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Created at the Knierim Yacht Club in northern Germany, PlanetSolar is the world’s largest solar-powered boat, measuring 31 meters x 15 meters x 7.5 meters. The yacht is covered with up to 500 sqm of solar panels, which are expected to capture 103.4 kW of solar energy to power the engine that merely needs 20KW. Designed with an average speed of about 9mph, the boat could reach a top speed of 17 miles per hour. About 18 million euro has been invested into the project. According to Knierim Yacht Club, the yacht has been ready for testing later this month and the sea trials (due between June and September). If everything goes smoothly, PlanetSolar will start its first world tour in early 2011. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Solar-powered lamps are not that new to us, but the Saint Clair Lamp presented here still surprises us on account of its unique way to get charged. Just as you can see, the lamp needs to be affixed onto the window with the suction pads to obtain energy, since the photovoltaic cells are built at its base. When the dark night comes, the lamp can then be used as a hanging lamp to illuminate your room. Designed by Stéphane Maupin, the innovative lamp has won one of the five VIA project assistance grants this year. [Read the rest of this entry...]

After a lengthy nine months of development, IBM has recently announced its new thin-film solar cell, which is made from cheaper materials while features an efficiency of 9.6% (40% higher than previous prototypes). The new thin film technology uses copper, tin, zinc, sulfur and selenium to take the place of traditional copper indium gallium selenide or cadmium telluride. Besides, the researchers also adopt a new kind of solvent- hydrazine, which is less costly and decomposes more easily. Instead of manufacturing the cells, IBM claims that they’d prefer to license out the new technology when the time comes. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Designed by Elium Studio for Lexon, these innovative gadgets are all made from sustainable materials like the corn bio-plastic and bamboo trim. The new range includes a crank-up radio, a calculator, a pocket flashlight, and several clocks. These gadgets are all powered by renewable solar energy. [Read the rest of this entry...]

This very sleek watch allows you to see the time in quite a convenient way. Firstly, the Button Watch (it looks just like a button and the watch takes the very name from that only) could be easily clipped to your jacket, you bag or even your hair to tell you the time. Much smaller and lighter than ordinary wrist watches, the innovative Button Watch adopts solar battery panels as its power supply in order to make full use of the natural energy and therefore to save you much money paid for electricity bills. Also using touch screens to display the time, the watch will show the time and date on the glass face whenever you click its surface. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Shown at CES 2010 in Las Vegas, the portable solar charger allows you to charge your electronics anywhere. It is a foldable charger, measuring 83cm ×140cm×35cm when unfolded but measures as small as a wallet if you fold it up. So next time your laptops, cell phones, GPS, or mp3 players are out of power, you can easily charge them with the portable solar charger in a park or even on the road. [Read the rest of this entry...]

What have you done to accomplish your dreams of slam-dunking? You kept playing basketball day and night? Then you must need the Glow-in-the-dark Basketball Net, something especially designed for an overnight use. Powered by the sunlight it absorbs and stores during the daytime, the net could illuminate for about 8 hours.

Selling Price: $32.98

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What have you done to accomplish your dreams of slam-dunking? You kept playing basketball day and night? Then you must need the Glow-in-the-dark Basketball Net, something especially designed for an overnight use. Powered by the sunlight it absorbs and stores during the daytime, the net could illuminate for about 8 hours. [Read the rest of this entry...]

As is indicated by its name “Road Printer”, the device has been designed to print needed signs directly onto the ground surface, therefore saving men much trouble in painting signs on the road. Just choose needed signs like U Turn, Stop, etc, the huge printer will then leave standard signs on the road surface.

Oh, wait, there is more! It’s also an eco-friendly product, which is powered by the solar panel on its top. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Are you looking for something different and personalized? Having a look at the ‘Solar Powered Sticker Phone’ presented here on I New Idea? Wow, you’re now different, huh? For phone users who are seeking for an eco-friendly product, the arch-shaped phone may be a perfect choice. No longer needing electric outlets, just stick the phone onto the window glass and then it will get charged in the sunshine. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could keep our heads and hands warm relying on the nature energy rather than electric power? After all, the nature is the original of everything, certainly including us human beings. Yiran Qian’s ‘Endless Warm’ concept is easy to understand. The new hats and gloves will be powered by solar energy to keep us warm and comfortable, therefore to save the limited electricity and mineral energy. Does that really work? We won’t get a sure answer before the products really come to us. [Read the rest of this entry...]

The panther is one of the most famous endangered animals in the world and has been long protected in Florida. However, from 1978 to 1994, about 20 panthers met their ends in car accidents; and in 2001, merely in 3 months, 7 panthers were killed by cars when they were running cross the road. Yeah there’s a crying need for more roads, but at the same time the wildlife needs to be preserved. And the Solar Powered panels are therefore designed to protect animals from road-kills. Built with infrared sensors, these panels will detect an animal or a car within the vicinity and then reduce possible dangers either by beaming out subtle blinking LED lights to inform the drivers or illuminating the sideways to warn the animals.

[Read the rest of this entry...]

Do you know what the most important thing is to life? Just as an old proverb goes, “Bread is the staff of life”, food really means a lot to us, especially warm meals under arduous conditions. Trotter Cooker is a portable, solar-powered device that warms your food anywhere. Measuring 3cm in thickness, Trotter Cooker is light enough (weighing less than 1 Kg) so that you can take it anywhere you like, preparing meat, soup, bread, rice and coffee in an effective and quick way. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Do you think a sunshade for your car is enough, say, just protecting your car from the hot sun while without doing anything else? Well, if that’s the case, you must have a look at the concept ‘Shelf’ by Leon Zhu. It is a shade that collects solar energy, which is used to provide energy for the car’s electronic systems and air conditioning system. Of course, the sunshade could be easily folded and stored in your trunk when not in use. [Read the rest of this entry...]

The Solar Roadway is new replacement to current petroleum-based asphalt roads. It is constructed with a series of solar panels, each individual one comprising three parts (a road surface layer, an electronics layer and a base plate layer). Solar energy collected by these solar road panels, Scott Brusaw claimed, would meet a whole country’s basic electricity needs. And the first roadway (30cm thick, generating 7.6kwh of electricity per day) has been developed successfully, though at a high cost of up to 6900 dollars.

More information after the break.

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Solar powered, window AC, obviously these characteristics are not deemed as strong points in the new product “Briz Window Air Conditioner”. Different from others, Briz uses water as a coolant, so that your room will naturally cool down as the water evaporates. And that’s just why Briz is called as a “natural AC”. [Read the rest of this entry...]