Unusual uses for solar power
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Curved solar concentration cookers, or so-called ‘Parabolics’, are able to cook food rapidly and at high temperatures. The pot is placed in the ... more
Solar vehicles are running on electricity that is generated by solar panels on the surface. For solar bicycles, the panels are put on a jacket worn ... more
Solar boxes and solar stills are simple devices for water purification. A solar box is an insulated cardboard or wooden frame with a transparent lid, ... more
Electrolysis breaks apart water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms, and the hydrogen can then be used as a fuel. If the electricity needed for ... more
Fisherman Bob Allan from Canada designed a solar heated ice fishing shack, especially as he knew that reflection from the white snow surface boosts ... more
The Solar Impulse with 12.000 solar cells built into its wings is the prototype for a fuel-free airplane, intended to fly around the world in 2012. ... more
Solar power is not only vital to power all kinds of assets, now it also lights up female vital assets. Lingerie designer Triumph International ... more
Solar powered traffic signs, wireless and flexible, can save about 2,800 dollars worth of electricity when running for about ten years. They are ... more
Each winter from November till February the small village of Viganella in the Italian Alps succumbs to forced hibernation in the dark because the ... more
Sundials are by far the oldest use of the sun’s power. The earliest sundials known are the Egyptian obelisks (3500 BC) and the Babylonian ... more
Batteries, cell phones, and MP3 players can now be charged by mobile, solar-powered electricity generators. They are equipped with small solar panels ... more
This giant disk isn’t a UFO but a power generator in space that harvests energy directly from the sun. It is far more effective than conventional ... more
In 1994, architect Rolf Disch became Germany’s first true sun worshipper and built his environmentally friendly personal home, the 'Heliotrope'. The ... more
The solar boat "PlanetSolar" is fixed on a mooring following its launch and christening at the HDW shipyard in Kiel, Germany. The biggest solar boat ... more
These Solarbags contain a small but powerful battery that is charged by a flexible 1.5W solar panel. The battery has a enough power to can charge ... more
The dome of Verona’s Bentegodi Stadium is now the largest photovoltaic sports complex roof in Italy. Over 13,300 photovoltaic solar panels with a ... more
Solar thermal energy is used to heat water or air in buildings. Direct sunlight heats water for swimming pools. Indirect solar thermal energy is more ... more
Solar photovoltaic panels generate electricity by converting solar radiation into energy. They work by converting the sun’s light into electric ... more
Mounted on a car roof, the road shower holds up to 4 gallons of water. The water is heated by solar power. Temperature rises 6 to 8 degrees ... more
Curved solar concentration cookers, or so-called ‘Parabolics’, are able to cook food rapidly and at high temperatures. The pot is placed in the middle of a hemisphere with a silvered surface that reflects the sunlight directly towards the pot. To retain the heat, a transparent heat trap – a clear, heat-resistant plastic bag – is put around the pots.
Parabolics require frequent adjustment to the sun’s position and have to be supervised for safe operations. They are especially useful for large-scale cooking and are often used in China. (Source: Reuters)
Solar vehicles are running on electricity that is generated by solar panels on the surface. For solar bicycles, the panels are put on a jacket worn by the driver. These vehicles are built mainly for demonstration purposes and engineering exercises. The driver monitors the energy consumption and the solar energy capture via gauges or wireless telemetry.
There are two notable solar car races. The World Solar Challenge takes place in Austraila and prompts contestants to cross the continent, over a distance of 3000 kilometers. In 2008, the North American Solar Challenge lead from Texas to Canada. The University of Michigan Solar Car Team won, going an average speed of 40 mph. (Source: Reuters)
Solar boxes and solar stills are simple devices for water purification. A solar box is an insulated cardboard or wooden frame with a transparent lid, painted black to concentrate the solar energy. A water pot is placed inside. The sun warms the water up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Celsius) after a couple of minutes and the water is pasteurized. A solar box is able to pasteurize about one gallon of water in three hours.
Solar stills use an impermeable material to make a shallow pool for water. A pane of glass is mounted above it. The glass concentrates the sun’s rays which heat up the water so it forms vapour that condenses on the glass. (Source: Herre Rost van Tonningen)
Electrolysis breaks apart water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms, and the hydrogen can then be used as a fuel. If the electricity needed for this process is generated from fossil fuels, greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is emitted. If it is produced by solar power cells, however, no pollutants will be released.
A General Motors Equinox Fuel-Cell vehicle is refueled with hydrogen in California. The hydrogen fuel is put in storage tanks on the car. The car fuel cell power system is able to convert the hydrogen into electricity which then powers the car. (Source: Reuters)
Fisherman Bob Allan from Canada designed a solar heated ice fishing shack, especially as he knew that reflection from the white snow surface boosts the sun’s power. He insulated and sealed an existing shack with foil, and constructed his own heat collector from plastic sheets and a bug screen.
Four holes in the walls allow cold air to flow between the collector and the wall. The air is heated by the sun and enters the shack through a flapper valve. Evenat outside temperatures of 31 degrees Fahrenheit Allan enjoys temperatures inside of between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (Source: Bob Allan)
The Solar Impulse with 12.000 solar cells built into its wings is the prototype for a fuel-free airplane, intended to fly around the world in 2012. In April 2010, the plane soared above western Switzerland for 87 minutes at an altitude of 3,937 feet.
The carbon fiber aircraft was built in six years, has the wingspan of an Airbus 340 (63, 4 meters) and weighs 3,527 pounds. It is powered by four electric motors and designed to fly day and night by using the energy collected in its solar cells and stored in high-performance batteries. It should reach a flying speed of 44 miles per hour and fly at the maximum altitude of 27, 900 feet. (Source: Reuters)
Solar power is not only vital to power all kinds of assets, now it also lights up female vital assets. Lingerie designer Triumph International presented the first solar panel bra in Japan in 2008. The solar panel on the chest generates enough electricity to power a small display board for messages and promises.
Taking eco friendliness to crazy heights, bottles and glasses become unnecessary as the bra’s padding can store water, or any other drink of your choice. Just sip on the he attached straw. (Source: Reuters)
Solar powered traffic signs, wireless and flexible, can save about 2,800 dollars worth of electricity when running for about ten years. They are equipped with environmentally friendly LED lighting which doesn’t need to be changed for a long period of time. And if there’s a power outage, those signs and lights will continue working. (Source: Reuters)
Each winter from November till February the small village of Viganella in the Italian Alps succumbs to forced hibernation in the dark because the sunlight does not reach the bottom of the valley. To bring light to the village, a computer-controlled eight-by-five meter sheet of reflecting metal was installed on the peak of the 1,100 meter high Mount Scagiola. The giant mirror follows the sun’s path and sends its’ rays down to a 250 square meter area in the middle of the village to guarantee at least six hours of natural sunlight every day. (Source: Reuters)
Sundials are by far the oldest use of the sun’s power. The earliest sundials known are the Egyptian obelisks (3500 BC) and the Babylonian astronomical shadow clocks (1300 BC).
Sundials either use a line of light as a time indicator or the edge of a shadow. The former forms the line by allowing the sun’s rays to enter through a small hole or to reflect from a mirror. The latter employs a shadow casting pole or post with a sharp tip or edge – the gnomon – to form the shadow. The sundial’s surface is a plane or a partial sphere. Precise calculations of the horizontal and vertical axis, and the pointing to true North determine the accuracy of the device. (Source: Reuters)
Batteries, cell phones, and MP3 players can now be charged by mobile, solar-powered electricity generators. They are equipped with small solar panels on a grid. The device to be charged simply needs to be plugged in. The chargers are rather cheap and come in handy wherever access to regular charging is impossible. The bigger the chargers are, the more power they generate – with the right-sized solar panel, even laptops and other computing devices can run on renewable energy. (Source: Reuters)
This giant disk isn’t a UFO but a power generator in space that harvests energy directly from the sun. It is far more effective than conventional solar power because it captures all the radiation that is diverted or diffused by the ozone layer and the planet’s rotation long before it hits earth.
NASA is currently researching this idea of direct collection, combining existing photovoltaic and satellite technology. The concentrated beam of raw power that will be generated would easily qualify as a James-Bond-like weapon of mass destruction but NASA says they will use communication satellite technology to guarantee a maximum output and safe transmission. (Source: NASA)
In 1994, architect Rolf Disch became Germany’s first true sun worshipper and built his environmentally friendly personal home, the 'Heliotrope'. The house sits on a pole and rotates according to the sun, guaranteeing the highest possible energy collection and the greatest possible cooling on. A giant photovoltaic panel sits on the roof, adding to the solar energy generation.
During winter, the half of the house with triple-glazed windows is exposed to the sun. During summer, it is the highly insulated reverse side of the house that faces the sun. The solar panel on the roof has a capacity of 6.6 kilowatts which powers the heat pump that provides heat and hot water. (Source: WikiCommons/Jörgens)
The solar boat "PlanetSolar" is fixed on a mooring following its launch and christening at the HDW shipyard in Kiel, Germany. The biggest solar boat ever built is going to navigate around the world at an average speed of 7.5 knots (7 to 8 mph) by the use of solar energy exclusively. The boat is covered by 500 square meters of solar panels which connect to the two electric motors in the hull. (Source: Reuters)
These Solarbags contain a small but powerful battery that is charged by a flexible 1.5W solar panel. The battery has a enough power to can charge most MP3 players, cell phones, and other electronic gadgets. Once the battery is empty, some 4-5 hours of direct sunlight suffice to recharge it. (Source: Neuber GmbH & Co. KG, www.energy-sunbags.de)
The dome of Verona’s Bentegodi Stadium is now the largest photovoltaic sports complex roof in Italy. Over 13,300 photovoltaic solar panels with a capacity of 1MW per year help reducing annual C02 emissions by more than 550 tons (Source: juwi)
Solar thermal energy is used to heat water or air in buildings. Direct sunlight heats water for swimming pools. Indirect solar thermal energy is more advanced. A liquid other than water, usually glycol, is heated by a solar collector and the heat is transferred to the water tank, through a heat exchanger.
In solar thermal air heating, air passes through an area that is heated by the sun, something as simple as a black wall with a vent behind it. A fan is used to circulate the hot air. (Source: Reuters)
Solar photovoltaic panels generate electricity by converting solar radiation into energy. They work by converting the sun’s light into electric currents. Meanwhile, concentrated solar power uses mirrors to concentrate the sun’s rays to heat up water or other liquids to produce steam that drives a turbine to produce electricity.
Photovoltaic panels are mostly made of silicon cells but researchers are also developing cells based on nano-sized copper, indium or di-selenide. They hope these materials will enable large-scale, low-cost production of solar cells that could also serve a number of new applications such as outdoor equipment. (Source: Reuters)
Mounted on a car roof, the road shower holds up to 4 gallons of water. The water is heated by solar power. Temperature rises 6 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit per hour on a warm sunny day. An air hand pump even allows to pressurize the shower. (Source: Road Shower LLC)













Comments (2)
Make you own solar cooking easy: www.heliostaat.nl
how to use human waste to renuevable energy?