Solar Trees

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There is an old joke in Oklahoma, that in the summer time, you can tell the best parking place not by which one is closest to the door, bu which one has the best all day shade!

Envision Solar makes a solar array mounted on a central pole. On the top of the canopy is mounted the solar and under the canopy is SHADE! In addition, the central pole can be equipped with Envision Solar's CleanCharge solar charging stations using the Coulomb ChargePoint for both electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Every parking lot in the sunbelt could use these to great advantage. In fact, Dell headquarters in Round Rock, Texas (north of Austin on IH 35) installed enough to provide 50 covered parking slots. And provide 130 kW of energy. Pretty neat.


Seems to me, my gentle snowflakes, that if I ran the Sonic Corp, since I already have the covered parking slots, I would look into this application pretty quick. Cheaper energy, government tax credits (both Federal and state), impress my customers with my "green" efforts, what's not to like? I don't know the franchise structure, but if each Sonic is individually owned, and if I were one of the owners, I would look into this for my local franchise.
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Rethinking Solar Power

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I have been wanting to get rid of the vertical blinds. But maybe they can be retro-fitted?

This is pretty neat.

Illuminating Solar Blinds Turn the Lights On

by Haily Zaki, 11/20/08

What do you get when you take an average vertical blind (the kind found in practically any rental apartment across the United States), outfit it with special mini photovoltaics and LED pixels, then add a healthy dose of creative inspiration? The surprisingly chic and witty Solar Vertical Lamp designed by Yoon-Hui Kim and Eun-Kyung Kim. By creatively applying existing technology, Kim and Kim transform the lowly blind into a sustainable, sexy, and dramatic lighting system. Finally, a blind that has truly seen the light.

The two-dimensional lamps are brilliant in their simplicity. During the day, miniature solar pads soak up the sun’s energy. At night, artfully placed lighting pixels (similar to those used on billboards) illuminate. Simply close the blinds to ‘turn on’ your lights. These smart lights come in table lamp, floor lamp, and chandelier forms that add dramatic ambiance to any room in the house. Besides being completely energy-efficient and saving you tons of money on your monthly bill, you never have to dust them!

Via Yanko Design

I particularly like the "no dusting" feature. Maybe the whole panel could be made to "glow"--kind of like a fantastic night light.
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A Really Neat Idea -- & It Looks Good, Too

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Solar Tree Hits the Streets, and Passes the Test

by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 12.27.07

Science & Technology (solar)

It wasn’t the first time we’d seen solar street lights (other examples can be seen here, here and here), but it was probably the most beautiful. When we first saw the solar tree concept by Welsh designer Ross Lovegrove we really were pretty taken aback. It is a gorgeous example of a marriage between form and function. However, often such concepts remain just that – concepts – so we were delighted to hear, via Renewable Energy Access, that the design has now undergone real-world testing on the streets of Vienna, with positive results:

"The solar cells on the tree were able to store enough electricity in spite of receiving no direct solar light for days at a time because of the clouds. They showed that solar trees really are a practical form of street lighting," Christina Werner from Cultural Project Management (Kulturelles Projektmanagement, Vienna) told enewableEnergyAccess.com. She said that the City of Vienna was now in the process of deciding whether to install more solar trees. "We hope that not only the city of Vienna but other cities will see the merits of using renewable energy for street lighting to cut emissions," Christina Werner said. "Someday soon solar trees could well be the main form of street lighting in Europe."

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I think this looks really neat. And it is a really good idea, too -- with already real-world application/usage to prove it more than just a "nice" concept.