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.

The Indian Space Research Organization and US National Space Society launched a joint forum to develop partnership in harnessing solar energy through space-based solar collectors.

Image by NASA. An orbiting tower of solar panels, shown extending into space, could gather power to use on Earth.

Just like a solar satellite in the 2002 Bond movie “Die Another Day”, they are planning to launch giant, possibly inflatable structures of photovoltaic arrays and antennas that catch the suns rays and create a focused microwave beam back to collectors on Earth. A special receiving antenna on the ground — called a rectenna — would then turn the microwave energy back into electricity, which would be fed into the power grid.

Image from New Scientist. Sunlight is reflected off giant orbiting mirrors to an array of photovoltaic cells; the light is converted to electricity and then changed into microwaves, which are beamed to earth. Ground-based antennas capture the microwave energy and convert it back to electricity, which is sent to the grid.

The initiative, announced Nov. 4, is spearheaded by former president of India A.P.J. Kalam and the National Space Society, a nonprofit dedicated to making humanity a space faring civilization.

Space-based solar power has the potential to turn Earth into a “clean planet, a prosperous planet, and a happy planet,” Kalam said during a Thursday press conference announcing the Kalam-NSS Energy Initiative.
Addressing the press at the National Press Club in New Delhi, Dr Kalam said, “By 2050, even if we use every available energy resource we have: clean and dirty, conventional and alternative, solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, coal, oil, and gas, the world will fall short of the energy we need.”

One of the major advantages of space-based solar energy harvesting is that it is not a ground-based solar energy resource. An array of solar panels stationed in a geostationary orbit around the world will receive sunlight for 99 percent time of the year. Plus there are no losses due to atmospheric interferences.

This partnership between the two countries is likely to gain strength as the United States has now removed some technology-transfer limitations which were forced on some scientific research organizations in India after the 1998 nuclear tests. Organizations like the ISRO and Bharat Dynamics will now have access to some sensitive and unique technology.

The U.S. military has already experimented with solar energy beaming and ways to deliver power to remote areas of the globe. For the US, the deal would potentially create thousands of jobs. For India, the project would mean huge amounts of clean energy which it could use to electrify its rural areas and help its economy to thrive.

Boeing is developing a solar-powered unmanned aircraft that can remain in the air for five years non-stop.
The airplane is named SolarEagle and is designed to fly in the upper atmosphere for long periods of time, providing surveillance and intelligence information to the ground.

Image from www.FoxNews.com.

The US military has given Boeing a $89 million contract to develop a SolarEagle demonstrator vehicle which will make its first flight in 2014.
During testing, the SolarEagle demonstrator will stay in the upper atmosphere for 30 days, collecting solar energy during the day that will be stored in fuel cells and used to provide power through the night.
The amazing solar-powered plane will have highly efficient electric motors and propellers. Its wings — spanning some 400 feet — will be covered with solar panels, which will power propellers and feed fuel cells during daylight hours.
“SolarEagle is a uniquely configured, large unmanned aircraft designed to eventually remain on station at stratospheric altitudes for at least five years,” said Pat O’Neil, Boeing Phantom Works program manager.
“That’s a daunting task, but Boeing has a highly reliable solar-electric design that will meet the challenge in order to perform persistent communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions from altitudes above 60,000 feet.”

The last solar-powered aircraft to break the record for an unmanned plane was the British-designed Zephyr in July. Designed by British defense firm QinetiQ, the Zephyr flew for two weeks non-stop above a U.S. Army range in Arizona before finally landing.

Zephyr by QinetiQ: Credit: QinetiQ.

Watch Zephyr by QinetiQ video.

Beyond SolarEagle, Phantom Works is developing several other unmanned prototypes, such as the Phantom Ray – a fighter-sized, advanced technology demonstration scheduled to make its first flight in early 2011.

Boeing’s Phantom Ray: The wing is the plane. Credit: Boeing.

Watch Boeing’s Phantom Ray video.

The Phantom Eye, a hydrogen-powered, high-altitude aircraft designed to stay in the air for up to four days, is another also scheduled to debut in 2011.

Boeing Phantom Eye: Credit: Boeing.

Watch Boeing Phantom Eye video.

Source: www.foxnews.com

It may be difficult to imagine for us, but according to the U.S. Department of Energy nearly two billion people live without electricity. How do they deal with it? They burn fossil fuels such as kerosene for light.
Denver inventor Stephen Katsaros is hoping to give light to people without electricity. His solution to the problem is his new invention – a solar-powered light bulb.

Image from http://www.nokero.com/. Solar-powered light bulb.

Solar-powered lights are nothing new, but the inventor hopes this one could improve the lives of people in developing countries, who have no electricity but plenty of sunshine. The bulb has a battery that gets charged by the sun. A one-day charge will power it for about two hours at night. “It’s replacing kerosene lanterns that are very polluting and dangerous around the world,” says Steve Katsaros, founder of Nokero. The name Nokero is short for “no kerosene.” They are usually used in sets of 2 or more. One light is used for 2 hours until the rechargeable battery is used up. Then, the next light is turned on until that one is used up. And so on.

Image from http://www.nokero.com/. Solar-powered light bulb.

Nokero bulbs were invented just 8 months ago in the shop of Katsaros’ Park Hill neighborhood garage. The first solar-powered bulb looked like a regular light bulb – the same shape and size as the ones in your home, so you could actually screw it into a standard fitting.

Four band-aid size solar panels decorate the outside of the bulb. Each panel helps charge one battery which powers 5 small LED lights.

The battery should last at least 2 years, according to the manufacturer.

What distinguishes Nokero, claims Katsaros, is that the battery is not just rechargeable but replaceable. Plus, the entire unit is affordable.

His wholesale solar powered bulbs cost $6.
Nokero’s target market is developing countries like India and Pakistan, plus western Africa. Katsaros says he’s already shipped thousands of samples to 50 different countries.

Some customers have already ordered as many as 1,000 bulbs.

Read and see more at: http://www.nokero.com/

$740 million development started outside Dezhou, China. It has been called “The Biggest Solar Energy Production Base in the Whole World,” or Solar Valley.

Image from Himin Solar Energy. Dezhou Solar Valley in China.

The base will be a clean energy technology hub that China hopes will rival Silicon Valley in California. “This is an experiment. It is a big laboratory,” said Huang Ming – an oil industry engineer turned solar energy tycoon.

Image from Himin Solar Energy. Dezhou Solar Valley in China

The $740 million plan has attracted about 100 companies and factories, a research center and wide boulevards illuminated by solar-powered lights.

China’s Solar Valley in Dezhou (Promotional Video)

The main developer for the park’s plan is a company called Himin Solar Energy. It was started by Huang Ming who is often called the ‘Sun King’ of China. Although he says: “I prefer to be called solar madman.” The building that serves as headquarters for Himin Solar Energy is located at the Sun-Moon Mansion and is currently the largest solar powered office building in the world.

Image from Himin Solar Energy.
Sun-Moon Mansion – Himin Solar Energy’s headquarters. Night view.

Image from Himin Solar Energy.
Sun-Moon Mansion – Himin Solar Energy’s headquarters. Day view.

Image from Himin Solar Energy.
Sun-Moon Mansion – Himin Solar Energy’s headquarters. Day view.

An intriguing mix of raw capitalism and socialist planning is giving companies such as Huang’s Himin Solar Energy Group a shot at making a difference.
The city of Dezhou already requires that all new buildings be equipped with solar water heaters (the type made by Huang’s company). Last year they spent $10 million to install solar lighting along several miles of road.
Huang’s company is the world’s biggest producer of solar water heaters. It recently opened a low-carbon five-star hotel and is building Utopia Garden, a gigantic, eco-friendly luxury apartment complex – both with solar-heated pools.
“Renewable energy doesn’t mean people have to be uncomfortable,” Huang states.

Last year, China invested about $34 billion in solar panels, wind turbines and other alternative energy technologies, nearly twice as much as the United States, where green technologies spending unfortunately fell sharply.
Huang notes that, so far, solar energy is “a drop in the ocean” on the road to the major Environmental and Economical changes but he said that Dezhou offers a model for the future. “I like big plans,” he says.

Image from Himin Solar Energy. Huang Ming presents Dezhou Solar Valley.