It’s 2022 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 product designs backed up by the sun for you – from a Tesla trailer with solar panels to a luxury yacht that runs 100% on solar energy!
1. The Tesla Solar Range Extending Trailer
It isn’t quite like Tesla to do anything without fanfare, yet at the IdeenExpo in Hannover Germany, the EV giant unveiled a prototype of yet another product they’re working on – a trailer that attaches to the back of your EV, with fold-out solar panels and battery packs that help expand your EV’s range
Why is it noteworthy?
The Tesla Solar Range Extending Trailer is pretty massive. It would perfectly complement your Cybertruck when hooked onto it, and it boasts a set of fold-out solar panels that charge a huge battery pack below it. The impressive trailer even sports a built-in SpaceX Starlink satellite internet receiver providing you with a smooth internet connection, irrespective of where you are.
What we like
- Features a SpaceX Starlink internet terminal
What we dislike
- We don’t know if or when it will be launched
2. The Parelio
The Parelio is a solar-powered beach umbrella that is able to harness the power of the sun to create sustainable energy. The lawn and beach accessory can absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity for things like coolers, mini-refrigerators, phone chargers, and even to power machinery.
Why is it noteworthy?
Instead of the usual beach umbrella design that folds down towards the earth, this one folds upward towards the sun as it absorbs its energy. The inspiration for the design is a combination of origami and the solar systems on NASA spacecraft.
What we like
- Amped with foldable photovoltaic panels
What we dislike
- No complaints!
3. The Adidas RPT-02 SOL
Dubbed the Adidas RPT-02 SOL, these pair of over-the-ear cans juice up with natural light or even artificial light. So, they’ll not need to recharge any time soon.
Why is it noteworthy?
These headphones are a follow-up to the RPT-01(not solar-powered) and promise almost double the playback time at around 80 hours. Not to forget that the RPT-02 SOL are solar powered, and the battery keeps topping up as long as you are exposed to good lighting conditions.
What we like
- Crafted out of recycled plastic
- Used a highly flexible light-cell material by Powerfoyle
What we dislike
- No complaints!
4. Solgaard Solarbank Boombox
Finding a decent Bluetooth speaker may be easy because there are many options. But getting the best or the most affordable one isn’t always the goal. The aim now is to make “greener” choices for the future of the planet. For this reason, the new Solgaard Solarbank Boombox portable speaker enters the market with a sustainable design.
Why is it noteworthy?
The upcycled plastic design refers to speaker cloth and outer shell from plastic waste. These are waste materials but had been upcycled and used instead. This process is part of the brand’s initiative to pull about 5lbs of plastic for every product sold.
What we like
- The Solgaard Solarbank Boombox lets you enjoy music while the battery harnesses the power of the sun
- The Solarbank Boombox is also now sand-proof, water-proof, and drop-proof
What we dislike
- No complaints!
5. The Urbanista Phoenix
Don’t you hate it when you pop your AirPods into your ears only to get a notification that you forgot to charge them? Well, the Urbanista Phoenix seems to have an unusually sensible fix. Equipped with a Powerfoyle solar panel on the charging case, the Phoenix just keeps charging your TWS Earbuds whenever it has access to sunlight or any bright light.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Phoenix builds on that rather clever idea by introducing solar panels onto the charging case instead (because the TWS earbuds themselves are too small to put solar panels on). This effectively allows the earbuds to charge in their case without you needing to physically plug them in or place them on a wireless charging mat.
What we like
- Has built-in active noise canceling
- IPX4 water resistance
What we dislike
- No complaints!
6. The Cladrus
Borrowing from the LightYear One EV’s framework, the Polestar Cladrus concept car comes with transparent solar panels built into its roof, which feeds energy to the car’s graphene-based battery and body panel. If that wasn’t cutting-edge enough, the car’s also been envisioned with level 5 autonomy, thanks to the presence of a Waymo-esque sensor hub on the front of the roof.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Cladrus embodies everything Polestar stands for. It’s cutting-edge, runs on an electrical grid, puts drivers in the lap of luxury, and boasts of a Scandinavian design language that gives the car its signature clean aesthetic. The car also details the partnership agreement between Polestar and Waymo by delivering something that looks rather palpable.
What we like
- Use of recycled metals and plastics in the entire car
- Comes with a sprawling sun-roof that goes from the front all the way to the back
What we dislike
- No complaints!
7. The Matte Works Solar Watches
In a world dominated by smartwatches with disposable lithium-ion batteries and planned obsolescence life cycles, the Matte Works solar watches are refreshing in more ways than one. Not only are they pretty remarkable wristwatches with an evergreen aesthetic, but they also come with solar panels hiding discreetly under the watch dial
Why is it noteworthy?
Unlike a smartwatch that ends up becoming ‘old news’ after the company launches its next version a year later, the Matte Works solar watches stay classy and functional for years, while underscoring the importance of relying on renewable energy.
What we like
- The watch comes with a classic aesthetic that conceals its powerful feature underneath a tinted dial
What we dislike
- No complaints!
8. Sunnyside
Meet Sunnyside, a nifty bento box with a self-heating AND cooling feature that brings your lunch to the right temperature just before your meal. A heating coil around the metal container helps evenly conduct thermal energy around your food, keeping hot stuff hot, or if you’ve got something like an egg/potato salad that’s out in the sun, a pair of fans located on the bottom of the lunchbox pull out warm air, ensuring your food doesn’t spoil in the heat
Why is it noteworthy?
However, the most impressive bit is? Sunnyside relies almost entirely on a solar panel built right into its lid, working off renewable energy. A solar panel built into the lid helps charge the Sunnyside’s internal 10,000mAh battery that powers the lunchbox’s heating and cooling features, and a tiny LCD screen and buttons on the side help you control your Sunnyside, choosing how hot or cool you want the contents of your box to be.
What we like
- Doubles up as a wireless power bank to charge your phone, AirPods, or even your laptop
What we dislike
- No complaints!
9. The Oneiric
Christened the Oneiric, this twin-hulled catamaran sports Zaha Hadid Architects’ signature fluid design and comes with a solar-paneled roof that lets the yacht run entirely on renewable energy.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Oneiric is a 42-meter-long yacht (or a catamaran to be precise) with a twin-hull design that gives it a broader footprint. Its organic, fluid design falls well within the identity of the design language Zaha Hadid Architects is known for. The main deck features a saloon containing a bar and integrated sofas that open onto a second deck with an inbuilt hot tub and two sets of steps that lead down into the sea.
What we like
- Has the ability to switch to 100% solar energy
What we dislike
- No complaints!
10. Solego 2.0
Clean, green, and renewable energy is nowhere more needed than in locations where electricity is not only expensive but also as rare as gold. These are areas where power generators are the go-to solution of homeowners and businesses, which often translates to gasoline generators. These, after all, are nearly ubiquitous, which means they’re easy to find and, more often than not, inexpensive. They are, however, also the worst in almost all other aspects, so more efficient and more economical options are always in high demand.
Why is it noteworthy?
Solego 2.0 addresses those needs by being green in two ways, with the most obvious being how it charges its batteries from the sun. The design is modular so that each battery “pack” can be stacked or extended to provide more power as needed.
What we like
- The battery uses LiFePO4 or Lithium iron phosphate that doesn’t contain rare earths
What we dislike
- No complaints!
