughly $16,370) from the Isle of Man Government, in addition to all kinds of street cred. The race was originally scheduled for yesterday, but has since been postponed due to rain. In the meantime, though, you can head past the break for a video of the Ion Horse during a recent practice run, followed by the full PR.

Continue reading Ecotricity looks to break 100 mph barrier with Ion Horse electric bike, at Isle of Man TT (video)

Ecotricity looks to break 100 mph barrier with Ion Horse electric bike, at Isle of Man TT (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The train ride from Paris to Amsterdam may not be the most scenic of European railway routes, but it’s the only one capable of harnessing the awesome power of the Sun — for two miles, at least. Yesterday, engineers in Belgium officially switched on Europe’s first solar-powered train tunnel, spanning a 2.1-mile stretch of the rail line connecting the City of Lights to Mokum. The installation’s 16,000 solar panels will be used to provide 50 percent of the energy needed to power nearby Antwerp Central Station and to provide extra juice for both high-speed and traditional trains. Originally developed to help protect travelers from falling trees in an ancient forest, the project is expected to produce up to 3.3MWh 3,300 megawatts hours per year, while decreasing annual CO2 emissions by about 2,400 tons. Speed past the break for some aerial footage of the artery, along with a brief PR from Enfinity — the Belgian renewable energy company that helped bring it to life.

Update: According to the AFP, the tunnel will produce 3,300 megawatts hours per year.

Continue reading Europe’s first solar powered train tunnel goes live on Belgian high-speed line (video)

Europe’s first solar powered train tunnel goes live on Belgian high-speed line (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These humble-looking contraptions were revealed in a Google patent application for a “heliostat control system” that automatically adjusts solar thermal mirrors to their optimal energy-harvesting angle. A camera and computer are housed in the central tower that receives heat from the mirrors, and together they detect when a heliostat is misaligned and then correct it using actuators. Sound like a strange distraction for an Internet company? Google thinks not. It’s already invested $168 million in the world’s largest solar tower in the Mojave Desert as part of its effort to both reduce its own massive electricity bill and diversify its business. It’s also currently hiring three new technical staff to make this happen. Interested?

Google’s search for future profit targets the Sun, not just the cloud originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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