EnviroGadget » solar energy

Solar Powered Video Camcorder

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:00:06 +0000

The Solar Powered Camcorder allows you to capture events anywhere, safe in the knowledge that the battery can be recharged with ease. Great for use when recording outdoor events, the compact camcorder has a solar panel built-in to recharge its internal battery when required.

The Solar Powered Camcorder features a flip up solar panel, which doubles as a sunshade. The solar panel is able to provide roughly an additional 12 minutes of camcorder use for every hour it is exposed to the sun, helping to prolong the battery life. This ability allows you to take the camcorder with you anywhere, even to areas without mains electricity, because you can charge the internal battery through the solar panel during the day.

A rechargeable Li-ion internal battery is used to power the camcorder. It is able to provide up to 5 hours of operation from a 3 hour charge through an AC charger. To fully charge the battery by sunlight alone would take a couple of days of bright sunlight. The camcorder would then be ready to go when needed, as long as it received a long enough charge time before hand.

The Solar Powered Camcorder is able to provide HD video in 720 x 480 pixel resolution at 30 fps due to its 12 MP image sensor and 8x digital zoom. The data is stored as AVI files on an SD/SDHC memory card (not included) of up to 32 GB. The camcorder can additionally take JPG images at up to 4000 x 4000 resolution. The recorded data can be viewed on the 3 in (7.6 cm) LCD screen that is part of the device, the solar panel shields the screen from sunlight allowing you to see the screen clearly even on bright days. The images can be transferred to a computer via the included USB cable.

Source: Geeky Gadgets

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Solar Powered Pond Oxygenator

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:00:05 +0000

This Solar Powered Pond Oxygenator helps to oxygenate your pond when it requires it most: on bright sunny days. Ponds suffer from oxygen depletion when the weather is bright and sunny which can have a seriously detrimental effect on the pond life. This little oxygenator can sit beside the pond in all weathers, helping to produce more oxygen whenever there is sufficient sunlight.

The Solar Powered Pond Oxygenator has been created by Smart Solar to help keep small to medium sized ponds healthy and thriving without the need for complicated wiring or long term maintenance costs. The oxygenator is suitable for ponds up to 3000 litres in size, for larger ponds additional oxygenators could be used. The pump can provide up to 180 lph (litres per hour) in optimum conditions, the pump is fully weatherproof and can be left outside throughout the year.

The oxygenator is supplied with two air stones which are attached to the pump via two 2 m (6.6 ft) airlines. These stones need to be positioned in the pond spaced out to help provide a spread of oxygen. The solar panel is separate to the pump unit and is supplied with a 3 m (10.7 ft) cable. This allows you to place the panel in a suitable area where it will receive bright sunlight, which it might not otherwise receive near the pond area.

This Solar Powered Pond Oxygenator is meant to work on sunny days, so in overcast conditions it will either work less efficiently or not at all. It does provide a vital boost of oxygen to the pond when it is required most. By using the eco-friendly energy source of solar power, the oxygenator is simple and easy to install without requiring complicated wiring. It also incurs no long term running costs, requires little maintenance and can be easily relocated if desired.

The Solar Powered Pond Oxygenator is yours for just £45 plus delivery.

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T3 3-in-1 Solar-Powered Robot Kit

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:00:51 +0000

The T3 Solar Robot Kit is an educational (or desk) toy that consists of 70 pieces that can be arranged to make 3 different solar powered moving toys, a ‘standard’ robot, a tank and a scorpion.

The T3 Solar Robot Kit can be used to help educate children about solar power. By constructing the 3 different models themselves, the child should feel more of a connection to the toy, which can allow them to take greater interest in the model when it moves in sunlight. Through watching any of these models once constructed they will witness an effective demonstration of how the power of the sun can be harnessed by the solar panel and converted into electrical energy. The models will also function under a deck light, if there is no sunlight to use. Once exposed to a light source each model will move itself across a flat surface.

The robot kit comprises of all the parts and mechanics needed to construct the 3 models, the 70 pieces can be rearranged to form the ‘standard’ robot, the tank or the scorpion. A screwdriver will be required during construction. Due to the detailed instructions supplied with the robot and the simplicity of constructing the models, the kit is suitable for ages 8 and up.

The T3 Solar Robot Kit is both an interesting desk toy and a great educational toy for children. The robot is designed to be suitable as a first time science project to help teach children about alternative forms of energy, though some adult supervision is recommended.

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Solar Roof Tiles By Tegolasolare

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:18 +0000

These Solar Roof Tiles provide a suitable alternative to large, obvious solar panels for those who wish to preserve the aesthetics of their roof. The solar panels can be placed on every tile or only on a section to provide your home with sustainable eco-friendly electricity.

The Solar Roof Tiles are made by the Italian company Tegolasolare. They create each tile from natural red clay and do not add any chemicals to the clay to help minimise the environmental impact. By using a high temperature spray drying process the tiles they create have increased strength which provides you with a durable tile with a traditional red colouration. The tiles have a greater resistance to weather and knocks and they absorb less water and heat compared to more traditional counterparts.

Each tile can have a solar panel that comprises of 4 photovoltaic cells installed onto it. The solar panel is integrated into the tile, helping it to not be seen except from above. This allows the home owner to retain the aesthetics of the building as from ground level only the red of the tiles is really noticeable. Each tile’s solar panel needs to be connected up by wire strings to the next one. The tiles are all interconnected underneath to form the equivalent of one large power generation system. The wiring bundles lead to an inverter that is used to transform the current from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) which can be then fed into the power grid.

The electricity created by the solar panels that has gone to the power grid is then used as credit against your electrical usage bill. Depending on how many tiles you have with a solar panel integrated this can lead to high savings. The tiles with the integrated solar panels can be put onto any amount of the roof you require, tiles without the panels can be used to tile the rest of the roof. This allows you to target roof areas where maximum advantage of the sun can be taken to save costs, or to cover the whole roof for maximum gain. As each tile is designed to have a solar panel integrated, additional solar panels can be added at a later date if you decide to leave some tiles free from them to begin with. Because each tile is separate each one can be easily replaced and wired back into the system. This allows the roof to be maintained easily and for you to be able to upgrade the solar technology in stages if required for higher performance in the future.

The Solar Roof Tiles provide anyone with the means to benefit from solar energy without having to deal with the ugly large panels commonly used. The tiles can be used with great flexibility as you can increase the amount of solar panels used over time if required and can upgrade the system in stages. The tiles help a building to retain its traditional aesthetics while benefiting from modern technology of solar energy.

Source: iGreenSpot

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The IllumiCharger – Light-Powered USB Wall Outlet Concept

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:00:48 +0000

The IllumiCharger is a concept that aims to allow everyone the freedom of charging their portable electronic devices from home from eco-friendly electricity. The charger is meant to charge through the day from the ambient light in a room. This electricity is then used to provide a decent nights charge through a USB port to a wide range of devices.

The IllumiCharger concept aims to help people use eco-friendly electricity at home for their portable electronic devices. The charger is designed to be placed onto a wall, much like a traditional power socket. The ambient illumination of the room, be it from daylight or artificial light sources (fluorescent, compact fluorescent, halogen, or incandescent lighting), is used by the solar panel to charge the internal battery. This battery then charges your devices through either of the two USB ports.

The aim of this concept device is to provide a charger that can charge slowly through the day to provide a charge over night, or when required. There is some skepticism to whether the ambient light in a room would provide enough power for devices, however the charger could be positioned near a window to gain a higher amount of sunlight charging, or even used as a portable solar charger left out in a sunny spot if there was a problem. The charger is intended to be constructed from materials that are as environmentally friendly as possible. Recycled plastic and cornstarch based plastic alternatives are meant to be used to form the charger itself and recycled cardboard and cornstarch based plastic alternatives are to be used to form the packaging.

The IllumiCharger hopes to provide charge to any device that can be charged through a USB cable. The charger should be able to provide devices with eco-friendly electricity from a 9600 mAh battery at a rate of around 500 mAh. The charger could mean an end to people charging from their laptops, computers or even from mains supplied wall chargers when at home. The IllumiCharger would store electricity continually without any need to plan for when it would be required fully charged ready for use.

Source: IllumiCharger

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AquaPak – A Solar Water Pasteurizer

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 09:00:25 +0000

The AquaPak is a small device that can pasteurize water. The pack uses solar energy to heat the water that has been placed inside up to temperatures to pasteurize it and thus make the water safe for drinking for both those out enjoying the great outdoors and for those that lack any other source of safe drinking water.

In many countries safe water is a large issue. Many thousands of people die each year due to the pathogens, the bacteria,viruses,and parasites, etc, like cholera and salmonella that can be found in the water. This issue is more significant in the poorer, rural areas of certain countries, because of this effective methods for creating safe water with devices that are affordable have been few and far between. This solar powered pasteurizer should eventually cost only around $2 to produce due to its manufacture. It is constructed from cheap, robust materials, for example low cost polyethylene plastic and bubble wrap is part of its construction. The pack is strong enough to survive a 10 foot drop test, due to the bonding of the plastic at the edges with tapered seals.

In laboratory testing the AquaPak killed 99.99% of the pathogens that were present in the water. The pack achieves this by using solar energy to get the temperature of the water inside over 65 degrees C. The pack can take 4 to 5 liters of water at a time and it can take around 2 hours to reach pasteurization temperatures, simply fill it with water and lay it down flat in the sunlight. The pack can be refilled many times a day, allowing it to pasteurize enough water for a family of four to use in countries with bright, hot days.

The AquaPak has an indicator to show when the water has reached the correct temperatures. To save on costs the pack uses a WAPI (Water Pasteurization Indicator) which is a small low cost glass tube that contains bright orange soy wax. This wax has a melting point that is equal to the temperature needed to pasteurize water. When the wax has melted you know the water inside is now safe for consumption.

The AquaPak is a cheap and simple method to provide safe drinking water to many people, thus significantly reducing needless deaths. The AquaPak is available for sale in many countries for use by those that enjoy life outdoors, for example camping or hiking. It allows them to reliably and efficiently rid the water they collect from rivers or streams etc from any pathogens.

The AquaPak Water Pasteurizer is just $26.99.

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Nokero – Solar Powered LED Light Bulb For Developing Nations

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:02 +0000

The Nokero is a solar powered light bulb that uses LED bulbs to provide a bright, energy efficient light. Made for developing nations, the Nokero hopes to replace lighting such as kerosene lamps in areas where electricity is not a constant.

The Nokero is a robust, water resistant light that has the shape and size of a regular standard light bulb. The bulb has 4 solar panels that allow the rechargeable NiMH battery to efficiently store electricity from the sunlight. The light source is provided by 5 LED bulbs that produce a bright steady illumination. When the battery is fully charged the light can provide 4 hours of lighting, a single days charge should provide around 2 hours of lighting. Though the battery only has a lifespan of around 2 years the light bulb has been made to allow you to easily replace the battery, extending the life of the bulb significantly.

The Nokero has been created to provide an effective replacement for lighting sources such as kerosene lamps that are used by 1.6 billion people world wide. Kerosene lamps are both costly and dangerous to those who use them, they can cost around 5% of a families income and are known to cause cancers due to the noxious fumes they produce. By using solar panels the Nokero light bulb will provide decent lighting in an eco-friendly way. The company producing them has priced an individual bulb at $15, however they hope to provide them in bulk to areas in developing nations or to areas that have experienced a catastrophe and are in need of lighting, they hope to reduce the cost down to $6 per bulb by providing them in bulk amounts.

Source: Inhabitat

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Waveceptor – Solar Atomic Ana-Digi Sport Watch By Casio

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:00:54 +0000

The Waveceptor Sport Watch is a robust, durable watch crafted from stainless steel. The watch is solar powered, alleviating worries over replacing batteries and helping the watch to be eco-friendly.

The Waveceptor Sport Watch by Casio has been designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional. The watch face is made of a scratch resistant mineral crystal, helping to protect it from any damage while being worn. The analogue face has been designed to allow quick and easy time reading, the arms of the clock are clearly shown against the background, and there are clear minute and hour markers around the face.

The watch has been catered for use by those who are active and maybe involved in sports. The watch has a stopwatch ability, allowing you to time events, showing times to 0.01 of a second for times within 60 seconds, and to a second when over this time. The watch has different settings for this stopwatch ability, elapsed time, split time, 1st-2nd place times. The watch can be illuminated at night by its LED light, it is also water resistant up to 100 meters (330 feet).

The watch uses Atomic Timekeeping Technology, this allows it to receive calibration signals to keep the watch accurate. This ability coupled with its use of solar power free you from many common worries about watches, those of setting the time, checking its accuracy or worrying about the watch battery. The watch can display how much charge is left in the battery, so you will know when the watch requires some sun exposure to recharge. The watch has a power save function, and can last around 5 months from a full charge.

The Waveceptor Sport Watch is available for only $76.83 and qualifies for free shipping too!

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Pathfinder – Multi-Band Solar Atomic Digital Watch For Men By Casio

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:00:08 +0000

The Pathfinder Watch is a multi-band digital watch that is powered from solar energy. The watch has been designed to be great for those who enjoy life outside, with an inbuilt compass that watch is also water and scratch resistant.

This Pathfinder Watch for men has been made by Casio. The watch charges itself from the sun, so does need some sun exposure to keep working. To extend the battery charge the watch does have an energy saving setting, to help it require access to light less often. It has a battery power indicator so you can monitor how much charge you have remaining.

The watch has many different features that make its great for those who spend their time outside, maybe camping or hiking. The watch has an inbuilt compass, a barometer, an altimeter, it can also show you the phases of the moon and give a tide graph. The watch has a scratch resistant face, the resin bracelet with buckle has been created to be comfortable while you wear it, without the issues a metal band can cause. The watch is also water resistant up to 200 meters (600 feet).The Pathfinder Watch uses Japanese quartz movement to give it accurate timekeeping. The time and other information is displayed in digital form on the watch face.

The Pathfinder Watch costs $304.00 and qualifies for free delivery.

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Home Solar Power Station By Solar Technology

Anita (EnviroGadget Writer) — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:00:40 +0000

This Home Solar Power Station made by Solar Technology makes it really easy to become more self sufficient with their electricity usage. The easy to install unit requires no electrician and makes an ideal solution for powering larger outbuildings or garages without any long term running costs.

The Home Solar Power Station comes in 4 different models of increasing power generation capability. Namely 60W, 80W, 120W and 150W models. Clearly, the more demanding your needs, the higher wattage you’ll need in order to successfully power all of your devices. If you only require electricity for lights in a shed though, then the lower 60W model should suffice. These stations are only suitable to power an shed or workroom for a few hours a day. This makes them suitable for areas that do not see constant use, or for emergency use within a home. Expansion packs for each level can also be purchased to help increase the power station kit’s capacity and output power.

The power station kit comes with all the parts for quick installation. The solar panel comes on a stand that needs to be set up on a flat surface, like a flat roof or on the ground. This stand can be angled to take advantage of the light around it. To get the best exposure to the sun, it’s best to position the panel facing south. The connecting cable runs from this solar panel into a weatherproof battery box which houses a high performance 85Ah sealed deep cycle solar battery and a charge controller.

The battery is charged up by the solar panel during the day. The power inverter is connected to this battery box through a cable that needs to be run into the building where you require the electricity. The power inverter has a UK 3-pin socket, which means you can use standard UK 240V ac devices directly from the battery. You can also hook up a multi-way extension cable into this socket to give you more power points if you need them.

The Home Solar Power Station is a great step towards lowering electricity bills. Especially since there is no need for an electrician (as it’s not wired into the mains). The station allows outhouses, garages and sheds to have their own electricity supply without the troubles of wiring out to them and without any long term running costs.

The Home Solar Power Station Kit starts from around £860 for the 60W model.

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