Green Options » portable

DARPA Seeking PoP in Solar Power Arms Race

Tina Casey — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:05:44 +0000

DARPA, the U.S. military’s chief high-tech office, is looking for a few good photovoltaics. Not just any garden variety solar panels, mind you. The agency is soliciting proposals for Low-Cost Lightweight Portable Photovoltaics (PoP) that can stand up to battle conditions and environmental extremes while delivering high power conversion efficiency. Think backpacks with built-in solar capacity, with teeth.

New Device Allows Users to Charge iPods by Going for a Walk

Andrew Williams — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:29:34 +0000

Tremont Electric has launched a portable energy generator that allows users to charge handheld electronic devices simply by going for a walk.

The nPower PEG, launched at last week’s 2009 CES event, works on the principle of electromagnetic induction to create a 100% renewable energy source for everything from iPods to mobile phones. To get a charge, users simply connect the PEG to their mobile device and lay it vertically, either against their hip, or in a bag, while they go for a walk or a run.

Designers Create Solar Power Generating Sunglasses

Andrew Williams — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:36:46 +0000

A team of designers have created solar power generating sunglasses capable of charging portable electronic devices on-the-go.

The SIG, or ’self-energy converting sunglasses,’ contain integrated dye-solar cells and can be simply connected to the power jack in an iPod or PSP, allowing devices to be charged without the need to hook up to the mains supply.