Those who are so eco-conscious that they turn to environmentally-friendly alternatives for every kind of consumable energy can now have an option for short-distance travel. Check out the Solar Powered Trike, the ride that can let you be as green as you can be. More details in the full article.

When it comes to predicting how Earth would look like hundreds of years from now, there are two schools of thought dominating the field of science. First are the conservatives who believe global warming, exhaustion of fuel cells, and destruction of the environment will ultimately lead to our extinction. The second group is the liberals, who think that Homo Sapiens are far too advanced to let these things end their existence - they maintain that we'll be able to come up with scientific methods to clear pollution, produce alternatives for energy, or if all else fails, create a colony of our own outer space.

We're neither fans of human extinction nor are we narcissistic fools, but this latest technological wonder from Netherlands can further fan the flames of that debate.

The folks over at the Delft University of Technology has come up with a solar-powered mouse (not live ones silly, we're talking about computer peripherals here). According to the press release they issued, Sole Mio was designed to be used by anyone with access to sunlight, or even artificial light. The technology behind this product enables it to charge power from sources of light, making it available for the owner's usage. Here's a text from the press release:

With solar energy, under ideal circumstances charging can occur a factor of five times quicker than in the current situation. Over time it is estimated that several hundred million batteries could be saved annually on a global scale. The net environmental benefit is still restricted by the high energy content of current PV cells. However the introduction of new types of cheap and energy-extensive PV cells, on which TU Delft and partners are working, would eventually yield an even higher environmental gain.

So they're looking into making this more environment friendly in the long run. Is this then the first step towards what the liberal wing in science believes as the next stage of man's evolution? Can humans actually create ways to destroy the planet and save itself at the same time?

Wake me up from cryostasis when a solar-powered race is in charge of the planet.

 

It's always been a hassle to try to use an electric shaver when a plug is hard to get by. Batteries need replacing every so often and manual razors can nick you at any given time. Subeco has an idea to do away with all these problems.

With the Subeco Solar Powered shaver, you'll get a clean shave each and every time while protecting the environment. Say goodbye to that rugged, bearded look and say hello to a boy band-handsome new self. We haven't gotten our mitts on one just yet, but we hope we wouldn't have to shave in the open or put a sun roof in our bathrooms for this one.

Seriously, this one uses mini solar panels which convert solar energy into electricity which can be stored in a solar cell. The shaver functions like any regular one but those living in not-so-sunny regions may have to consult the manufacturer. Being manly and nature friendly has never been so high-tech.

  

It sounds strange, but we can actually stay cooler as the sun gets hotter. How? Coolerado Coolers has come up with the best solution yet to cleaner, greener air conditioners with its solar-powered AC units.

It's not a completely new idea, really. Coolerado Coolers just re-thought how the whole thing should work. In essence, the old school of thought was to make a power-hogging AC unit run using photovoltaic cells, or batteries that were charged using solar power. It turned out that this system wasn't too feasible as current technology can only use so much of what the sun gives. The solution posted by Cooler ado Coolers is to create a new system which used solar energy but demanded less from solar cells.

The core of this unit is an evaporative cooling system that uses the same design as that employed by desert coolers. However, performance is compromised when the surrounding air is humid, or high in water vapor. That means the solar air conditioner here isn't applicable to every area in the country. Fortunately, they work well in arid southwestern states where they can do a lot of help saving up on power and lowering emissions.

Wanna go green and be environmentally-friendly? Digital World Tokyo has posted about the Solar-fine 1350 from Japanese company Links International, a gadget that could be just the piece of technology that you're looking for.

Judging from the images and what we can understand from the Solar-fine 1350's product page, this device turns solar energy into electricity in order to charge up the batteries of various handheld gadgets. It has a capacity of 1350mAh and a voltage of 3.7V and can be connected to a variety of handheld gaming devices, mobile phones, and portable media players.

Now, solar-powered devices are cool and all, but the problem always lies in getting enough sun at the right time. As some user have noted, the PSP screen doesn't handle exposure to direct sunlight too well, so if you wanna hook this up to your PSP you might have to find a nearby window so you can charge it up without being out under the sun yourself.

The Solar-fine 1350 takes a bit of a while -- around ten hours -- to charge. If you simply can't wait that long or if there's no sun, there's also a handy option to charge it via AC or USB. It carries a price tag of 7,980 Yen (US$ 66) and comes bundled with a variety of connectors for the devices that it supports.

Two ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: cut down on its production, the direct approach, or see if you can salvage the byproduct... could this be considered the indirect approach?

University of California-San Diego scientists have unveiled a device which they hope will be able to make a dent on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere - and get something economically useful out of it. It's a catalytic converter that strips CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO), and oxygen (O). And, making Mother Earth smile even more, it's designed to use sunlight to power the catalysts.

Now the device is not yet optimal, so it requires a little extra juice from an external power source to complete the reaction. Still, it is a promising start. Now, carbon monoxide ain't exactly a breath of fresh air, but when captured, it does have some useful chemical and industrial uses. It can also be converted into liquid fuel (And so as long as it doesn't get into the atmosphere, well, we should be safe).

Currently the scientists are experimenting with gallium-phosphide materials for the solar-energy half of their catalytic converter. Because it can convert more solar energy into electrical energy, they believe that it should supply enough juice to complete the splitting reaction. Hey, it's a start, and it's way better than bellyaching.

Google Inc., in its quarters at Mountain View, California, announced its partnership with El Solutions - an energy innovations company - to install 1.6 megawatts of solar photovoltaic panels to create solar energy. According to Google, the electricity generated from the solar energy can power about 1,000 average California homes.

Solar cells provides long-lasting source of electricity that is very environment-friendly. Unlike fuels, the photovoltaic cells don't emit pollution and is very low in terms of maintenance. Also, photovoltaic cells can be an advantage in the long run since energy from the sun is virtually free and unlimited. And California is surely one of the best places to install solar energy technologies with its sunny climate.

Photovoltaic, also known as solar cells, is just one of the means to acquire solar energy. They are commonly seen in low-power devices such as calculators. Aside from benefits like producing clean and renewable renewable energy, it also allow its users to save electricity and money. Google also added, "We believe this project demonstrates that a large investment in renewable energy can be profitable."

So you're into solar power. You advocate harnessing the sun's energy because it's pollution-free and economical. You tell people about the perks of using solar energy instead of using fossil fuels to provide clean energy for households and businesses.

You dream of owning a solar-powered home, where everything runs on the sun's energy; solar-enabled walls and rooftops surround it. At night, you sleep on the hammock at your backyard, listening to the faint chirp of birds and songs of the crickets.

Sigh. It's so nice to play make-believe.

Or maybe not. The guys at Sharp made a nifty device called the LumiWall, a solar powered wall lined with white LEDs. An LED, according to Wikipedia, is a semiconductor device that emits incoherent narrow-spectrum light when electrically biased in the forward direction. Short for "light-emitting diode", these babies produce light. Thus, the LumiWall looks like a shaded pane of glass by day but can light up at night thanks to the LEDs in it. Ingenious? You bet!

So don't lose hope. Your dreamhouse can still become reality. You'll just need to save enough bucks to make it come to fruition.

The Sietch, a community that's dedicated to changing the world for the better, shares with us a step by step guide on how to build our very own solar panel. A solar panel is a collection of solar cells used for converting solar energy into electricity or heat. The team is hoping for better results with this new project compared to the first one that didn't quite meet their standards. First it was to expensive, coming in at over $50 and they used pond liner as their collection medium. This time they have learned from their mistakes and is back with a vengeance.

First Step: Collect the Materials

Our first stop is the mecca of everything cheap - your local dump. Scour for old refrigerators with out any more freon. Don't worry, we're not going to use the whole fridge, just the back. Although this is a heat dispersal system, with some modifications it can be used to collect large amounts of heat. Cut the grill off at the base near the large coolant holder.

Gather some wood that is stable and large enough to act as a frame. In this project, the team used wood from an old couch. You would also need a pane of glass and an old rubber doormat. These would act as the front and back of the panel. Just make sure that the size of the glass can cover the whole of the collector (back of the fridge). You would also need a pair of air pump hose, foil and duct tape.

Read the full instruction after the jump!

Scientist from Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have been developing ways on how to harvest energy and extend operating hours for your devices like your laptop or your mobile phone. At the Hanover Trade Fair they displayed new energy storage technologies, micro-fuel cells and information on drawing power from multiple energy sources available in the environment of the device.

Researchers are using micro fuel cells as chemical power converters to supply power for mobile devices. The flat micro cells are made of polymer and metallic films. Three of these would amount to 1.5 V, enough to replace conventional button cells.

The concept of energy harvesting refers to using light, heat or motion to generate energy. For example, the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM employs thermoelectrics: energy is generated by a heat flow source such as the user's wrist. Prominent clock makers use this technology to power watches. Micro-integrated thermo-electric converters can also be used to cool electronic components.

Building on the concept of thermoelectrics, theoretically if you let your mobile phone equipped with these micro fuel cells sunbathe for a few hours every day, you'd never run out of battery. Ever.