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9/6/2021                                 7 Solar Sensations: From Your Pocket to the Sky - ABC News

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           7 Solar Sensations: From Your Pocket to
           the Sky
           Energy from the sun can power phones, cars, planes and more.

           By KI MAE HEUSSNER and LIAM BERKOWITZ
           June 24, 2009, 6:18 PM • 6 min read

           June 25, 2009— -- The sky would be the limit if it were possible to effectively
           harness the power of the sun.

           That's not the case yet. But now that President Barack Obama and other
           world leaders are committing to developing green technology, experts say we
           could be getting closer.

           Jeremy Kaplan, editor of GoodCleanTech.com, said that in the past eight to
           12 months, there has been a boom in green technology, including solar. "It's
           all a response to the Obama administration's investments in green
           technology," he said.

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9/6/2021                                 7 Solar Sensations: From Your Pocket to the Sky - ABC News

           After decades of not investing in it, solar technology isn't where it could be.
           But, with new federal support, he thinks that will change.

           "We can do some really innovative stuff given the the extra funding," he
           said. "We'll see solar cells invade our lives over the next couple of years."

           In the meantime, here are a few stand-outs offering a sneak preview.

           Solar-Powered Aircraft Takes Flight This Week

           Solar Impulse's solar-powered aircraft may only have room for two, but
           make no mistake about it -- this plane is a big deal. The aircraft, dubbed the
           HB-SIA, brings aviation innovators one step closer to a solar-powered
           commercial airplane.

           The plane's specs include a wingspan of about 200 feet, a weight of about
           3,527 pounds and a maximum altitude of about 27,887 feet. At the project's
           helm are Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, the men behind Solar
           Impulse.

           Piccard and Borschberg will unveil the plane's prototype Friday and, if the
           plane's test flights go well, plan to build a second plane in 2011, with the
           eventual aim of completing a flight around the globe.

           'Blue Earth' Phone Charges Via Solar Panel

           In the spirit of 21st century technology, Samsung's solar-powered "Blue
           Earth" cell phone matches innovation with an environmental conscience.

           The phone, made available this week in Asia, is made from recycled plastic,
           packaged in recycled paper and equipped with a built-in pedometer that
           allows users to measure their individual carbon footprints.

           "Blue Earth" is charged via a solar panel on its back, a device so efficient,
           Samsung claims, users can make calls on the phone "anytime anywhere."

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9/6/2021                                 7 Solar Sensations: From Your Pocket to the Sky - ABC News

           The Tent of the Future?

           If the Jetson family went camping, this is the tent they would choose.

           Unveiled by French telecom giant Orange earlier this week, this solar
           concept tent uses specially-coated solar threads to harness the sun's energy.
           With that power, the tent charges gadgets that are placed in a special pouch
           and provides a wireless Internet signal.

           The tent celebrates Orange's 11th year at the U.K.'s Glastonbury music
           festival and was designed with the festival-goer in mind. The U.S. product
           design consulting company Kaleidoscope contributed to the project, which
           builds on similar tents from 2003 and 2004.

           To help campers find their tents in crowded music festivals at night, the
           tent uses so-called "glo-cation" technology. A text message sent from a cell
           phone triggers the tent to glow in the dark.

           And once the interior temperature drops below a certain point, a heater
           embedded in the tent's groundsheet automatically switches on.

           It all sounds pretty dreamy. But if you're a strict, no-creature comforts
           camper, take heart: It's all just a vision for now. No plans are underway to
           bring it to market yet.

           Solar-Powered Bus Stations

           Later this year, residents of Florence, Italy, will get to touch a piece of the
           future, literally.

           A prototype of a solar-powered, interactive bus shelter will launch in the
           city in October, and researchers hope a whole system of a few thousand will
           follow in 2010.

           Designed by architects and engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of
           Technology's SENSEable City Lab, the EyeStop is covered with touch-

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9/6/2021                                 7 Solar Sensations: From Your Pocket to the Sky - ABC News

           sensitive e-INK and screens.

           While waiting for the bus, riders can check e-mail, monitor air quality and
           check out the exact location of the bus they are waiting for.

           In May, San Francisco cut the ribbon on the first of its own system of solar
           powered bus stations. The energy powers energy-efficient lights and bus
           route information systems.

           MUNI (San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency) is also testing
           Wi-Fi connections so that people can surf the Internet on smart phones and
           laptops while waiting for the bus.

           Sweden's Supercar

           It bears a striking resemblance to the bat mobile, but presumably this slick
           supercar does its most impressive work during the day.

           Swedish carmaker Koenigsegg debuted the Quant electric car earlier this
           year at the Geneva Motor Show. The luxury car is covered in a thin-film
           photovoltaic coating that absorbs energy and is said to charge up in 20
           minutes.

           It was unveiled as a concept car but rumors are spreading online that the
           company could begin limited production within a couple of years.

           Acres and Acres of Solar Panels

           Covering more than a thousand acres and generating enough power for
           about 78,000 homes, the Solar Energy Generating Systems is the largest
           solar installation in the world.

           Collectively, the nine plants in California's Mojave Desert produce about
           354 megawatts of power, according to the Solar Energy Industries
           Association (SEIA).

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9/6/2021                                      7 Solar Sensations: From Your Pocket to the Sky - ABC News

           Because the Mojave Desert receives so much sunlight, it is especially suited
           for solar installations. One of the most recent, Nevada Solar One, covers
           about 400 acres.

           Mobile Energy

           They may not impress with their size or style, but solar-powered phone and
           gadget chargers deserve a nod for giving us portable power.

           The Solio Classic Hybrid Charger, for examples, weighs 5.6 ounces and
           easily slips in a pocket or purse. But after spending an hour in the sun, the
           $99.95 gadget can charge your phone for 15 minutes of talk time or your MP3
           player for 40 minutes. It may not be the best way to charge a phone but, in
           an emergency, it could certainly see you through.

           The Juice Bag, from Washington, D.C.-based Reware, serves a similar
           function. The beach tote features a solar panel on the front and if you're
           spending a day at the beach or lake, it can become the power source for your
           iPod, phone or camera. At $249.99, it's not cheap. But the company says it
           can charge your devices in about the same amount of time as if they were
           plugged into a wall socket.

           ABC News' Dean Praetorius contributed to this report.

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