It’s a crazy world this, where brilliant minds deliver unique ways to counter perils. These, which we literally take to be crazy for reasons more than we understand. Because our world confronts shortage of electricity, some witty souls have worked out numerous ways to let us decide our ways to conserve and produce electricity. We aren’t too bright for all this, therefore it’s wise to give it up to the fellows who try to make a difference – so come join our journey in appreciating those who’ve worked out ways to generate electricity using windows as the source.
• Febot – Portable wind-powered battery charger:
Febot is a concept battery charger designed by Ji-Yun-Kim, Soon-young Yang and Hwan-ju Jeon. The torpedo-shaped device can hold a single AA battery in its head. All you have to do is to insert the battery in the space provided and stick the device to your window. The device features an onboard wind turbine that harvest free and renewable wind energy to charge the onboard battery in a few hours.
• Portable Solar Fan:
The Portable Solar Fan by industrial designer Stuart James Sharples is a personal fan for use in the office, car or home that is powered entirely by the sun. The four suction cups allow you to stick the fan to any window and the tilting solar panel means you can adjust the angle for optimum efficiency. The neck of the fan can be tilted and rotated to ensure that the breeze is directed toward you.
• Saint Clair Lamp:
Designed by French Architect and designer Stéphane Maupin, the Saint Clair lamp is a solar-powered lamp that was one of the winning entries for the VIA Project Assistance Grant. The fan is equipped with an array of solar cells underneath its base. Provided with suction pads, the solar lamp can be attached to any window, where it can convert the renewable solar energy into usable electricity to power the lamp after dark.
• Sticker Phone:
The brainchild of industrial designer Liu Hsiang-Ling, the Sticker Phone is a sustainable communication device that runs on the clean energy provided by the sun. This concept mobile phone can be attached to the window of your living room, where it harnesses solar energy to juice up its on-board battery. Designed to be made from silicone, the phone is flexible, allowing you to stick it even on uneven surfaces.
• Light In The Dark:
Light In The Dark is an innovative blind system by Ivan Huber that collects energy from the sun by the day and releases it as needed after dark. Apart from generating renewable energy, the system also regulates the interior temperature of your house by controlling the amount of light that enters your home. Photovoltaic cells on the outer surface of the blinds absorb the sun’s energy by day, storing it in a Lithium Ion battery pack. The inner surface is composed of illumination cells, each housing an LED, reflector panel and lens. When activated, the blinds emanate light — replicating the sunlight by which it was enabled.
• Smart Energy Glass:
Designed by Dutch company Peer+, the Smart Energy Glass is the latest in BIPV technology. The glass generates electricity from solar energy and also gives you the desired privacy as well. Similar to the upcoming LCD glass treatments, these windows let you change their transparency level at the flick of a switch and feature a “Privacy Mode” where the glass is at its darkest.
• Lucet Lamp:
Conceptualized by industrial designer Rui Palma, the Lucet Lamp has been designed to harvest solar energy for nighttime illumination. The Lucet sticks to windows and harvests solar energy during the day to give light at night. The solar panel feeds two AAA batteries so the three white LED can give a strong white glow to the house after dark.
• SunIT Solar-powered Window Blind:
The SunIT is a solar-powered window blind system that has been designed by Yoon Lee and KC Chung. The eco-chic, dual-function solar cell window blinds serves as window shades during the daytime and transforms into lighting device after dark. Each blind panel is made up of sealed dye-sensitized solar cells with an OLED film integrated into the structure.
• Energy generating window shades:
The Energy generating window shades concept has been designed by Damien Savio. The system can absorb sunlight during the day and use it to illuminate your room at night. The design is claimed to be able to convert 4 hours of direct sunlight into enough electricity to power a 60W bulb for 6 hours.
• Sun Tiles:
The Sun Tiles by industrial designer Astrid Krogh is a solar curtain that not only blocks solar heat but also acts as a renewable energy generator. The concept features photovoltaic modules that are woven into textile. These curtains collect energy to generate power, block solar heat and also act as a thermal mass, which heats your interiors when it’s cold outside.
• Solar Modules:
Designed by Studio Vinaccia, the Solar Modules are ceramic tiles equipped with photoelectric cell and a module carrying the lighting system. The system also works as a curtain protecting the living room from being overheated by the sun. In doing so the system harnesses solar energy during the day, which is used to illuminate your interiors after dark. The front and the back of the system is symmetrical and interchangeable, leaving full freedom to the user to change the appearance of the design.
• Energy Curtain:
Similar in concept to the solar modules, the Energy Curtain by industrial designers Anders Ernevi, Margot Jacobs, Ramia Mazé, Carolin Müller, Johan Redström and Linda Worbin is a woven solar energy collecting device that is equipped with light-emitting materials. During daytime the curtains can be drawn to provide shade and harvest solar energy. After dark this energy can be used to generate a glowing pattern on the inside of the curtain.
