Seven Solar-Powered Technologies
Using Solar energy for powering things is not a new technology. But using nano technology, solar energy is being used in a new way. The following recent wonders are the examples for it.
Solar Energy Generating System is situated in 1000 acres in Mojave Desert, California.
Specialty: This is the world’s leading solar energy generating system that supplies clean solar electricity to more than 78,000 homes.
Description: It has nine parabolic trough plants with capacities from 30 to 80 MW with a total installed capacity of 354 MW. These plants consist of modular solar collectors having an absorber pipe to track the solar radiation directly from the sun. A heat transfer medium is circulated through the absorber pipes at temperatures up to 400°C and generates live steam to drive the steam turbine generator of a conventional power block.
Quant
Quant is developed in collaboration with Koenigsegg and NLV Solar AG Company.
Specialty: This four-seater solar electric car reaches 100km/h within 5.2 seconds and runs with a top speed of 275km/h.
Description: This car has thin-film photovoltaic coating on its body for power and can be charged in 20 minutes which gives it a range of 500 kilometers.
Solar Guru
Solar guru is the world’s first solar powered phone, will be available soon for $59 by Samsung and is already available in India.
Specialty: There is no need of electricity for charging. You can talk for 5 to 10 minutes with one hour of solar charging.
Description: It can generate power with the embedded solar panel on its backside. Other features include FM, MP3, flashlight, Mobile Tracker, 800 mAh battery etc.
Solio Charger
Solio Charger is a solar powered charger.
Specialty: You can charge your mobile phones, ipods, and MP3 players with this Solio Charger. Full charged Solio can charge a mobile phone once or give 10 hours of MP3 music. One hour of sun shine gives 15 minutes of talk time or 40 minutes of MP3 music.
Description: It has internal rechargeable battery that can store power for up to one year and a powerful solar panel to charge the devices.
Solar Concept Tent
Solar Concept Tent is designed by Telecom giant Orange in conjunction with an American firm Kaleidoscope.
Specialty: There is no need of candles or torches. This tent automatically charges from sun during the day and emits glow at night. The tent would be covered in a semi-photovoltaic fabric woven with coated solar threads as well as conventional threads to form a solar shell and adjusted to face optimum sun throughout the day. This solar energy would be channeled mainly into heating, lighting, communications and recharging.
Description: A wireless charging pouch in which a coil is present to carry an electric current which generates a magnetic field to produce a charge, WiFi connectivity, photovoltaic fabric panels, ability to light up with an embedded heating element in the tent’s groundsheet etc.
EyeStop
EyeStop is a solar powered Adaptable bus stop going to be designed by MIT’s SENSEable City Lab.
Specialty: It incorporates several types of digital technologies as well as collects the real-time information about the surrounding environment.
Description: Riders can plan their trip, surf the web, monitor their real time exposure to pollutants, get the shortest bus route to their destination, use the media on the bus shelter as an interface with the bus shelter etc.
HB-SIB
HB-SIB, a solar powered flight, is designed by Captain Bertrand Piccard with his partner André Borschberg under the concept of “Solar Impluse”. It is the world’s first manned flight going to be around the globe in May 2012 using only the solar power.
Specialty: There is no need of fuel for this and it can travel in night too.
Description: It resembles Boing-747. With its 64meters wings and 1600kg weight it has 12,000 photovoltaic cells that are in 130 micron monocrystalline silicon for solar power. The four electric motors supply 9KW power to engine. Lithium batteries store power for night journey.
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15 Responses to “Seven Solar-Powered Technologies”
On July 7, 2009 at 3:31 am
Great article. I really liked the way you wrote this. Liked it.
On July 7, 2009 at 4:37 am
Great topic, it is an inspiration for a future with minimized exhaust gas emissions.
On July 7, 2009 at 7:24 am
Wow..great inventions, and I love the solar tent! That’s so cool..
On July 7, 2009 at 9:11 am
They’re all really impressive. Though I must say that the mobile phone may not do so well in England because we hardly get good sunshine, and when we do, it doesn’t last for very long.
Great article.
On July 7, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Great article!! Those are pretty sweet stuff!! That’s one way to cut down fossil fules so that we will always have them
On July 7, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Thank you Chan, Deep blue, BC, Anne and Alexa for reading and commenting.
On July 7, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Interesting & informative article.
Thanks for that!
Inna
On July 8, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Wow, that tent looks awesome.
On July 8, 2009 at 10:02 pm
The articles is really great adding some informative insights to the readers. However, it is much better to elaborate further on the solar module and how does the process of solar energy are being converted into electrical energy.. Hmmp.
On July 9, 2009 at 4:15 am
Very informative article. Nice to read it
On July 17, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Thank you Inna, Lauren, EGItable and Eunice for reading and commenting.
On July 20, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Interesting and informative. Thanks.
On July 20, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Gets an I like from me.
On July 25, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Very well done. I bet many people do not know how much solar power is already used for and what it could potentially be used for
On August 5, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Cool piece!
Thanks,
Clay
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