Awesome Solar

BioLite’s latest portable solar-powered USB charger sports two solar panels that generate up to 10W of power. The SolarPanel 10+ can charge a phone in as little as 1 hour under direct sunlight. It also has a built-in 3,000mAh battery for storing captured energy.

This battery-powered lantern provides a bright, directional light source which can be stood up, flipped over, or hung from above. In addition to its quick-charger microUSB port, it can be juiced up via its three solar panels. Offers two brightness modes, plus an SOS flashing mode.

Developed as an alternative to kerosene lamps, the Consol Solar Jar has four LEDs underneath its lid and a battery charged by the solar panel on top of the lid. It gives an hour of light for every hour of sunlight, has a clever magnetic switch, and can also be charged via MicroUSB.

The third part of Tesla’s bid to make going green appealing and reasonably-priced. The Solar Roof is a set of tempered glass tiles that look just like normal roof tiles. Paired with the new Powerwall 2 batteries, the system can easily power a four-bedroom house.

A 5W solar panel with a built-in 2200mAh battery. It has a sun dial that will tell you how to best position the panel. It’s also waterproof, scratch-resistant and has a 360º kickstand. There’s also a cheaper variant that doesn’t have a built-in battery.

When you’re outdoors, you always want plenty of water. But carrying around a huge pack can be a pain. Fontus is developing water bottles that can capture condensation at a rate up to 0.8L per hour. The Airo goes anywhere, while the Ryde grabs water while you ride your bike.

A compact, lightweight and easy to use heavy duty solar power rig. The 50W Predator 50 solar panel is waterproof, shatterproof and modular. The Kodiak generator has a 90Ah Li-ion battery, 6 110V outlets, 4 USB ports, a 30A RV outlet and 2 12V car sockets.

Yolk claims its Solar Paper is the world’s thinnest and lightest solar panel. Each panel generates 2.5W of power, but you can connect up to four of them using their built-in magnets. Note that the final product will have only 1 USB port.

Kevin and Grant from the Science Channel’s show What Could Possibly Go Wrong harness the power of the sun, using the fresnel lens from an old rear-projection TV to focus a dangerously hot beam that can melt metals.

Coca-Cola and ad agency Leo Burnett Colombia came up with a cooler that runs on solar power. It uses evaporating water and a refrigerant to cool drinks. We hope they share their design with the public. More here.

A concept hybrid car based on the Ford C-Max Energi. Its battery can still be charged on charging stations, but it also has solar panels on its roof. Using a special canopy, the car’s battery can be recharged entirely through solar power.

A pair of headphones with a solar panel on the headband. The power that the panel gathers is stored in two batteries inside each ear cup, then harnessed via a USB port. It can also be plugged in to store power for later use.

It kind of looks like a dismantled torpedo, but it’s actually a kettle that brings liquids to a boil by converting solar energy into heat. It takes about 2 hours to bring 17oz to a boil. A little long but much welcomed when out in the rough.

By turning the screen of an old rear-projection TV into a giant fresnel magnifying lens, Grant Thompson magnifies the light of the sun to cook food, boil liquid, ignite fuel, and melt pennies.

Solar chargers are handy, but most of them take forever to power up your gear. The SunVolt’s fold-flat panel is capable of charging multiple gadgets as fast as if they were plugged into the wall.

Rodrigo Rubio and his colleagues only needed 5 weeks to create the Solar House 2.0 – and were able to customize it for its surroundings – thanks to digital design and digital fabrication technology.

A portable generator made of flexible thin film solar panels, a charge controller and a battery. It can produce up to 2500W of electricity and has a built-in 120V AC outlet and 12V car adapter.

A Bluetooth sound system powered via AC or sunlight. Its built-in solar panels can fully charge the Rukus in 6 hours. It also acts as a charger, with a USB port for juicing up other gadgets.

(NSFW: Language) Just because this motorized sled runs on solar power doesn’t mean that it can’t zip along at breakneck speeds, taking its creators for a scenic ride along an abandoned railroad track.

Andrea Ponti’s entry into Fujitsu’s A LIFE with Future Computing competition envisions a laptop that’s got large solar panels built into both the lid and under a transparent touch-sensitive keyboard.

Created by professor Sheila Kennedy and a team of MIT students, these rockers capture solar and kinetic energy, passing it along to USB gadgets and a cool electroluminescent lighting system at night.

A project of the Undercurrents charity, the Sol Cinema is the world’s smallest solar-powered movie house. It can accommodate 8 adults and mostly shows locally made short films. Video here.

Weng Jie has designed an excellent camera strap that features thin solar films across the width of the strap to harness solar energy and charge your camera when out clicking away in the field.