Solar powered laptop from Samsung

Samsung had released their first solar powered laptop in India and is now being put onto shelves in South Korea. The mini solar powered netbook was unveiled with a 10.1 inch display and its opposite side is equipped with a solar panel, which has the capacity to have it operate for an hour from having it put out in the sun for just 2 hours. When fully charged, the Samsung (NC215) solar netbook can power up to 14 hours of active use. It is also engineered with a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N570 dual-core processor and 1gb ddr3 memory. In my opinion, the specs would be average for a netbook but, not so bad for something that requires no outlet. What do you guys think?

G-shock beyond any doubt goes green

For people, who may not know what a G-shock is, it's a digital watch brand, manufactured by Casio, designed for high shock and water resistance. Here's a picture of one of G-shock's models.

In recent news, G-shock had been developing digital watches, engineered with no battery source, but is powered by the sun's rays as well as fluorescent light. The watch is equipped with a large power storage capacity in which it performs stability throughout all functions of the watch. For the ladies, Valentine's day is coming up, here's something to look into, yeah? 

Boss

Now you know there are people out there that don't give a crap about having the gas prices skyrocketing since his own car is modded to run on solar energy. Amazing.

Science Guy trolled on CNN about climate change

Here is Bill Nye, the "Science Guy" that we all grew up to love but, just cant seem to escape his comedic past when a news reporter from CNN decides to call him "kookoo" in an interview but ended up being the one to get burned while going against the climate changes from the heat waves that causes many wild fires which leads to drastic climate changes as well as pollution. Here's a quick video of the interview; check it out!

Iphone 4/4s powered by the SUN!

Love traveling and you hate to see your phone dead half the time? Well worry no more Mobius developed a case equipped with a solar panel on the back of the case that charges your phone with 25 minutes of talktime from just being let out on the sun for 1 hour. The case is also attached with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, in which it could be used as a backup. You can purchase one here for $60.

The end of chargers are near, expect it!

This video explains how the efficiency of solar films, which are made transparent, can be a new revolutionary innovation that can change how many people acquire power in their phones, tablets, notebooks, and other electronic appliances in this day and age. Thanks to a band of researchers in France, they are finding ways to harness the energy of the sun from an ultra thin film that can replace current solar panels that are being manufactured today.

5 innovations that will CHANGE the world! not the IPHONE

According to the reports of REN21 (Renewable Energy Network for the 21st Century), it was shown that global investments in renewable energy jumped 32% bringing an all time high of $211 billion, despite the current downturn of the economy. However, in many regions there is a big competition between the two odds of renewable & coal energy. But with the advancement of solar technology increasing every year with the latest solar development researched currently at MIT, it is likely coal will be going against it anytime soon. Here is a list of 5 development that could make a big impact towards our society as well as our economy that could also be safely executed against the burning of coal.
1. Nano-templated molecules that store energy
A professor named Jeffrey Grossman, associated with MIT, discovered and created a new molecule called azobenzene  that uses carbon nanotubes structuring the molecules that locks in and stores clean solar thermal energy. These molecules so called, "azobenzen", converts solar energy to a density of a lithium ion battery. Like what people say, "kill two birds with one stone", you have yourself a object that converts and stores infinite energy. 
2.Printing solar cells on possibly anything
A team led by Professor Karen Gleason discovered a way to imprint a solar cell into just about anything you could think of, using low temperature and vapor as opposed to liquid solutions. The paper imprinted with the solar cell is also highly durable withstanding it being folded a 1000 times with no change in performance. Imagine having solar cells imprinted all over your shirt and having to charge your mobile phone that remains in your pocket, that would be pretty awesome don't you think? 

Photo by Patrick Gillooly, Courtesy of MIT

3. Solar Thermal Power in flat panels

Professor Gang Chen discovered a whole new way to make solar power. Unlike ordinary solar panels that has been going on for some time now, Professor Gang Chen discovered a revolutionary new way to produce solar energy -micro solar thermal- in which theoretically could produce 8 times the efficiency of the world's best solar panel that are being manufactured today. Therefore, having it be a thermal process, Chen's system can heat up from ambient light even on a cloudy day. It is said that these panels can be made with very inexpensive and affordable material that could be appealing to many investors.

4. A virus to improve nano-solar cell efficiency

MIT graduate recently engineered a virus called "M13", that could effectively convert solar energy at a  more efficient rate, jumping from 8% to 10.6% efficency, boosting the rate to almost nearly one-third. The virus acts as a matching tool that pattern the nanotubes properly at a faster rate. 

5. Transparent solar cell could turn windows into power plants

See yourself in a skyscraper built with glass that could bind with the sun's rays while keeping their transparency? Well unfortunately several of these attempts had been made, resulting in terrible efficiency bringing it down less that 1% and also resulted in blocking too much light, depicting the glass useless. However, Professor electrical engineering professor Vladimir Bulvoic has made a breakthrough by engineering a new transparent layer of PV cells into the window glazing. The MIT team believes it can reach a high efficiency of 12% at a reduced cost over thin film solar cells. A team of researchers from UCLA had also developed a new kind of solar cell that is both efficient and transparent called the polymer solar cell that is almost 70% transparent and could generate energy through infrared light.

You may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to

http://www.govtech.com/technology/Solar-Panel-Window-Technology.html

South Korea envisions solar clad bridge in the future

The near future is coming; countries all over the world are finding ways to produce energy in an infinite amount like a endless cycle of energy that can never diminish. Natural gas will soon be the end of days while people will turn their shoulders towards a new approach, followed by large sums of investors, following a new market trend that will soon go towards wind, solar, and hydrogen powered technology that will change the world. Seems like South Korea is a step ahead, envisioning a solar powered bridge stretching across the famous Han River, powered by solar panels all over it, juicing up malls, museums, libraries, and other public recreational structures. Walking through the Brooklyn Bridge, in my opinion, felt amusing with the amazing view of New York but seeing this makes me think, America needs to catch up with their technology. 

Bracelet mobile phone powered by the sun!

Two designers, Seungkyun Woo and Junyi Heo, inspired by the process of photosynthesis, incorporates a bracelet designed to make and receive calls and text messages powered by the sun. To explain it more in-depth,  the solar cells, located on the front panel, juices the device. The cradle dock also hosts cells on the back as a backup panel to power your bracelet. There will never be a time that you will go crazy about losing your phone once realizing your phone had been with you all this time. Best wishes to them!

Beautiful world falling apart

     Natural disasters are often caused by large amounts of air pollution in a short period of time mostly in large cities. Many disasters are formed through natural or human-made chemicals called "smog," which are caused from the factories that manufactures products that undergo through an assembly line consisting of chemical, heat, and wastes, leaving the factory through open air vents and chimneys. This causes large amounts of pollution to our environment, which contaminates the rain to ozone layers uprising global warming. Car exhaust and fossil fuel combustion, as it occurs in motor vehicles, has been identified as the largest contributor to air pollution in the world.

     Air pollution also causes numerous health issues leading to many respiratory problems. The lungs of many lives throughout the world become coated with particular matter from excessive exposure to pollution. For example, many people who are already suffering from asthma or any other respiratory issues would have a harder time breathing when there are small particles of toxin and chemicals in the air. Long term exposure of pollution could lead to serious health issues such as emphysema or even cancer. It can especially be severe when exposed to young children as it has a higher chance upon causing  childhood  asthma and can lead to other serious  respiratory symptoms during adulthood.

Here's a video I found that brought my motivation to change this nation's viewpoint towards a new approach but most couldn't help but watch.

Goldman Sachs' view on renewable energy

Goldman Sachs and his viewpoint on solar technology had brought a big inspiration and created a turning point to the insights of solar energy. Let's take our time and view Goldman Sachs' vision and expansion in renewable energy that may be a profitable investment trend in the market.

Solar Panels built on the White House?

    When you go to Washington D.C., for whatever reason, what comes to your mind visiting as a tourist? The White House; in other words, it would be known for President Obama and his family's living quarters. Haven't you ever wondered where his supply of electricity and heating come from? In the year of 2011, Obama himself had installed solar panels on the rooftops to save electricity that rises up to an estimated amount of $2,300 on average for every month. By the help of solar technology, the President has invested $100,000 towards solar panels; however, over the long run, he would be earning back the amount he invested in the next 5 years in electric bills.

Here is Obama spotted on the rooftops of the White House supervising the installments of his solar panels.

Wipe out your electric bills!

      Some countries have already begun piquing their curiosity and experimenting with solar technology. What about the United States? Are we also far behind when the countries around us are advancing their resources?

     No. It seems California is advancing as well, as we speak. Compared to the East Coast, the West Coast has more tendencies to support such technology. Due to the warm weather conditions, with the support of the communities as well as many government grants and programs, there has been many rooftop solar installations on residential and commercial buildings. They are even free of charge after incentives for businesses and  off grid rebates for homes that are struggling to pay their bills on time.

     The east coast, on the other hand, are not so Eco friendly. Therefore, Our fellow neighbors settled in the east coast took their matters into their own hands by purchasing portable gas powered generators, powering their own appliances through the use of gasoline. But these generators have no value outside power failures, especially when gasoline can never be produced but bought. For example, homes that were affected by hurricane "Sandy" had no way of getting their hands on gasoline when it was limited in supply. Therefore, the government had provided gas stations with limited amounts of gasoline. The government had no choice but to set up a gas rationing plan, "odd-even", restricting cars with odd-numbered license plates on odd days as well as even-numbers license plates on even days. The rationing had been going on for until weeks end.

     

Solar Technology around the World

     It has been reported recently that China has been the most highest demand towards renewable energy investors. Costs of solar technology had been falling drastically over the years and is expected to ease China's power shortage by 2015. Solar supplies are expected to be leveled to the same price as electricity fees that is passed on right now. Soon, there will be the era of Solar Panels around every residential and  commercial rooftops in a large scale in a short period of time as well as the supply of coal and oil dropping slowly but surely in our economic crisis with Obama's viewpoint towards the production of oil and gas.


     South Korea had also been following the crowd towards solar energy and the government had been, without a doubt,  the greenest government in the world. Largest industries and companies such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai are making massive investments towards wind, solar, tidal, and nuclear energy onto vehicles, power supplies and home appliances.

Nepal is also not far behind in introducing solar technology.
Did you know you can conduct energy through human hair?
     In a recent discovery in Nepal, Malin Karki, a Nepalese teen who attends school in Kathmandu, invented  a solar panel that conducts static energy through strands of human hair called melanin. These pigments of hair are connected to each pin designed in a square panel that can produce up to 18 watts of power that costed him as low as $38 as a whole. Inspired by a book written by Stephen Hawking, he may have started an amazing revolutionary idea around the world.

Hi and Welcome to SolarEcon

     Let me introduce myself, the name's Lee and I saw a vision of SolarEcon being the key factor to our everyday life. In our present age, we had been led towards the mobile and tablet world, requiring electricity that we all love and rely on. Why not have a world of infinite renewable energy powering our electronics and appliances?
     Beginning with the use of coals that accompanied the Industrial Revolution, development of solar energy in the 1860's had brought many Americans hope. Though it hadn't lasted long, solar technology had dropped drastically during the 20th century and had been brought back up 20% and has been rising after the 1973 Oil Embargo and the energy crisis.
     Development of solar equipment such as solar panels, solar powered backpacks or even solar powered cars will be the future towards our everyday lifestyle and well being for the health and the beneficial factor to our environment on the earth that we love and live in. Lets bring that lifestyle to the test, shall we?