First up, we have the Voltaic backpack from VoltaicSystems.com. It's big (but not too big), can power any handheld-size gadget and even has an on-board battery for energy provisions when the sun ain't shining. Take that, all of you simpletons who always fought against solar power because of the retarded excuse "What do you do when the sun isn't out?" Click the pic to go to the product site or check out a review of the bag at TreeHugger.com. This bag lists at $229 which is not bad considering you'll never need to plug in your myriad gadgets again. And if you're like me--and I know I am (HA!), there's nothing more annoying than having to plug in your myriad gadgets every night--well, aside from forgetting to plug in your myriad gadgets every night. That really sucks.
Next up we have the SCOTTEVEST (SEV for short) which has a buttload of pockets for all of your various devices. The solar panel on back, like the Voltaic, charges a battery that can charge any device that can be powered via USB. What's more is that you can take the solar panel off if you're worried that you'll look too forward thinking in front of your friends. (Don't worry, the jacket isn't actually transparent--the pic to the left just shows you were the pockets are.) The SEV lists for $424 but a lining is extra. Is this worth it? Dunno--couldn't find a review of this jacket, but since it powers anything that takes power through USB, that makes it pretty versatile. Click the pic to go to its product page at ScottEVest.com. I'm wondering if they'll decide to release different colored versions--black is great, but maybe not for everyone. Also, I'd love to see a version that allows you to unzip the sleeves--remember, it is called the ScottEVest, right?
Here we have the Solaris 25 portable solar panel from Brunton.com. It provides enough power to charge your laptop battery or the batteries of other large electronic gadgets (like a MiniDV camera) and, according to the description, can fold up into a package akin to a closed laptop. Pretty sweet. The only catch is the price--it lists at $400. It doesn't come with an onboard battery, but in theory could charge external rechargeables. Again, no luck finding a review (their customer service is very polite and ready to answer questions, however). Click the pic to check out its product page.
Finally we have something that doesn't use solar energy to provide electricity but does use solar energy to make water safe for human consumption. It's called an AquaPak from SolarSolutions.info. What it does is actually pasteurize water killing off germs, bacteria and so on so you don't have to drink them. This is ideal for campers or people living in third world countries with no clean water facilities to access. They can provide up to 4 gallons of safe drinking water per day and can be used for three years. For us westerners in first world countries one bag costs $20 but for emergencies, it might not be a bad idea to have one around. For third worlders AquaPaks (as the company calls them) can be produced for just 1USD per bag. Pretty cool, huh? Why do we have to pay more? Because we can afford it. Click the pic to check out the product page.See? So, while solar power isn't as cheap as we'd like it to be, it has come a long way. Sure, it's still got some distance to go, but these are fairly affordable if you consider how much you'll save in the long run. Also, if we support this technology now, more companies will begin making solar-power products which will bring the price down.
I know solar won't solve all of our energy problems, but it can certainly solve some of them and in the face of rising oil prices and shrinking supply, isn't it a good idea to start diversifying our energy sources?
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