KudoCase Solar Powered iPad Case

One of my favorite applications of solar energy is via the small gadgets you can buy to keep your electronics charged.

Portable solar power is increasingly being used as technology advances result in smaller, and more powerful computers that often drain batteries quickly.

With this solar powered iPad case from Kudo, you can use energy from sunlight outdoors, or even artificial light indoors, to charge the 10,000 mAh battery.  Its storage capabilities allow you to also plug in a smartphone, digital camera or mP3 music player.

The Kudocase is embedded with solar panels, yet remains a mere 4mm in thickness.  According to the official website:

The KudoCase for iPad, iPad 2, and the New iPad 3rd Generation are pulling the plug on wasted power by using new solar ink technology to convert outdoor and indoor light into usable energy to continually charge the Apple iPad.  Whenever light is shimmering around you this solar powered iPad case is charging your battery

According to the manufacturer, this solar charger can generate up to ten days of energy with average use:

The average user uses their iPad about two hours a day and accumulates either 14 hours of indoor light (windows, lamps…), one hour of sunlight (dashboard, windowsill…), or a combination of both per day.  The Kudo iPad solar case brings in a constant trickle of energy throughout the day.  Sunlight is much stronger than indoor light but we know our electronics are typically indoors, the Kudo is capable of drawing energy from the home or office as it continues to work even in low light environments.  More light and less use means longer iPad time, conversely less light and more use means less iPad time before charging the old-school way.  A lifeguard that only uses their iPad  solar case a little may go weeks or months without needing a charge but an internet junkie living in a basement may only go a few days.

The solar powered iPad case has a hard-shell and rubber-coated body, and doubles as a stand for your device.  The KudoCase has a built-in HDMI port, allowing you to stream content from the tablet on external projectors and TVs without taking it out of the case.

The case will come in black, gray, blue, pink and green. The KudoCase will retail for $190.  You can now pre-order the solar powered iPad Case from Kudo, starting on May 11, 2012.

YouShine Portable Solar Power

Over the last few years, there are more and more portable solar power options. You can recharge the batteries of your cell phone, GPS, mP3 player, computer, camera and more with energy from the sun.  This means that you don’t need to find an outlet when you are camping, hiking, fishing or otherwise just enjoying the outdoors.

One of the latest offerings comes from a group of young Catalan entrepreneurs based in the Silicon Valley that developed YouShine, a 100% eco-friendly bag integrated with solar panels.  This means that you can literally sling the bag over your shoulder, plug in your electronic devices and let regular sunlight (even filtered UV light) to recharge your batteries.

The company states that you can recharge a mobile phone in only 2 hours with UV light exposure.  And, you can get these cool YouShine bags in 17 colors!

Don’t worry about an overcast day, or even if you are stuck inside a building (provided you have window exposure).  YouShine can be taken anywhere and operates on simple ultra violet light – no matter how much it is filtered.

Solar Bikini keeps your devices powered at the beach

File this one under the “you gotta see it to believe it” category.  Andrew Schneider has created a solar swimsuit out of photovoltaic fabric that is intended to keep your electronics running while you lounge at the beach or sunbathe by the pool.

I know its hard to believe, but the solar bikini pictured here is covered with flexible solar cells (encased in plastic) and includes USB connections to power up your iPod or cell phone.  The solar panels convert sunlight into clean, portable solar power.

As Paris Hilton might say, “That’s Hot.”

Schnieder’s solar swimsuit, called the “iKini,” is selling for $200 and can be ordered now!  However, he admits that it is currently “more of a conceptual thing.”  The idea for the photovoltaic fabric-covered suits  was born in a NYU graduate school sustainability course.

The solar bikini is covered with small solar panels, and there is a thin strap along the back that allows the energy generated from the top piece to flow down to the bottom part of the suit.

No word on whether the solar swimsuit is comfortable or water-resistant.  And for those that are concerned about efficiency of solar panels, I’d have to guess that one would have to be careful not to get sunscreen on the suit, as well.

Schneider says that he is also developing photovoltaic fabric swimming trunks that generate power to keep beer cold. A Peltier junction mechanism to will be employed to produce thermoelectric cooling and may also have a USB port, too.

Solar Powered Handbag is so stylish!

Created by Diffus, the new solar handbag has…. can I say it… adorable photovoltaic (PV) cells adorning its exterior.

According to the Diffus blog, the company worked with Swiss embroidery company Forster Rohner and the Alexandra Institute to create a bag that uses solar panels as a key design element.  One hundred small solar panels on the outside of the purse absorb UV light and convert it to usable power to recharge your cell phone or mP3 player right inside the handbag.  When you open up the top, integrated fiber optics light up to help you locate items with ease.

The Diffus solar powered handbag is so stylish and practical, you may not ever carry another!  It is sized to carry daily planners, keys, cell phones and other items you need while on the go.

The Diffus blog describes this amazing handbag:

“The shape of the bag resembles the story between the relationship between the sun and moon – between light source and enlightened. Therefore the shape mimics an eclipse where the moon – the enlightened – interfere or interact with the sun – the light source. The surface is embroidered with an integrated combination of normal embroidery and conductive embroidery that is able to convey the energy harvested for the solar sequins to the rechargeable battery.”

The Diffus solar powered handbag

The designers of the Solar Handbag showcases use of efficient, textile-based solar cells.  When the bag is exposed to UV light, it can generate 2 watts of solar power, which can easily charge one of your mobile devices, even on cloudy days.

For further Information contact: Diffus Design, info@diffus.dk , +45 6126 7062 / +45 60831920

Solar panel products: rooftops are just the beginning!

Seems that everywhere you look these days, you can find solar panel products.  You might be familiar with rooftop solar panels on homes or businesses.  Photovoltaic panels absorb solar energy from UV light, which is then converted from direct current to alternating current for everyday use.

With falling solar panel prices and generous government rebates and other programs, more and more people are finding it affordable to go solar.

Even if you aren’t prepared to switch over to 100% solar electricity, you can still make great use of the sun with other solar panel products.  Thin film solar panels are embedded in fabrics to create solar backpacks and handbags, which can conveniently recharge electronic devices.  Cell phones, mP3 players, computers, cameras and more can all be powered by sunlight!

Portable solar power is also used for recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, at construction sites, during military operations, and for just about any other outdoor activity (hiking, bicycling, camping, fishing, hunting, etc.).  A variety of products are available, including roll-out solar blankets, fold-out solar panels, and solar trickle battery chargers.

Lovely solar garden lights

Close to home, people enjoy solar garden lights for an easy, convenient way to illuminate a pathway or add safety features.  Lights automatically come on a nightfall and glow through the evening, turning off in the morning.  Because no wiring or electrical systems are needed, its a simple DIY project that gives immediate results.

Finally, even the government is getting in on the “green” factor of solar panel products.  Single-purpose solar panels can help saving money and the environment.  Cities and agencies are opting for solar powered street lights, school zone blinking lights, traffic detour signs, electric gates and more.  In fact, the reliability of solar as opposed to grid-based electricity makes it an obvious choice for safety features.

Have you noticed solar panel products in your daily routine?

Maybe its time for you to consider the power of the sun!

USB + AA ChargerUltra compact, ultra lightweight and yet very durable, the PowerFlim USB + AA Solar Charger is ideal for everyday use. The USB + AA Solar Charger charges most small USB devices.Proprietary charging circuitry maximizes charge into the batteries. It provides full charge in four hours of full sun, and with a charging light on the side of the enclosure, indicates charging status.Six grommets are built into the charger to allow for secure fastening to a pack or to the (more…)

One heck of a solar array on an RV!

My sister and her family are heading out this month on a cross-country RV trip.  The rig is loaded with games and movies for the kids, cameras, computers, cell phones and all the necessities of 21st century life.

But how will they keep everything running if they cannot find an RV lot each night at which to recharge the batteries?  With solar panels for RVs, re-charging can be done on the road and/or at any place they choose to park overnight… plug or no plug!

Cleaner and more quiet than a fuel-powered generator, portable solar panels easily power your batteries directly, or can be used to provide energy for a solar generator.  Many of the RV solar panels on the market are foldable and/or light.  Depending on your electrical requirements, you can fully power your parked RV on 100-400 watts.  That will generally require 2-6 solar panels, sized 4′ x 2′ (typically generating 75 to 100 watts).  Or you could purchase an all-in-one solar panel kit for $200 or less.

Here are some PV panel kits to consider for your RV – to either fully power your needs, or to provide back-up battery recharging:

Brunton SolarFlat Solar Panel

Sunforce 60 Watt Solar Panel

Sunforce 80 Watt Solar Panel

5 Watt/12 Volt Portable Solar Panel

Sunlinq Portable Solar Panel 6.5 Watt (Foldable)

Xantrex Technologies AC/DC PowerPack Solar

Solar panels are a convenient way to provide power on camping trips

Before your next RV trip, consider solar panels for your back-up energy needs!

Amazon.com

The Sunforce 50022 5-Watt Solar Battery Trickle Charger gives you another reason to love the sun–it can help keep your vehicle’s battery charged. It provides up to 5-Watts or 350mA of power to prevent the natural voltage drain of batteries over time. It includes both a lighter socket adapter and alligator clips to give you flexible connection options. The Sunforce 5-Watt Solar Trickle Charger is compact and easy to install. Convenient Power That Helps Keep Your B (more…)

Portable solar power to minimize CO2 impact of filmmaking (image from charlietphoto.com on Flickr)

When you go enjoy a film, I’ll be the energy it takes to create a motion picture probably doesn’t enter your mind.  Yet, the amount of electricity to keep everything running during movie production is enormous.

From lighting to sound equipment, trailers and more… solar-powered movies is a concept that makes sense… even if the attitudes of some of the actors does not!

Warner Bros. recently announced that it is replacing some of the diesel generators it uses during movie production with a large portable solar power system in order to reduce the environmental impact of filmmaking.  The system has been specially designed for movie sets by Pure Power Distribution and is called the Mobile Solar Power System.

Each solar powered system generates an impressive 72,000 watts of solar electricity with 36 solar panels mounted on a hydraulic platform.  The system itself can be moved to take advantage of full sun, and the panels themselves track the sun as it moves across the sky.  Its powerful enough to operate an entire movie base camp each day, replacing a 1,400 to 1,800 Amp diesel generator

For every day that the solar panel system is in use, it offsets 1 ton of CO2 emissions.  Not to mention no diesel fumes or noisy generator operation!

Mobile Solar Power Generator

Lest you think solar-powered movies are science fiction, the S48 has already generated clean solar power for Leonardo DiCaprio’s film, Inception, and will be used in the shooting of a new Steve Carell film in the near future.

According to its website:

“Pure Power Distribution is proud of our partnership with the Environmental Media Association (”EMA”) to help entertainment companies green their productions using clean, mobile solar power. Pure Power serves on the Corporate Board of the EMA.”

And that sounds like a happy ending to me!