It’s 2021 and we need to get as eco-friendly as we can! We can no more continue living the way we always have, ignoring the needs of the environment and being insensitive to Mother Earth. Living a more conscious life also includes taking into consideration our energy sources. Curbing fossil fuel consumption has now become a priority, and we have a more positive energy source in mind as an alternative – the Sun! Solar power is taking the world by storm. Designers and architects are coming up with solar-powered products, homes, hotels, offices, and automobiles! Solar energy can be used to power almost every object we use in our day-to-day lives. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of products backed up by the sun for you – from a solar-powered electric bike to a solar outdoor cooler!
CAKE has been on a quest to develop sustainable electric bikes with its first custom-built electric off-road motorbike introduced in 2018. Then the Swedish marque again surprised motorheads with the funky modular bike dubbed Ösa which could be personalized depending on the specific needs. Now CAKE wants to protect the African wildlife from the impending threat of poachers. They call this new version the Kalk AP (for anti-poaching), and it’s solar-powered for good measure. The clean energy-powered drivetrain means less noise which in turn means minimal disturbance for the native wild animals in their habitat, and also a means not to alert the poachers on the prowl. The bike doesn’t need to be hooked to the electrical grid for a charge, adding to its versatility in operation sans any time delays. This two-wheeler is based on the original Kalk bike that created quite a buzz when CAKE burst into the scene.
You could call it a modern-age refrigerator with unique capabilities or a solar-powered mighty outdoor cooler with an amazing USP – it doesn’t require ice to keep the contents cold. The theory on which an outdoor cooler is built, that the insulated box melts ice at a very slow rate, and in turn chills your beverages and food. GoSun Chill Solar Cooler ditches ice completely and instead uses Solar Powered energy to keep the inside compartment cool – in many ways making it an ‘outdoor fridge’. To keep it going efficiently, GoSun Chill charges via multiple power source options. This includes Powerbank, AC Adapter, 12 Volt Cord (carport charger), Solar Table, or Flexible Solar Panels. Choose the most convenient power source, based on what’s available to you at that point. I like the fact that it can keep food frozen for hours, and keeps food items from getting soggy.
Segway has come a long way in changing the perception of personal mobility and how technology propels it forward for ultimate user satisfaction. The two-wheeled personal mobility vehicle has inspired many other designs that shape the future of mobility on the outskirts of urban spaces. This 100 percent electric-powered personal mobility scooter takes a step further – it is autonomous and is fueled by a sustainable energy source – the Sun. The brainchild of designer Alejandro Otálora, Creative Director, OneBot Design Studio – the Rolo is envisioned to be a future public transport vehicle that can be called on-demand via an app. The four-wheeled transporter makes use of advanced RP LIDAR navigation cameras to steer its way through the streets. The top panel of the stable ride is covered with solar panel cells that power the unit. The solar panel is lifted up to face the Sun and provides support for the commuter en route to the destination.
Everyone loves a bunch of pretty flowers and sunflowers are one of my favorites, I do wonder why I haven’t received any. Guess XD Design felt the same since sunflowers were the inspiration for their ‘Sunshine Solar Charger’. Yes, the charger looks like a bunch of sunflowers facing towards the sun, and they do so because they make use of solar energy and not electricity to charge your phones! Equipped with a 25000mAh rechargeable lithium battery that stores all that sun-sourced energy, the solar charger transfers it to your mobile device or tablet, boosting them up with some juice. Integrated solar panels at the center of the flowers and an impressive resound material combination make this charger like no other.
GoSun is a pioneer in the fuel-free industry and it is utilizing the best of clean tech to help you use more sun…to brew more coffee. “We love being outdoors, sharing our experiences, and staying connected, but we hate running out of power and we hate missing our morning coffee – that’s why we created both GoSun Brew and GoSun Power,” says the team who obviously gets good ideas only after their morning fix. You can brew fresh coffee in as little as 15 minutes: simply add water, plug in your flask to the solar-powered power bank, heat for 10 minutes (wait till auto shut-off and LED indicator) after which you add coffee grounds and steep. With the leak-proof lid, you can carry it on-the-go without having to stop through driveways or spilling it on your shirt when you are late for work. With the GoSun Brew, you don’t need the stove (gas, lighter, fire, etc.), kettle, pot, grid power, or any separate accessories to make your favorite drink.
The Solarpill is a pendant-sized solar-powered lighting device that can attach to your body or almost any surface in the wild. How? The white half of the pill has a hole where you can thread a rope through to make a keychain or necklace. That part is also a cap, that when removed, reveals a needle-like stake that can be embedded into trees or soft rocks along your path. Igneous isn’t it? This ability to poke the light into any surface comes especially handy when we need to work hands-free, be it to cut some rope or while relieving ourselves while outdoors. The adaptability and portability of this device make it invaluable for anyone traveling through remote areas at night, from causal hikers to search-and-rescue teams. It is such a convenient, useful product that I could even imagine it becoming a staple, not just in campers’ backpacks, but in every emergency preparedness kit.
Built to run on solar power (so that you don’t have to worry about electricity, batteries, or anything energy-related), the PediCurve Solar gives you a gentle-yet-effective, healthy, and hygienic pedicure, powered entirely by renewable energy. The PediCurve Solar’s waterproof design makes it the most ideal addition to your shower routine. Designed to work on wet skin, the PediCurve’s patented PediGlass discs gently remove any dead skin cells, revealing fresh, glowing skin underneath. Its light exfoliation action emulates the effect of getting a pedicure at the salon, but at home. The Danish-designed device is just a smidge larger than most hand-held scrubbers and comes outfitted with an internal battery, solar-panels, and interchangeable glass discs made in the Czech Republic from Bohemian Glass, known to be gentle and healthy on the skin (each glass disc additionally comes with a one-year warranty).
Designed by Bradley Brister, SunUp is a product designed especially for those outdoor lovers who love hopping off on adventures! SunUp is a solar-power solution that you can easily attach onto your backpack or any other surface such as the top of a canoe. Brister’s design is a combination of small polycrystalline solar panels held together by flexible joints. It provides the functionality of a rigid solar-panel, and the perks of a flexible one as well. It’s the best of both worlds basically! SunUp serves as the perfect sidekick on all your hiking, camping, and other outdoor expeditions.
At CES 2020, Wello presented a nifty electric tricycle that is powered by the sun! The design is a subtle combination of a bike and an electric car and serves as an eco-friendly solar-powered alternative to our usual means of transportation. The car-bike hybrid has been equipped with three wheels and an electric battery. It can cover up to 100 km a day and will work perfectly for short deliveries! It’s the perfect example of sustainable transportation in the modern world.
Six Mexican students kickstarted ‘The Solar Project’, wherein they created six hand auxiliary solar lamps. The low-cost solar-powered lamps were created from Mexican waste materials such as adobe, coconut, beans, wicker, agave, and collagen. Using these materials, LED technology, and solar panels, the students built these sustainable lamps. Besides being sustainable and eco-friendly, these lamps have a rustic aesthetic, and seem more like pieces of artwork rather than lighting objects!