Tag: SOLAR

According to Fox News, Japan will launch a spacecraft called Ikaros (or, Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun) on May 18th on a mission to Venus. The Ikaros propulsion system uses a 46-foot sail to harness the pressure created by solar particles bouncing off the material, similar to the principle of using sails to catch wind. In fact, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ...

The Web is teeming with the unrealized ideas of both students and established designers who set out to produce astonishing renderings and prototypes for unusual products. Unfortunately, due to the lack of time, money or technology, many of those products never progress from the planning stages to the mass market. But that doesn't mean we can't salivate over them, nevertheless. It almost feels ...

Plenty of people talk about 'green' technology these days, but we rarely consider where it all started. No, it wasn't with Al Gore. According to the Daily Mail, the world's first solar panel was recently discovered and put on display last week at a British antiques show. Most surprising of all, the device still works almost 60 years after it was created. A British science teacher built the ...

We've seen everything from solar-powered speedboats to passenger ferries cruising the waters, but never have we seen a solar-fueled vessel in the same ballpark of the mass of the PlanetSolar. The Huffington Post reports that the world's largest solar-powered yacht, measuring 102 feet long and 50 feet wide, was unveiled yesterday in Kiel, Germany. Covered with 5,382 square feet of solar panels, ...

Up to this point, the design of solar panels has been primarily a 2-D affair. But now, some scientists say that "folding" these flat panels into a 3-D design, like origami, could provide more efficient solar power. According to LiveScience, 3-D panels could absorb more light and create more energy because the light that's usually reflected off a flat panel would be caught and absorbed by ...

We're big fans of innovative electronic instruments, especially ones that look past the idea of human interaction and incorporate random input. Design outfit Fascination Workshop just unveiled its new prototype of the Winduino II, an electronic instrument that creates sound from wind. The company describes its creation as "a wireless, digital version of an Aeolian harp." The Winduino II is ...

We've discussed eye implants that could eventually restore partial vision to people suffering from hereditary diseases like retinitis pigmentation, but for many others, a practical, medical solution for their near-to-total blindness remains painfully elusive. Stanford University researchers may be well on their way to solving that problem. One of the biggest obstacles that they've had to ...

Want greener energy without having to install large, gaudy solar panels on your house? Join the club. But what was once wishful thinking might soon be reality. According to ABC Science, scientists have created a way to harness sunlight and convert it into electricity by connecting a photovoltaic cell to fiber-optic wiring that's barely wider than a human hair. (Note that it doesn't actually use ...

HYmini Green Charger (Earth Lover, Under $100) Eco-conscious people, however dedicated to their ideals, enjoy the same fruits of modern technology -- smartphones, MP3 players, and digital cameras -- as the rest of us. One company has created a sustainable way to charge those gadgets using multiple renewable energy sources including wind, the sun, and even a handcrank. The HYMini Green ...

Many people would love to build an entirely "green" house. But "going green" isn't always cheap or practical. That's why we're so excited about Dow Chemical's new solar-powered shingles, which are meant to be used on asphalt-tiled roofs. According to The New York Times, the Powerhouse thin-film shingle can be installed by most roofers, and they're durable, too. You can even drop one from a roof, ...

In an effort to cut carbon-dioxide emissions, China is taking the fight against global warming to the water. Come November, solar-powered boats that look like a cross between a shark and something from 'Star Wars' will ferry folks across Hong Kong's harbor. According to Bloomberg, the four solar-powered ferries will use about three-quarters solar power and one-quarter liquid petroleum gas (half ...

Christians tend to gaze skyward for guidance, so it's no surprise that their leaders have chosen the sun as their power source of the future. According to Fox News, the Vatican is planning to spend $660 million on a new 740-acre solar plant near the village of Santa Maria de Galeria. The plant, which would be largest of its kind in all of Europe, is expected to be ready by 2014. The Guardian ...

We've seen solar-powered cell phones and waterproof cell phones, but you'd have to combine both in order to truly take advantage of the fast-approaching summer beach season. Thankfully, a new waterproof, solar-powered cell phone from Sharp will save you from disaster after your other half launches it into the ocean when he or she catches you checking out other sexy folks on the beach. Of ...

After JAXA's announcement of space-based solar power for Japan, we've been keeping our eyes peeled for some news of similar projects Stateside. Lo and behold, California's largest energy utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, has agreed to do just that, inking a deal with solar power startup Solaren Corp. The agreement calls for the utility to purchase 200 megawatts of electricity once the ...

A group of engineers, scientists and sailors have banded together to form a team they call Solar Planet. The group is now building a 98-foot-long solar-powered boat for the express purpose of sailing all the way around the world using nothing but the delicious power of the sun. The $13 million dollar vessel -- which is currently in construction in Kiel, Germany -- will have 5,059 square feet of ...