“If you wanted to generate all the world’s electricity, you could do it with less than 1% of the area of the world’s desert.” Gerry Wolff, Coordinator of Desertec, says. But if Wolff is correct, why hasn’t it been done yet?

Seville, Spain hosts the first commercial operation of solar tower technology in the world. It’s the first commercial solar tower plant of its type, concentrating solar power (CSP), in the world. According to the report, it features over 1,000 freestanding heliostat mirrors that follow the arc of the sun. In a process referred to as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), the mirrors reflect solar rays to the tower, where water is boiled, and then steam is generated to drive a turbine, which in turn produces electricity. This electricity is sold to the national grid.

This is all possible because Spain’s government has provided subsidies and incentives in support for the solar industry. Without government support, it’s possible that the entire operation could not exist. That is because the upfront investment is huge, as most of the money goes into building the plant. The investor community tends to see solar plants as high risk.

But according to the video report, once economies of scale are achieved, solar power is one of the cheapest sources of energy. The report argues that it’s hard to detect the value of solar power because currently, conventional sources of electricity are subsidized, artificially making them appear to be cheap. GOOD reports that “concentrated solar power… will be a core element of the transition from dirty coal to clean energy.”

As Gus Schellekens of PricewaterhouseCoopers argues, “Solar has a huge role it can play, the fact that it’s an endless supply of energy…the one thing that’s needed to unlock much of that is the political leadership and will.”

WATCH video about this innovative solar power tower below:

VIDEO of James May (Top gear) visiting solar thermal plant in Spain:

1.5 billion people do not have direct access to electricity and rely on kerosene, candles or firewood for lighting. Lack of suitable home lighting is directly linked to illiteracy, poverty and heath problems. Too many children are burned or impacted by house fires linked to lighting. Lighting should be safe, clean and affordable to all.

The Unite-to-Light project started with a visit from Pastor Kofi Fosuhene and Osei Darkwa to Santa Barbara. They explained that many people in Africa, who rely on kerosene for reading, suffer health problems and financial hardship. Aware of the work done at UCSB’s Institute for Energy Efficiency on high-efficiency LED lights and high-efficiency solar cells, Fosuhene and Darkwa asked if the Institute could design an affordable reading light. Although many solar powered flashlights are available, they were interested in reading lights because of the problems related to children and education, a focus for both men.

With assistance from Engineers without Borders, John Bowers, David Schmidt, Norm Gardner and Jock Bovington set about to solve this problem. After going through several designs, the first samples were sent to Ghana and met with great enthusiasm. Unite to Light is now engaging with other organizations to supply solar-based lighting to the developing world.

Solar Reading Light at night.

Watch five minute video showing soot from a kerosene lamp.

More at www.unite-to-light.org

Even though the rest of us do not rely on kerosene, candles or firewood for lighting and have direct access to electricity, the opportunity to use free energy sources is priceless. Check out these solar reading lights HERE.

They come in two attractive colors : green and red. And are on %10 OFF sale today.

Posted by Ekaterina Kohlwes – Principal/Designer at Mindful Design Consulting.

What Mindful Design Consulting can do for you:

• Branding/Your Brand Recognition Strategy
• Human Behavior Pattern in Your Business
• Professional Space Planning
• 3d Renderings and Illustrations to See Your New Space in Action
• Color Selection Based on Psychological Responses
• New Business Concept Space Design
• Retail Design and Buying Pattern Consulting
• Custom Cabinet Drawings
• Materials and Finishes Selection Based on Human Sensibility
• Equipment Selection Serving Your Needs
• Furniture Selection for Your Style
• Construction Drawings
• Energy Efficient Lighting layout and Selection
• We partner with Licensed Architects, Engineers and Other Professional Consultants if Your Project Requires

Website:
http://www.mindfuldesignconsulting.com/
http://mindfuldesignconsulting.com/Blog

Greendix, the company that makes these nifty leaf-shaped solar panels has captured our attention yet again with something even cooler – the world’s first solar powered soccer ball! The Taiwan-based company unveiled photos of the ball, which looks just like a regular soccer ball except that the iconic black pentagonal patches have been replaced with solar cells, giving it an eye-catching, prismatic look. Even more interestingly, the company is developing the ball with motion-sensing technology in hopes that it will allow visually impaired people to play with it!

World’s First Solar Powered Soccer Ball at Greendix. Image by Greendix.

The solar powered ball’s panels power built-in motion sensors and an audio device which could potentially enable visually impaired people to play soccer/football – each time the prototype is kicked, it emits a tracking sound.

While we think the direction Greendix is moving with the ball is innovative, we’re interested to see if they’re also planning on making it so the ball can store energy to be used at a later time like some other soccer balls can. Such technology can be used by kids in developing nations as a safer alternative to kerosene lamps to power lighting so that they can study and read at night.

“The main goal of this project was to prove that solar panels can be integrated into any object that we interact with on a daily basis and to push the limits of what is possible with solar panels,” explained Joseph Lin from Greendix. No word yet on when the ball will be available for sale, but how great would it be to see these being used at the next World Cup?

Source: greenmuze.com.

Is the future of oral hygiene solar? Are we ever going to stop depending on toothpaste? Will we be using solar power instead of toothpaste one day? In Japan, the Shiken company is trying to give answers to these questions by field testing an unusual solar-powered toothbrush that doesn’t require toothpaste.

Soladey-J3X a solar-powered toothbrush.

The Soladey-J3X is a solar-powered toothbrush designed by Dr. Kunio Komiyama (dentistry professor at the University of Saskatchewan) and Dr. Gerry Uswak. The first model was designed 15 years ago (it was described in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology) and more work has been done since then in order to perfect it.

Now, Komiyama is back with a new model, the Soladey-J3X, which he says packs twice the chemical punch compared to the original.
It is a solar-powered toothbrush with a solar panel at its base that transmits electrons to the top of the toothbrush through a lead wire.

Soladey-J3X a solar-powered toothbrush.

These electrons react with acid in the mouth, creating a chemical reaction that breaks down plaque and kills hazardous bacteria. This means no toothpaste is required – helping you save more money in the long run (as well as water, since there is less rinsing to be required).

Image from www.kk-shiken.co.jp. Soladey-J3X a solar-powered toothbrush. Plaque removal mechanism.

Soladey-J3X a solar-powered toothbrush.

Researchers have already tested the toothbrush in cultures of nefarious bacteria that cause periodontal disease. The solar-powered brush caused complete destruction of bacterial cells.

How much power does the Soladey-J3X need to be effective? To get fully charged this toothbrush needs only as much sunlight as a solar-powered calculator.

The Soladey-J3X won the first place prize out of 170 entries at the annual FDI World Dental Conference in Dubai last month. This gives Komiyama confidence that there is scientific merit to the brush.

Learn more about this solar-powered toothbrush at the Shiken company’s website.

Solar spot lights like this one rely on energy from the sun to charge their batteries and provide light throughout the night. This means that there is no need to tap into the electrical grid for these lights to operate. The solar spot lights will work consistently, even if the whole neighborhood is dealing with a power outage.

Plastic Solar Spot Light (4 Super Bright LEDs).
Image by Your Solar Link.

Solar spot lights efficiently use energy stored in the rechargeable batteries when it uses multiple LEDs. In this case, 4 ultra-bright LEDs provide bright and effective lighting.

These Ultra Bright Solar Spot Lights can be used to light up many different features of a landscape at night. You can create an interesting focus by putting light on an appealing tree or a flowerpot. Another practical application would be to increase visibility along the exterior walls of a home, driveway or a walkway.

Plastic Solar Spot Light (4 Super Bright LEDs).
Image by Your Solar Link.

All solar spot light models are adjustable in their positioning. It could be directed up, down or forward, and at different angles around the post. All you have to do is to turn the wing-nut to secure its position.

Even on cloudy days your solar lights will charge, but it is always best to choose the sunniest location for your spotlight to get the most charge from the sun. Typically, the charge will last throughout the night. Your solar light will also turn on and off automatically every day.

Solar Spot Lights can also be used as a low voltage substitution to your existing outdoor lighting. At www.yoursolarlink.com, you can check out our Solar Calculator for your energy bill savings when you decide to replace your existing electrical spot lights with solar spot lights.

In the video below you can see it in a night setting. The 4 LED bulbs create an effective and sufficient directional beam.

The more LEDs a solar light has (it can be as much as 6, 10 or more LEDs), the sooner the rechargeable batteries will get used up for the night. This means that you could get fewer hours of a more intense light. But for this particular solar spot light, a perfect balance is achieved. The design gives the brightest light output with the longest duration throughout the night. And its LED bulbs never burn out.

These solar spot lights is corrosion and water resistant, so it’s safe to leave outside during all weather conditions. Each light is 6.5 by 7 inches square and 18 inches tall. They also come equipped with 3 Nickel Cadmium AA batteries and are ready to go right out of the box.