GoSun Stove: Portable, High-Efficiency Solar Cooker

 

      Solar energy expert and Cincinnati, Ohio native Patrick Sherwin, realized an innovation that he created one day while removing some solar collectors from a client's roof. In the 10 years since Sherwin removed those solar collectors from a client's roof, he's been working on perfecting the art of solar cooking. On September 5th, he had launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to mass-produce his GoSun Stove, a compact $279 solar cooker that he hopes could not just change the way the Western civilization uses and looks at sources of renewable energy, but also impact the entire world.

        The Kickstarter campaign, which had raised more than 1/4 of its $40,000 goal within the first 10 hours of its launch, is being used as a means for Sherwin and his team to raise funds for marketing, equipment and manufacturing and other programs to bring the invention to developing countries in need of less dangerous and time consuming ways to cook food.

SunnyBot uses the Sun to Light and Heat Homes

       Developed by Italian startup Solenica, SunnyBot is approximately the size of a large desk lamp and equipped with an on-board mirror that continuously adjusts to reflect the sun's rays on a chosen area. The idea is to exploit sunlight and recycle it as a light source for other gloomy rooms or to reflect the sun's heat to warm the room, heat a swimming pool or nurture indoor plants.
       SunnyBot is actually integrated with a dual-axis microcomputer that's powered by a row of solar cells and comes with an optional feedback system. The device redirects 7,000 lumens (equivalent to a single 500-watt halogen lamp) with a range of nearly over 656 feet.

Solar Headphones?!

         Solar panels thrive upon sunlight to function properly so why not start by using it on your head? This idea has been introduced by a United Kingdom-based Kickstarter campaign, aiming to provide communities with solar-powered headphones.

          The headphones, known as the "Onbeat Solar Headphones," have a flexible strip of solar panels embedded where it will be exposed to ample amounts of sun's rays, assuming you will be wearing it outdoors. The solar panel, then, will be used to charge a pair of lithium-ion batteries located inside the ear cups, where there will also be a USB port on one of the ear cups for outputting electronically charges for electronic devices. 

          Exactly how much of a charge you'll be getting from such a small solar panel is still stated unclear, especially considering that the entire solar panel is not going to be exposed to the sun all at once (due to the curving shape around the head). However, OnBeat's creators have proclaimed that the solar cell has a surface area of 55cm³ with a charge capacity of approximately 0.55 watts. 

For more details, please visit here.

Solar powered three wheeler called the "Elf"

Rob cotter founder and CEO of Organic Transit in Durham, North Carolina, developed something extraordinary that couldn't be characterized as a bike but is indeed operated as one. It's called the "Elf", this three wheeler is equipped with a solar powered motor that can be switched on anytime when the operator is exhausted from pedalling. Elf is categorized as a bicycle and doesn't require an insurance and registration to ride in the United States. The solar panel is found across the roof from the front to the end of the bike and only needs 7 hours of charging in the sun or could also be plugged into an outlet for less time consumption. The Elf can be well acknowledge to commuter who has to go to work in the morning using the powered motor and pedal back home from work for a good workout. The Elf should weigh about 100 pounds including the solar panel, motor, and battery; it also has a top speed of 20 mph considering the weight of the production model. The Organic Transit had raised enough funds to produce 100 models up for purchase from the Kickstarter Campaign.

The Solar Pocket Factory

        In 2012, solar power has been given an outlook of being expensive and there has been conflicting problems in the portable solar panels, which after a couple of years, lose charging capabilities. That's where Shawn Frayne and Alex Hornstein has thought of plans how to give portable solar charging stations the longevity and price to make them commercially available worldwide and founded "Solar Pocket Factory."
        This project is a kickstarter project, which they attempt to make a perfect development of the pocket factory (and then they claim it to help make a new panel every 15 seconds to ensure the longevity of receiving solar power). For more information, visit here!