solar posts
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (19 days ago)
May 6th, 2013 at 8:00AM: Let's face it; in the modern era of travel most of us rarely hit the road without a slew of gadgets in tow. Smartphones, tablets, digital cameras and a host of other devices have all made travel simpler and more enjoyable than ever before. But keeping the batteries on all of those items fully charged can be a real challenge, especially when traveling through remote locations. Fortunately, there ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Mar 31st, 2013 at 8:00AM: After completing a 26-hour flight in 2010 and going from Switzerland to Morocco completely under solar power last year, the Solar Impulse is set to take on its next challenge later this spring. The high-tech plane, powered completely be the sun, will attempt to fly coast to coast across the U.S. starting in May.
On Thursday, Solar Impulse pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg announced ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jan 21st, 2013 at 8:00AM: Advances in photovoltaic cell technology in recent years have helped to make solar chargers a viable option for travelers, particularly those visiting destinations that fall off the grid. Smaller, lighter and more efficient solar panels have made it possible for us to keep our favorite gadgets and tech gear charged while on the go. Despite those improvements, however, solar charging isn't always ...
by Kraig Becker (RSS feed) (8 months ago)
Sep 24th, 2012 at 8:00AM: Keeping all of our electronic gadgets charged while traveling can be a real challenge, particularly if you're visiting a remote part of the world where electricity is at a premium. But just as the gizmos we carry with us have gotten more sophisticated so have the options for keeping them powered. One of those options is taking a solar charger with us when we hit the road. A solar cell provides ...
by Pam Mandel (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Feb 1st, 2012 at 9:00AM:
I kind of hate how much I love my iPhone. It's not right and yes, I'm addicted to it and shut up, don't you have something else to give me a hard time about? Like my social media addiction, which also, you could leave me alone about because it's a critical part of how I make a living, so back off already.
Plus, it was super cool when, thanks to the wonders of my phone, a roaming data plan, and ...
by Stephen Greenwood (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Dec 4th, 2010 at 9:00AM:
On Thursday, FIFA announced that Qatar defeated South Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States in the race to host the 2022 World Cup. This historic decision marks the first time a Middle Eastern country will welcome a major sporting event.
FIFA's choice has brought a significant backlash in the American media, with critics claiming that the summer heat (as high as 120 degrees ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Jul 24th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
A week ago we reported on the Zephyr solar airplane flying nonstop for a week. Yesterday it landed safely after flying nonstop for two weeks, achieving the goal its designers set for it.
The unmanned drone runs on efficient solar cells along its wingspan that charge batteries to keep it running through the night. Sunny skies over Arizona helped boost its power. Engineers hope that it will be ...
by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Jul 21st, 2010 at 3:30PM:
Keeping your devices powered when traveling is often a challenge. On many trips, it involves finding a power outlet, on some trips you may need to resort to using a battery backup pack, but some destinations may even stretch your batteries to the limit.
On those trips, you'll need to find alternative power sources - and one of the easiest to tap into is the sun.
The KiwiChoice U-Powered ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Jul 17th, 2010 at 1:30PM:
We recently reported on the historic flight of the Solar Impulse, the first solar-powered plane to fly through the night. Now another barrier has been broken. The Zephyr solar plane has flown nonstop for seven days.
Unlike the Solar Impulse, which carried a pilot, the Zephyr is an unmanned drone built by the UK defense firm Qinetiq. Drones have seen extensive service in Afghanistan and Iraq ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Jul 8th, 2010 at 12:30PM:
An airplane that relies entirely on solar energy has flown for 24 hours straight, cruising along happily through the darkness and emerging into the dawn with three hours left in its batteries. Once the sun rose, of course, the batteries immediately began to recharge.
The Solar Impulse is the product of the same great minds that brought you the cuckoo clock--the Swiss! The entire wingspan is ...
by Stephen Greenwood (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Dec 11th, 2009 at 9:00AM:
The idea for ToughStuff came to Adriaan on a trip to his home in the Netherlands, between stints of working with charities and NGO's in Africa for fifteen years.
He was in the garden, inspecting a cheap outdoor lamp that had solar panels built in to the top of the plastic. The light would automatically recharge a set of internal batteries during the day, and have enough power to stay ...
by Stephen Greenwood (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Dec 3rd, 2009 at 9:00AM:
Adriaan and I are barreling down a small cobblestone street in a dusty 4x4. Several people narrowly miss the car's bull bars as they dash across the road, yet hardly flinch when we brush past them. I look out into the mass of people; skin tones are a mix of brown and black. Moderately well dressed people walk next to beggars with torn shirts.
The market we're passing feels as crowded and ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Sep 22nd, 2009 at 2:00PM:
Montreal has to be one of the most bike-friendly cities on the planet – certainly, at least, in North America. There are bike lanes throughout the city, and those using them don't seem to have the fear found in other major metropolitan areas. Bike lanes are wide and bidirectional, so you don't need to worry about clipping another rider.
If you want to become part of the cycling scene in ...
by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Jul 30th, 2009 at 5:30PM: On Tuesday, I wrote about Turtle Airships, a company that's trying to produce a solar-powered amphibious "airship" capable of crossing the Atlantic. While we weren't exactly flooded with responses over the post, we did get a few concerned comments from members of the Lighter-than-Air community. Yes, there is a whole community dedicated to blimps, zeppelins, and airships, and yes those are all ...
by Katie Hammel (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Jul 28th, 2009 at 4:30PM: First, let's just get this out of the way: it is not, I repeat not, a blimp. Whew! Okay. . . Turtle Airships (a Spanish company that seems to have some intense aversion to the word "blimp") is working on an airship that will make the journey from NYC to Paris, powered predominantly by the sun.
The top half of the blimp airship will be covered in solar panels that will store energy in batteries ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
Mar 28th, 2009 at 10:00AM: Okay, it's not exactly a cure for cancer, but any initiative that does cut down on fossil fuel reliance still resonates with me. So, I was pretty excited to see that the Jalousie Plantation has adopted a hybrid solar-powered golf cart to move guests around on its 192-acre property ... with no carbon emissions! This is among the first of these environmentally-friendly golf carts in the Caribbean, ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
Mar 23rd, 2009 at 1:30PM: Earth Hour is on Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 PM. The hospitality and travel industry seems to have embraced this commitment to environmentalism. There are plenty of noteworthy initiatives out there intended to show support for a planet that could probably use our help. Of course, some are more interesting than others. I'm pretty interested in what's going on at Abercrombie & Kent and Fairmont. ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
Feb 18th, 2009 at 1:00PM: One flip of the switch changed the Crowne Plaza Alice Springs and upped the ante for hotels around the world. The Australia hotel now uses the largest building-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system in the Southern Hemisphere. This $3.3 million installation will cut the property's energy consumption by 40 percent to 80 percent (depending on the time of year), and a broader energy efficiency ...
by Anna Brones (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
Jul 17th, 2008 at 5:00PM: The airplanes flying in and out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport might still be running on traditional fuel, but the airport itself will be saving $13 million in energy costs over the next 20 years thanks to solar power. Yesterday welcomed the dedication of the new solar array which will provide 40% of the day-to-day lighting, air conditioning, controls and towers of the airport. Given ...
by Leif Pettersen (RSS feed) (5 years ago)
Dec 5th, 2007 at 9:30AM: How green is the Solio® Hybrid 1000?
The Solio is so green you could toss it in with some lettuce, croutons and parmesan cheese, drizzle Caesar dressing over everything and eat it raw (right before a big helping of 'tofurkey', obviously).
This beautifully crafted bundle of eco-feel-good bliss makes the necessary evil of killing batteries a little less disagreeable. Using the glorious power ...
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