Google’s search for future profit targets the Sun, not just the cloud


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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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: hydrogen-powered space plane, Japan’s solar surge and urban farms of Ze Future

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.


Green transportation took off for the stars this week as Inhabitat reported that the European Space Agency has approved of a new hydrogen-powered “Skylon” space plane, and we spotted a hot Star Wars-inspired electric chopper that wouldn’t look out of place on the Death Star. We also learned that NASA plans to rejoin the space race with a new MPCV craft fit for deep space flights, while here on Earth we saw GE harness the power of the sun to charge Volt EVs before they hit dealerships.

Speaking of solar power, Japan unveiled plans to construct 10 new solar power plants in the wake of the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis, while Switzerland announced that it will completely phase out the use of nuclear power. We also showcased a stunning chandelier made from 500 fluttering photovoltaic butterflies, and we saw Nevada kick-start construction on the US’ first molten salt solar plant, which will generate energy long after the sun has set.

We also brought you several incredible feats of architecture this week, from a restaurant made from a recycled Soviet airplane in Zurich to an innovative cocoon-like building made from sugarcane that recently won an AIA competition. We also showed how Plantlab is making vertical urban farms a reality, and we spotted a sky-high proposal for an energy-generating city on stilts that would hover over Manhattan. Finally, this week we rounded up some of our favorite eco apps and services that can help you green your consumption.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: hydrogen-powered space plane, Japan’s solar surge and urban farms of Ze Future originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Diffus Solar Handbag charges your cell during the day, may actually leave the closet


Sure, solar-paneled bags are occasionally practical and always geeky, but the women in our lives wouldn’t dream of letting us walk around with one, let alone using one themselves. That soon may change. The Solar Handbag from Diffus, a Danish design studio, integrates 100 “solar sequins” in a pattern that ladies may actually find socially acceptable, perhaps even attractive. During the day, the bag is capable of generating 2 watts of power, enough to charge many portable gadgets. After the sun sets, however, any leftover energy is redirected to a set of optical fibers, which glow whenever you open the bag to search for mascara, ABC gum stuffed in crumbled receipts, or whatever else you’ve decided may never leave your side. There’s no word on whether the bag will actually come to market, but if it does go to production, it may just end up being affordable, given that many handbag budgets far exceed the amount we set aside for gadgets.

Continue reading Diffus Solar Handbag charges your cell during the day, may actually leave the closet

Diffus Solar Handbag charges your cell during the day, may actually leave the closet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 May 2011 13:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar-powered butterfly chandelier is a fluttering mass of art and light

Virtue of Blue

Look closely at that blue blob up above and you’ll realize it’s made up of 500 butterflies, each one meticulously cut from photovoltaic cells. The hundreds of insects collect the sun’s rays as they flutter around a giant glass bulb that turns into a churning mass of light after dusk. The Virtue of Blue chandelier is a stunning work of art by Dutch designer Jeroen Verhoeven that draws connections between the beauty and power of nature and the importance of sustainable energy… or, you know, just something trippy to stare at while you sip a few cocktails at the Blain|Southern gallery in London.

Solar-powered butterfly chandelier is a fluttering mass of art and light originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 May 2011 07:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar Charging Table is Totally Wireless

At the recent Retail Tech Expo held in Tokyo Panasonic showcased a prototype solar powered inductive charging table which is able to juice up devices simply by placing them on the table.

solar-contactless-charging-table-panasonic-1

Although inductive coupling products have been on the market for some time, what was different about this product was how the charging panel on the table connected directly with the battery itself. A Panasonic employee demonstrated how it was possible to simply place the battery on the table and it would begin charging without any coupling or 3rd party accessories, as the circuits are integrated with the batteries themselves.

solar-contactless-charging-table-panasonic-2

With the array of mobile devices in use today users are always looking for a quick top up of battery power on the go. Incorporating this kind of product into city restaurants and coffee shops would provide a very quick and easy way to keep the mobile offices powered, customers simply place their devices on the table as they have their coffee and automatically charging without any further cables or docking.

Sanyo’s portable Eneloop chargers, some solar powered, are already popular products on that market in Japan, so it makes an obvious next step to introduce this kind of technology into the market as well. We wrote recently about the rise in demand for alternatively powered appliances given the recent power shortages in Japan, coupled with the rise in the “eco-conscious” consumer around the world means that this kind of innovative product would potentially be hugely popular and useful.

Related Posts:

The five coolest eco innovations in Japan
CO2 Calculator adds up your carbon footprint
Suntory Midorie brings green to cities inside and out

Mizzou Professor says nantenna solar sheet soaks up 90 percent of the sun’s rays, puts sunscreen to shame

Photovoltaics suffer from gross inefficiency, despite incremental improvements in their power producing capabilities. According to research by a team led by a University of Missouri professor, however, newly developed nantenna-equipped solar sheets can reap more than 90 percent of the sun’s bounty — which is more than double the efficiency of existing solar technologies. Apparently, some “special high-speed electrical circuitry” is the secret sauce behind the solar breakthrough. Of course, the flexible film is currently a flight of fancy and won’t be generating juice for the public anytime soon. The professor and his pals still need capital for commercialization, but they believe a product will be ready within five years. Take your time, guys, it’s not like global warming’s getting worse.

[Image source: Idaho National Laboratory (PDF)]

Mizzou Professor says nantenna solar sheet soaks up 90 percent of the sun’s rays, puts sunscreen to shame originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 May 2011 07:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: floating trains, dead bees, dirt-powered phones and Cornish pasties

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

Did you know that the cell phone in your pocket could be causing the collapse of bee colonies? This week Inhabitat reported the alarming news as Swiss researchers confirmed that cell signals confuse bees and are leading to their deaths. We also looked at a Bill Gates-funded plan to power cell phones using dirt, and we spotted a new phone battery that can be charged by yelling at it — much to the chagrin of everyone else on the bus.

Alternative transportation got a boost this week as Japanese engineers unveiled a levitating high-speed electric train that flies over the earth, and we shined a light on Berkeley’s new solar-powered Impulse racer, which is gearing up to blaze a trail in the 1,800-mile World Solar Challenge. It was a big week for biofuels as well as Ford and Georgia Tech unveiled plans to create the first hydraulic hybrid U.S. school bus and UK scientists cooked up a plan to power cars with Cornish pasties.

In other news, this week a New Jersey Toys “R” Us unveiled plans to build the largest solar roof in the United States, and HyperSolar rolled out a magnifying film that can increase the efficiency of photovoltaic panels by 300%. In green lighting news, we watched Google flip the switch on its brilliant Android-controlled LED bulb, and we announced the Philips and Inhabitat Bright Ideas Lighting Design Competition, which is awarding $1,000 to the designer of the most stunning eco-friendly lamp. Finally, we got excited for the start of summer with a look at the Lapin Kulta Solar Kitchen, which will be serving up sun-cooked meals all across Europe!

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: floating trains, dead bees, dirt-powered phones and Cornish pasties originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 May 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solar Impulse’s first international flight is underway (live)

We’ve been following Captain Piccard’s Solar Impulse solar-powered airplane for a few years now. Today, right now as a matter of fact, the pioneering Swiss HB-SIA aircraft with 200-foot wingspan is attempting its first international flight. The flight to Brussels began at 8:40am (0640GMT) and should conclude about 12 to 13 hours later when Andre Borshberg brings all 12,000 photovoltaic cells to the ground in a controlled (we hope) landing. If successful then we can expect the craft to take on the Atlantic, Lindbergh style, in 2012 or 2013. Hit the source link below to track Solar Impulse’s position in real-time and to witness a live video feed of this historic event.

Solar Impulse’s first international flight is underway (live) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 05:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SOFT Rockers combine solar panels and moving furniture to charge your gadgets

SOFT Rocker

Wander through MIT’s Killian Court and you’ll spot something distinctly modern nestled amongst its classical buildings — a set of solar-powered lounge chairs called SOFT Rockers. These curved, solar-panel-covered seats rotate on an axis to keep them facing the sun, generating additional energy from the rocking motion created when people climb inside. All that harvested electricity can be used to recharge gadgets plugged into the three USB ports and to illuminate a light strip on the inside of the loop. The teardrop-shaped charging stations were created by professor Sheila Kennedy and a team of students for the Festival of Art+Science+Technology (FAST) as an antidote to “conventional ‘hard’ urban infrastructure.” Plus, they seem like a great place to charge your phone while evading Dean Wormer and riding out double secret probation. Check out the gallery below for more images.

Gallery: SOFT Rocker

SOFT Rockers combine solar panels and moving furniture to charge your gadgets originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 11:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: sugar-covered lamps, IKEA’s solar lamp, and the 30MPH all-wood racing bike

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.

Several breakthroughs sent shock waves through the field of renewable energy this week as Inhabitat reported on a new type of “invisibility cloak” that could supercharge solar cells and researchers at MIT harnessed viruses to improve the efficiency of dye-solar cells by a full third. We also cast a keen eye on the royal wedding, which is expected to produce 6,765 tons of CO2, and we explored a new wireless charging technology being developed by Toyota and WiTricity. And if futuristic eco cities float your boat, check out this self-sustaining ecotopia designed to produce energy and food in the North Sea.

We also showcased several novel electric vehicles, including the crazy Uno 3 transforming scooter which is now available for pre-order. Alternative fuels also took off as a Kentucky man unveiled a car that runs on bourbon and a mobile greenhouse powered by renewable energy hit the streets of New York City. And from the realm of pedal-powered transportation we brought you the SplinterBike – a bicycle made entirely from wood that can hit a record-breaking 30 miles per hour.

In other news, energy-efficient lighting advanced by leaps and bounds this week as we flipped the switch on IKEA’s new solar-powered Solvinden lamp and we spotted a crystalline “Stardust” LED lamp made from sugar at the Milan Furniture Fair. Finally, we shined a spotlight on Katy Perry’s debut on American Idol as a LED-studded Extraterrestrial, and we took an exclusive look inside New York City’s first LEED gold skyscraper – the Hearst Tower!

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: sugar-covered lamps, IKEA’s solar lamp, and the 30MPH all-wood racing bike originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 May 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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