Cool solar gadget

We don’t even need new solar innovations for solar to take over most power generation through economies of scale, but we will start seeing more innovative solar gadgets like this one, leading to even more distribution of solar power.

Just stick this portable outlet to your window to start using solar power (by Sarah Laskow for Grist 29 April 2013)

We have seen a lot of solar chargers in our day. And among all of them, this is the first one we’ve seen that we will definitely run out and buy as soon as it’s made available in the U.S. It’s a portable socket that gets its power from the sun rather than the grid. You plug into a window instead of into the wall. It’s easy.

That was the whole point, according to the designers, Kyohu Song and Boa Oh: “We tried to design a portable socket, so that users can use it intuitively without special training,” they write.

It’s got solar panels, a plug, and batteries for 10 hours. It won’t run your air conditioner, but it will charge your phone.

Here’s another company’s take on the same idea from last year, and you can buy that one right now. Only in bulk, apparently. But stay tuned: we’ll see more ways to put solar chargers on your window, your car’s window, your car, your hat, etc….

-jsq