There’s a nearly endless source of energy out there in the center of our solar system, and the collection methods we have here on the surface of the Earth only grab a very small fraction of it. If we could harvest solar energy directly from space, the useable amount would increase dramatically. The US Navy Research Laboratory is testing out two modules that would float in space to collect solar power and beam it to Earth. Arrays of the modules could produce enough energy to power entire cities.

The team, headed by Dr. Paul Jaffe, is working on two designs. One uses a “sandwich” model: the electrical components are all packed between two square panels. The top of the module is a solar collector and the bottom is an antenna that beams the power down to a receiver on the ground. The other design uses a “step” model which is more or less an opened-up version of the sandwich model. The open design is far more efficient; the larger surface area allows it to capture more solar power without overheating.

Although the idea of sending a solar power collector into space isn’t new, the scope of this proposed project is impressive. Dr. Jaffe expects the finished modules to span a full kilometer, which would necessitate their being built in space by robots. Small scale models of the modules have been tested in space-like conditions and have been found to be more than four times as efficient as previous concepts. While many people have expressed concern over the safety of beaming solar power down from space, Jaffe explains that there wouldn’t be a high-powered death laser aimed at Earth; the power would likely be transmitted using safer microwaves, and they would only hit specific receivers set up to receive the space power.

The post Beaming with Pride: Sending Solar Power Down from Space first appeared on Gajitz.

BMW rolled the electric car movement further into the mainstream in 2014 by introducing two new electric cars: the i3 and the i8. The former is a three-door hatchback coupe, while the i8 is a sporty two-door boasting 357 horsepower. To further cement their commitment to creating eco-friendly transportation, BMW also developed a charger for their new e-cars that uses completely off-grid power.

The i Solar Carport is made of sustainable, fast-growing bamboo and topped with efficient glass solar panels. The panels collect solar energy and send it directly to the EVs via BMW’s i Wallbox Pro, a charging module mounted directly to the carport. The readout on the Wallbox indicates just how much energy is being generated. After your car is charged, any excess solar energy can be directed to your home, actually saving money on your home electricity costs.

Pricing information isn’t readily available; the BMW website directs consumers to speak with dealers about purchasing their own i Solar Carport. Given its high quality materials and the high-end BMW brand, we expect it won’t be cheap. But if you’re going to throw down $41,000 (the i3) to $135,000 (the i8) on an electric BMW, you might as well go a little further to get a personal charging station that can power your home as well as your car.

The post BMW’s EVs Now Have a Solar Charger To Power Your House first appeared on Gajitz.

Phone booths are a rare sight these days thanks to mobile phones, but Londoners will soon find themselves seeking one out when their mobiles need a charge. Solarbox London is a project that aims to re-use the iconic red call boxes in London as mobile phone charging stations. Lovers of classic London imagery will balk at the idea of painting the phone booths green, but overall it’s for a greater, greener, good.

Thanks to Solarbox London, some of the city’s remaining red phone boxes will be equipped with 150-watt solar panels on their roofs and chargers for a variety of phones. Based on the strength of the solar panels, each box should be able to provide battery charges to approximately 100 phones per day. Early tests of the six charging stations already installed show that they can provide a 20% charge in 10 minutes, which is ideal for commuters who just need a bit more juice to make a call on the way home.

Users won’t have to pay money to use the Solarbox chargers; however, they will be subject to advertising that displays on a screen inside the box while their device is being charged. Each box will be open and available for charging 365 days a year from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm. Although plenty of people have tried to repurpose the red phone boxes into art, wi-fi hotspots, and a variety of other purposes, the Solarbox gadget chargers seem to make the most sense for the city. They’re practical, they’re financially supported by advertising, and they do a public service. Now if they just didn’t have to paint the red boxes green, we’d all be happy.

The post London’s Red Phone Boxes Become Green Charging Stations first appeared on Gajitz.

The solar panels we know today are bulky, dark things we bolt on to roofs or maybe plop some out in the desert to collect rays. Chemical engineers and material scientists at the Michigan State University’s School of Engineering have been working on a new type of solar harvester that looks just like a transparent, luminescent pane of glass.

UM’s solar concentrators can be applied to just about any clear surface, including windows and cell phone screens. Previous attempts have used colored glass and were quite inefficient, rendering them annoying to say the least.

The new generation is colorless and works by using small organic molecules to absorb invisible wavelengths of sunlight: near infrared and ultraviolet. These special molecules move the captured rays the edge of the panels where they are picked up by thin photovoltaic cell strips and converted to electricity. The center of the panel is left free to capture solar power and still act as a window or phone screen.

Because the panels only work with light that is invisible to the human eye, they look completely transparent. The research team believes that they can scale the design up to encompass entire office buildings – but for now, we’d be happy with a phone that charges itself every time we pull it out of our pockets.

The post Clear Charging: Solar Cells Just as Transparent as Windows first appeared on Gajitz.

We are all about solar chargers and alternative energy – but most devices meant for that purpose are, to be blunt, really ugly. The Electree Mini is probably the most attractive way you’ll ever find to charge your phone or smart watch without using fossil fuels.

Electree Mini was inspired by bonsai trees and the amazing fractals found in nature. Working with an electrical engineer, designer Vivien Muller turned his idea for the tree-inspired charger into a reality.

The small charger features flexible mini solar panels that can be easily adjusted to catch the maximum amount of sunlight possible. Internal batteries store the energy collected by the solar “leaves” during daylight hours, but the device can also be used to directly power your gadgets when sunlight is available.

At dusk, the Electree Mini turns into a miniature light show. Because the photovoltaic sensors can tell when the lights go off, the device turns on its LEDs as soon as darkness falls. You can change the color of the LED lantern just by rotating the Electree Mini.

Although the photovoltaic technology isn’t yet strong enough to charge a tablet, the Electree Mini can charge your phone or smart watch once per day. Unfortunately, at the time of publication it doesn’t look like the Electree Mini will reach its crowdfunding goal on IndieGogo, but hopefully Muller will find a way to bring the beautiful nature-inspired product to the public in the near future.

The post Little Solar Tree Collects Sunlight to Power Your Gadgets first appeared on Gajitz.