Solar powered chargers for your portable gadgets are far from an original idea.  But that isn’t to say they aren’t effective or useful.  Case in point is Quirky’s Ray.

Unlike other solar powered chargers, which lay flat, the Ray includes a suction cup mount allowing you to optimize and capture the most energy possible.  That’s all well and good if your in a vehicle, and super convenient if you’re on a plane (case in point, the pics) but what about for flat surfaces?  For that they’ve also built-in in a kickstand that let’s you angle it accordingly, though the suction cup mount is probably optimal in terms of energy collection.

And let’s not overlook portability.  The USB cord tucks neatly into the kickstand and a battery means you can recharge at night, which you’ll know is fully charged thanks to an LED status light.

So how much would you pay for this handy gadget?  Quirky is a crowd funded project.  They want to know how much you’d be willing to pay for this gadget.  We’re saying $35.  Thoughts?  Below is a tally of what Quirky users have said so far.

There is a giant push in today’s society to use renewable, clean energy – the so called green movement.  We’re seeing this everywhere on large scale items like electric cars, or solar powered houses – but there are much fewer small-scale applications.  Yes, there are other small solar chargers, but the Bolt by Solio doe an incredible amount for its small size, and ends up being one of the most impressive ones that I’ve had the chance to work with.  From the interesting look of the Bolt, to the simple yet ingenious way that you are able to make sure it’s getting full sun – the Solio Bolt is well worth checking out for anyone wanting to reduce their carbon footprint a little.

The Solio Bolt is essentially two small solar panels with its own battery inside.  That battery can be used to power pretty much any product that can be run on USB power, which is probably going to be most anything you have on your desk.  It’s a great little concept because it works – however there is one main caveat that you need to be aware of.  The Solio Bolt takes about nine hours of direct sun to fully charge the internal battery – direct doesn’t mean that you can just leave it sit out on a porch or deck either (although that would work, it would take a lot longer).  No, you need to make sure the Bolt is properly aimed at the sun to ensure it’s getting all the juice it can, and this can be a real pain if the weather isn’t PERFECT.

So you’ve got a bright and sunny summer day outside, how do you make sure you’re aimed right then?  Well Solio came up with an idea so unbelievably simple, it’s brilliant – ready for this?  The put a hole in the center of the Bolt, and made it the perfect size for a No. 2 pencil (we all remember those from high school – right?).  The idea is that when you put a pencil through the hole, you create a basic sun dial.  Angle and rotate the Bolt so that the pencil casts no shadow, and you can be sure that it is pulling in the maximum amount of sun.  Granted you need to check it every hour or so and re-adjust it, but doing that means you’ll charge it much faster.

Of course, you can charge the internal battery even faster if you want to forgo the whole “green” thing, and just plug it directly into your computer.  The Solio Bolt has a micro USB port to charge it up in a pinch, but there are cheaper and more effective portable “batteries” out there if you really are only going to do that.  If you need to charge it up quick before a camping trip or something though, the option is always there.  Speaking of using it while camping, you don’t have to be too concerned with using it in the elements.  While not completely waterproof, it’s water resistant enough to withstand a little rain.  The Solio Bolt is also a lot more solid than other solar panels that I’ve worked with in the past, and has survived numerous falls (one from a moving bicycle) without any issue like cracking or chipping.

One thing that I really like about the Solio Bolt, is that it can charge using the CITA protocol (or in layman’s terms, the protocol that every USB device not made by Apple uses), or the Apple protocol (as it says, this is what every Apple product uses).  Since I have both an iPhone and an Android Tab, it was invaluable to me for it to be able to switch and charge whichever one needed the boost at the time.  The switching between modes (and really everything on this) is taken care of by a singular button.  That single button turns the Solio Bolt on, puts it in charging mode, flashes to let you know how charged the Bolt is, and switched between the aforementioned output modes – it’s simple, and streamlined enough that anyone can pick it up and work it.  One full Bolt battery provides the following power: 9 hours 50 min. of additional talk time on an iPhone 4, 9 hours 10 min of additional talk time on a Motorola Droid, 7 hours of additional talk time on a HTC EVO, 86 hours of music or 15 hours of video based on iPod Touch 4th Gen, and 5 hours 20 min. of additional operation time based on a Garmin Nuvi 850.

The Solio Bolt is also very light (just over five ounces), so it’s not going to add much extra bulk or weight to someone bring it alo0ng on a camping or hiking trip – although it is a bit awkward to have it in your pocket due to the shape and size.  It is much easier to take with you than some of the “mat” style solar chargers that are out there, making this my preferred charger to bring with me when I’m out.  I’d love to see an actual bike mount accessory, but a bit of duct tape worked for me in a pinch – hopefully Solio will start making some accessories like that, or another company will see how good of an idea this is and take the initiative.

Editor’s Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

Very Good

The Bottom Line:  The Solio Bolt may very well be one of the best solar chargers out there, but unless you’re going to be using it a lot the $70 price tag may seem steep (even though it’s really not)

Pros:

• The Solio Bolt can switch between power outputs on the fly to ensure proper charging of Apple and standard USB products
• The construction of the Solio Bolt is very well, and it handles the elements and short falls or drops with ease
• The Solio Bolt is incredibly easy to use, with only one button to work everything

Cons:

• Unfortunately is needs a good bit of time (maybe as much as two days) to fully charge up in the sun
• No accessories yet as it’s still fairly new
• The odd shape means putting the Solio Bolt in your pocket isn’t something that’s going to happen

You can get a Solio Bolt from Solio’s website for $70

As green cars start to take over the automotive market, it was only a matter of time before it reached the skies. Although we are still a long way from having an environmentally friendly 747, the Elecktra One from PC-Aero will have aviation enthusiasts excited to go green! The German-based company replaces the need of jet fuel thanks to the electric plane’s 13.5 kw electric engine. According to the company, the plane can fly for more than 3 hours on one charge and can cruise the deep blue skies at 100 mph with absolutely no CO2 emissions. Other features include: low noise, low operating costs, and a very attractive design. Engineers say that it only produces one fifth of the noise that a regular aircraft producers and one half of the noise that traditional ultralight planes make, which equates for quieter skies.

It’s made of light fiber composite so to maximize efficiency, with the battery only weighing about 440 pounds. But since it’s designed to be light, there’s not much room for guests on Elecktra One since it only seats one person, with a cargo weight of 220 pounds (and that’s with the pilot included).

So you must be wondering how you charge Elecktra One’s motor, right? Well, when purchasing the green aircraft, you also get its solar-powered hanger. The roof of the hanger is decorated with photovoltaic cells from SolarWorld (the largest U.S. manufacturer of solar panels) that provide power with zero emissions.

The plane has already been tested (its maiden flight was back in spring of this year) and it’s been given the green light to go into production, which is scheduled for sometime later next year. The price tag on such a machine is estimated to run about $145,000, including the plane and its solar-powered hanger. It recently won the Lindbergh Prize for Electric Aircraft Vision award and is a highly anticipated aircraft that is paving the way for our future in the sky!

Safe to say Ralph, as in Ralph Lauren, has lost his freaking mind.  This here solar backpack, which is part of the RLX line, costs a wallet numbing $795.  We’re all about charging your devices on the go, but there is simply no justification for this level of cost.  

So what do you get for 800 greenbacks?  They say it can charge up your iPod or iPhone in 2-3 hours, provided you’ve got enough sunlight heading your way.  The bag itself is crafted from water resistant material, sports padded shoulder straps and an additional handle for carrying it on one side.

You can buy the Solar Panel Backpack directly from Ralph Lauren in Orange or Black.

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UPDATED.  Logitech‘s Wireless Solar Keyboard is, well, wireless and solar powered.  What more do you need to know?  It will stay charged up for up to 3 months in a dark room and can glean power from indoor lighting. The keyboard itself is just 1/3-inch thick and includes Logitech’s unifying receiver. To keep tabs on battery juice their is a solar app, but alas it’s only Windows 7 compatible.

We assume Logitech’s Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 ships November 15th because that’s when the app will be available for download.  You can preorder it for $79.99

Update: Checkout our Logitech K750 Solar Wireless Keyboard review.

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The LightCap 300 is an ingenious product that combines a water bottle with a lantern.  That’s right.  The top of the water bottle, the cap, is embedded with a 4 super-bright LED lights as well as a red LED light which serves as a night light.

No batteries are necessary since the cap includes a small solar panel that utilizes FastSolar Technology and a light sensor to prevent battery drainage.  If you’re worried about lugging around another hefty piece of kit while in the outback, don’t.  The total weight of the Lightcap 300 doesn’t exceed 9.7oz.  And since the light projects into the bottle you’ll be able to see any floaters before taking a sip by the night time fire.  Did we mention that the bottle is BPA free?

You can pick up the LightCap 300 for $30.

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Designer Jesper Johnsson’s Solar Charged Collapsible Lantern is the perfect option for a light source while outdoors, whether camping or just out on the back porch. It stays collapsed during the day as it collects power via its solar panel. Then, at night, you can expand it and get some nice, electricity-free light. An included magnetic strap lets you attach to it to trees or anything else. There isn’t any info on where it’s a concept or actually coming out anytime soon — let’s hope it’s the latter.

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10) Don’s Solar Scooter

This is a total DIY project, but hey, it’s a solar powered vehicle, right?  The solar panels can be folded away during driving making it completely street legal.  When it’s parked they can be unfolded and the battery juiced from the sun’s rays.

9) Sunraycer

The Sunraycer was built in 1987 in just 10 months.  It’s covered with 8800 solar cells that produce up to 1500 watts of power.  It won the world’s first race featuring solar powered vehicles and achieved a speed of 109 km/h (65mph) over 3005 km.  The following year it achieved a top speed of 75.2mph, destroying the previously held record.

8) E-V Sunny Bicycle

It’s really a kit, but you can’t knock an all solar powered bicycle, right?  Sure, you could pedal, but why not take the extra help, especially when it has no carbon emissions.  The bike can move at a speed of up to 19mph by way of it’s 500 watt electric motor.  You can score a completed bike for about $1,250 or opt fo the kit which costs $775.

7) Solar Golf Cart

This thing costs a whopping $9k, but that’s the price you pay for a little luxury and a clear conscious.  The roof features 72 photovoltaic cells that increase its range by up to 33% between charges of a standard electric golf cart.  That means you can play 10 rounds of golf before it needs to be plugged in, or you can just leave it in the sun for 15 hours and you’ll be all set.

6) Nuna4 Fastest Solar Car

This things takes records, period.  It weighs less than 190 kg and can achieve a top speed of 90.87 kmh.  Enough said.

Hit the ‘leap’ for the remaining 5

5) Venturi High Performance Solar Vehicle

This is the first commercially available high performance solar vehicle. It boast 21 square meters of solar cells.  The passenger sits directly behind the driver, who can accelerate the vehicle to a top speed of 120 kmh with a range of 110 km.  Unfortunately, we don’t think any have been built.

4) Smallest Solar Power Car

This little car is the smallest solar powered vehicle.  It measures 33×22×14 millimeters and has a tiny electric engine.

3) World’s First Solar Powered Motorcycle

The dude that built this apparently sold his entire motorcycle collection and house to fund the project.  The result?  The world’s first sun powered motorcycle with a range of 50 miles.  It took him more than 2 years to build.

2) Planet Solar, World’s Largest Solar Boat

We’ve covered the Planet Solar boat in the past.  It’s the largest of its type and rocks 1600 square feet of solar panels.  It’s cost its maker more than $25 million to build and took its first ocean voyage this past March.

1) Solar Impulse Plane

This plane just completed its first 24 hour flight.  It’s a single person vehicle powered by 12,000 solar cells.  It’s inventor is now planning for an around the world trip.

And we thought the Energy Curtains were cool.  These windows, which look almost like everyday windows, contain translucent solar cells that capture energy from the sun.  They were unveiled at Taipei’s International Optoelectronics Week and come in a few different opacity levels.  The darker the window the more energy it can harvest.  While they’re a long ways away from replacing a stand alone solar cell, or so we guess, they’re far more practical than slapping up additional panels on your roof, that is assuming of course your anti-eye sore and are willing to take the gamble that little Jimmy doesn’t fire a baseball through them.

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Windows lets sun shine in. Conversely, curtains keep the light out. The Energy Curtain makes the best of both worlds by harvesting the sun’s rays and uses it to power the fabrics light emitting fabric. So, effectively the conceptual product keeps the sun out on hot summer days while providing light and cutting down on your energy consumption – a triple whammy. Now, only if they can come up with an efficient solar cell.

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Solar infused cell phones are nothing new, but soon as a company like Apple is involved the world is all ears.  Their newly minted patent calls for an iPhone that uses a capacitive touchscreen with a layer of solar cells hidden behind it.  Cool, because I would hate to see the aesthetic of the iPhone get ruined with those unsightly photovoltaic cells.  The patent also indicates that the back of the phone might also include the solar tech or use a special material that allows the sun’s ray to shine through to the tasty solar core.

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Oh the burden of a large yard. Yup, it’s a pretty painful thing. Heck, if you’re not too careful you might get lost out there one drunken night or at the very least lose your sense of direction. To keep you on the straight and narrow is the Solar Lighted Walkway Tiles. 4 LEDs placed at each corner of the wooden looking tile (it’s made from plastic) turn on automatically when the sun goes down and are powered by the day’s ray which means no batteries to replace or cords to hassle with. You can place them individually or lock them together to form one cool ass looking deck. The 4 LEDs are each rated for up to 20,000 hours of life, which should get you about 4.5 years of use.

The only downside you ask? A set of four 11″ x 11″ tiles costs $100.

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Chinavison once again never fails to impress with their new 20,000 mAh Solar Battery.  The huge array of solar cells will be much more effective in trapping rays and may not actually take forever like virtually every other solar charger I’ve tried.

The charger comes packed with 29 unique adapter tips to satisfy almost any gadget you have in your arsenal.  Priced at $148, this charger is pretty much a steal and anybody looking to go green may want to get their hands on this now.  

[via Dvice]

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Summer is upon us which means beach, pool, picnics and more.  But what’s an outing without some tunes.  This solar powered iPod Speaker dock is apparently the first of its kind (I don’t buy that).  Flipping open the protective lid, which is rated to IPX-4 when closed – that means it can resist splashes from all angles – provides off the grid charging of the speakers built-in lithium battery.  Surprisingly, three hours of solar charging produces up to one hour of listening time on the two 5-watt full-range speakers, which are housed inside a rugged, rubberized and aluminum body.

Hammacher has it for $200.

How would you like to score some of those tax credits associated with the installation of solar panels on your home? I know I would. While I don’t think MIT’s printable solar cells will qualify any time soon, the convenience and accessibility should out weigh any monetary breaks from the government.

Researchers say the solar panels can be printed out using a similar process to that of an inkjet printer. The semiconductor-coated paper features carbon-based dyes, which provide it with its solar capabilities, though the cell’s efficiency is just 1.5% to 2%. But the key to their success is the low cost and using them in mass quantity.

Right now the tech is years away from commercialization and still in the research phase. But hey, this could not only cut carbon emissions in the Western part of the world, but help those in less affluent areas to be self sufficient.

[via Inhabitat]

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While some people adamantly attest for their disdain towards IKEA products for whatever reason, I love them.  I’m always on a budget and still have IKEA stuff from almost 10 years ago.  New to their collection comes the SOLIG Solar Office Lamps.

Provided they are in a well lit area during the day, the lamp stores daylight in its solar cell for use of its LED lighting during the evening hours.  Sounds like a steal for only $20 a piece!  Available now at the IKEA website or warehouse near you.

Key features:

• Runs on solar cells that transform sunlight into electricity; helps you save energy and reduce your environmental footprint.
• Solar cells transform sunlight into electrical energy – requires no electrical connections.
• Uses LEDs, which consume approx. 70% less energy and last 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Fun tidbits:

• Position the product so the solar cell panel on top is well exposed to sunlight.
• Approved for use as outdoor lighting, IP 44.
• 3 rechargeable AA 1.2V batteries for solar cell driven products are included.
• Color temperature; warm white (Kelvin 3000).
• Integrated light source.
• LED life time approx. 20,000 hours.
• When the battery is fully charged, the product will light at full power for aprox. 3 hours.
• Recharging time is 8 hours in direct sunlight.

[via Unplggd]

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We’ve seen our fair share of solar powered gadgets, but none quite so odd as the HDTV-T900.  First up, it costs just $88.  Second, you can power it by simply placing it in the sun thanks to the two solar panels.   But outside of that it is your garden variety motion capture device.  It can snap 12 megapixel photos, capture 720p video, has a 1/2.5″ CMOS sensor, 3-inch LCD, LED night vision function, an SDHC card slot and HDMI output.  Oh yeah, you can also power the device using 4 AAA batteries.  Something just doesn’t seem right…

[via RFJ]

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Yesterday we had an interesting solar powered lantern, but now we’re upping the scale with a solar powered plane! The Solar Impulse had its first flight today in Switzerland, getting 5,500 feet of altitude and doing test maneuvers that went off without a hitch. In specs, the plane’s wingspan is a little over sixty meters long, covered in 12,000 solar cells that power the 40 hp engine, getting to an average speed of 44 mph.

The flight lasted 87 minutes, filled with sharp turns, bank angles, and the crucial take off and landing. This is the first step in a planned around the world-flight scheduled for 2012. Before that, a 36 hour flight is planned. Way cool.

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Here’s an example of a great product doing good in the world. Plus Minus Solar have created a Solar Pebble to reduce the use of dangerous kerosene lamps in the world’s poorest regions. It’s portable, can be hung or clipped onto bicycles, and it charges other small electronics, like mobile phones. In a year, it costs a tenth of what lighting a home by kerosene would, and its much more safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly. This is great design in action.

The Solar Pebble will be available in June, with pricing currently unknown. Best of all, for every purchase in the developed world, Solar Pebbles will send one to the undeveloped world.

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Replacing batteries on my remote controls is something I rarely do.  I still have the original AA’s in my Onkyo Amp remote from 2004.  For those who want to totally abandon all batteries in their living room, the Powerplus Solar Remote Control can be yours for the taking.

The remote is universal and and uses artificial light as well as natural sunlight to power the internal lithium Ion battery.  Super easy to program, you can buy one now for $15.

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