Solar powered insect killer

New campers solves the problem that usually face, which is the lack of power grid to power your gadgets.

Camping is a great way to stay in touch with nature. However, the insects tend to mess up a bit these tours. Therefore, the U.S. company Gotcha, created a lamp to kill insects solar-powered.

The novelty solves another problem that campers often face, which is the lack of power grid to power your gadgets or batteries of electrical and electronic equipment. The solar-powered insect killer is equipped with small photovoltaic panels that absorb sunlight and transform it into electricity to keep it running.

As the equipment is used at night, you must leave it exposed to direct sunlight during the morning, until the internal battery is fully charged and it can work effectively in the fight against mosquitoes nocturnal.

To attract the mosquitoes, the solar-powered insect killer uses an LED light. Thus, insects are attracted by light to the high voltage network, just as occurs with the "kill insects" traditional. With a fully charged battery autonomy of the Killer is about five hours.

The unit can be installed anywhere, for it comes with a bracket that allows it to be placed on a flat surface, a ground spike to anchor it to the ground and a handle, which facilitates the transport, but can also be used to hang it.

The solar-powered insect killer is for sale on the internet.

Amazing solar power project

Fifty-two homes, including residential and commercial neighborhood anchored form in Freiburg, Germany, which became a reference in a good life and minimal environmental impact. Situated in one of the sunniest regions of the country, the village of sun ship is capable of producing four times more energy than it consumes.

Self-sufficiency is achieved through it's solar power project, which uses photovoltaic panels strategically positioned to take full advantage of the incidence of sun rays. Besides taking advantage of natural light, with wide openings to let the sun go indoors in the homes also have green technology to save water.

The roofs have systems to capture rainwater, which is then used for watering gardens and toilet flushing, reducing further the impact on the environment.

Maracana to become solar power plant

Besides being a milestone in the history of football, the Maracana is about to become a reference in the production of clean energy. The works to be made in the stadium to host the World Cup 2014 include placing photovoltaic panels on any surface that covers the bleachers.

The project will be financed by two energy companies, the Light, which coordinates the production and distribution in Rio de Janeiro, and EDF (Electricite de France). Together they will install a plaque on the surface of 2.5 square meters, which will be capable of generating 670,000 kW / h per year.

Production would be enough to supply 25% of the energy needed to operate the Maracana. However, this is not what will happen at least during the first five years of operation of this "solar power plant." The investment is the result of a partnership between the two companies and the State Government, therefore, they have the right to sell the energy produced in the first year to offset the $ 6 million spent on technology deployment.

It is estimated that the electricity produced in the Maracana to meet the demand of 240 homes. But the company also has the appeal generated by the whole tradition of the Maracana, clean energy to market with higher values.

After five years, the electricity from the Maracana is owned by the government, but still can not be used directly in the stadium. "The greater use of the stadium is at night, on game days, and not at the time that the system will produce more energy during the day. Therefore, it will generate energy and inject it into the network and at night he gets back, "said Evandro Vasconcelos, director of energy of Light.

The utility projects do not end at the Maracana. Light still intends to spend $ 15 million to deploy photovoltaic cells in other sports centers of Rio de Janeiro, as the Julio de Lamare Aquatic Park, Maracanãzinho Athletics Stadium and Celio de Barros.

Emep solar system for farm families

The Emep are presenting to farm families and rural producers, a technology that uses solar energy for irrigation of fruits and vegetables. It is a form of exploitation of energy that uses an electric pump, powered by solar panels, for pumping water for irrigation.

The technology is quite simple and can be used in remote locations, and has low maintenance cost and cause no environmental impact. The system was developed by researchers at the Experimental Station of Aparecida, in Aparecida municipality (backlands of Paraiba), and has been providing excellent results in the production of vegetables.

"Solar energy is an alternative for producers to improve their income and quality of production, allowing a cleaner production," said researcher Euzeli of Saints Cyprian. According to him, in the first year of cultivation due to lack of spending power, the producer a profit higher than expected.

He also said that the system can be extended to other cultures and used in the operation of wells. "The electric pump allows the rational use of Amazons or tubular wells with flows in excess of one thousand liters per hour, as well as water surface," he said.

As the researcher, the electric pump can also be used effectively by the Food Purchase Program (EAP) and the National School Feeding Program (PNAE).

SolarKindle by SolarFocus presented at CES 2012

Accessory also functions as cover for the e-reader Amazon By Fernanda Morales

For you who loves to read their e-books on your Kindle and do not want to worry about recharging your battery, you'll love the new release of SolarFocus: a solar-powered cover that will keep your reader always stocked, the SolarKindle.

Solarkindle acts as extra battery for e-reader
The SolarKindle is the first cover for Kindle solar-powered world and promises to keep your device charged, without you having to plug it into an outlet for up to three months.

The case features a built-in solar panel and two batteries that store solar energy and allow the Kindle never runs out of power.

SolarKindle also has an LED reading lamp, which allows the user to make the reading of their titles even in low lighting. The company ensures that the lamp has a range of up to 50 hours of reading, using solar energy stored in batteries.

The case has been presented at the 2012 CES (International Consumer Electronic Show), which take place between January 10 and 13  in Las Vegas, United States, and should reach the consumer SolarKindle for $ 79.99.

Solar panels transform umbrella in charger

Very interesting project developed by a trio of product designers, Joseph Vincent of Lisbon, Andrew and Elizabeth Castro Remelgado, both of Montreal. Useful for those who use the electronics to keep informed or just want to stay connected while enjoying the sun on a website, club, resort or beach, but it is even more useful if it is embedded, for example.

The umbrella titled Solaris consists of photovoltaic solar panels that allow you to recharge any electronic equipment with solar energy. The "blades" are retractable and can be stored easily. The electrical outlets are at the base of the equipment and carry computers, cellphones and other electronic devices.

The group's goal was to facilitate people's lives by encouraging home working, reducing CO2 emissions, creating a new work environment and leisure and also using the system of solar panels to recharge laptops, cell phones and other electronics use basic day by day.

Solar energy helps speculators

Favored by lucrative government subsidies, the Czech market of photovoltaics is in full swing. Investors from around the world have clashed over whether to take advantage of this manna, little concerned about the ecological aspects.

A guaranteed investment at 100%, with an annual yield of 15%. A dream? No way! Thanks to these conditions that the Czech market of photovoltaics can attract investors from around the world. "Israel, Germany and the U.S. dominate the market," said Jaromir Rehàk, president of the Czech Photovoltaic Industry Association. French investors, directly supported by its government, is also installed in the Czech market.

Given the proliferation of speculative investments, the Czech government decided to reduce the price at which electricity companies are obliged to purchase energy for individuals and producers - more than double the value of electricity charged to customers. But the amendment that this low slow to be adopted by the Czech solar business remains today one of the most profitable in Europe. And this in spite of taking into account that the photovoltaic panels placed in the country are less efficient than the Spanish or the South of France, because there are fewer days of sunshine. And like France, Germany and Spain will soon have to download the purchase price of solar electricity, the Czech market should continue to be very advantageous.

"It's the ecology that motivates us, are the numbers"

Czech companies are essentially to ensure the construction of photovoltaic plants. Its leaders are not environmentalists, but financial managers: "I will not pretend that we are guided by ecological interests. We are particularly interested investors and we are just the numbers," admits Ondrej Valnicek, Global Solar society. However, the ecological sensitivity of governments is important for business because it is in itself a guarantee, at least in today's world, that the states will continue to support renewable energy. The photovoltaic business has also become a major provider of jobs in the Czech Republic. Indeed, the country is one of the most important suppliers of solar technology in the world.

Almost 2,000 people work for companies specialized in the production of photovoltaic panels. The research and development sector employs one hundred people and wholesalers of about 400. In total, it is considered that solar energy "employs" more than 4,000 people in the country. Martin is Director of Somar Schoot Solar, the Czech company that leads the photovoltaic sector: "The Spanish market, the second in Europe in terms of importance, has collapsed. The financial crisis put a brake on investment in major projects." But despite this, says it was convinced that the strong growth of solar energy has barely begun: "The European countries all have very ambitious objectives with respect to increasing renewable energy in the overall energy production."

Stealing solar panels is a new niche of activity

"Current developments in photovoltaics is absurd," he says Jiri Kveton, chairman of the Czech Energy Photovoltaics. Think of the enormous power, capable of generating annual profits of hundreds of millions of crowns, part of which comes from public funds and that have absolutely nothing to do with the original concern of preserving the environment. Not to mention the fact that some of these plants to be installed on old farmland, that small municipalities are quick to turn into "industrial zones" in order to sell them to investors interested in installing solar panels. Not only are the speculators who are interested in this: the thieves gained an enormous appetite for the panels, unscrew it from the rooftops, and even assaulting photovoltaic.

"In the past, situations happen very caricatured," says Zdenek N., manager of a security company that is dedicated to the sector since there is little protection for photovoltaic power plants: "The thief was introduced into a central support strips the aluminum panels solar panels and out leaving, he did not know could be of value. One more or less since the beginning of last year we went to have thefts of solar panels. "

Nanoscale antennae could make solar panels more efficient

Scientists at the University of Tel Aviv are creating nanoscale antennae that could be much more efficient than solar panels.

Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic wave, and when they are picked up by traditional metal antennas, the collision of the photon wave may for the photovoltaic effect, generate electrical current. Since the waves are also electromagnetic optics, and they are also carriers of energy, a team of scientists at the University of Tel Aviv wondered whether they could also be converted into electricity through an antenna. It turns out that they can - if the antenna is very, very short. They could replace the silicon semiconductors of solar panels, harvesting more energy from a wider spectrum of sunlight than is currently possible.

The nanoscale antennas are constructed from small amounts of aluminum and gold, and is less than one micron (a millionth of a meter) long - because the light has a wavelength short compared to radio waves, short antennae provide optimal absorption. Once created, the nanoscale antennae were exposed to light, to determine how well they can receive and transmit light energy. According to initial tests, 95% of the power is absorbed by the antennas.

The researchers believe that a panel containing a variety of lengths nanoscale antennas can collect energy from a solar spectrum much broader than is currently allowed by semiconductor technology.

Although silicon is not a particularly expensive material, scientists believe that the superior efficiency of their panels would allow them to be smaller than the photovoltaic panels, and therefore more profitable.

Nokia has completed their solar phone tests

Nokia has presented the results to the tests made ​​with their mobile phones equipped with solar panels. Unfortunately the result is not favorable to find models with this type of attachment.

The cell used is a modified version of the C1-02 (the picture shows another variation of the C1, very similar to that used in the tests). The mobile units were sent, with solar panels on the back, for many people around the world for testing during the daily use of the device. As expected, the results were better in areas of high sun exposure, other places with lower intensity of sunlight to charge gadget suffered.

Nokia also had trouble with people who charge into and out of enclosed spaces such as offices. In these cases the solar panel had no utility. Even with negative results, which gave up the possibility of finding cell panels on the shelves. Nokia did not end their research to find sustainable ways to charge their mobile phones. A most viable solution is an external battery that could be loaded in this way.

Logitech solar keyboard also work in dark

We can enjoy the first solar Logitech K750, is a way to spend a lot less power as millions and millions of people around the world use a computer.

The solar keyboard is also wireless and joining with solar panels that capture solar energy and to work well, solar panels also have a system that allows the conservation and solar energy in the house so that it can be used or without light.

Also gutter with a warning system that indicates the battery level and alerts you when you need to be loaded and re-sources that is more appropriate to do so.

The design is conventional sense, nothing new to what we already know, but it is very thin, with rounded tips.

To all who are committed to ecology is an excellent proposal and a good way to help a bit for the environment. It's time to replace all of our common sections for which they are a little greener solar keyboard like this.

Google's new investment for Solar Energy

During the 2011 Google invested more than U.S. $ 880 million in various renewable energy projects and has become one of the companies that has driven these energies in recent years.

Not content with this announced an investment of over 100 million dollars in four solar projects. A wizard named Axel Martinez wrote in the Google company blog: "We believe that investment in renewable energy makes sense and we look forward to clean energy projects to attract new sources of capital to help the world toward a more sustainable energy future. "

This new project will have high expectations because Google seems to have become experts in solar energy, the last project that brought solar panels worked 10,000 homes in the United States through the facilities on the roofs.

In this new investment Google has partnered with Suntap Energy, a KKR company that provide the remaining capital as part of the company's first investment in the U.S.