Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels have been around since the 1950s. And with each passing year, efficiency rates continue to improve – while costs continue to decline.
That’s good for everyone.
The more affordable and powerful solar technology becomes, the less reliant we’ll be on fossil fuel. In fact, experts predict that solar will become the world’s #1 electricity source by 2050.
We actually believe it’ll happen even earlier. That’s because innovators continue to develop cool and unusual ways to harness sunshine.
Last week, we talked about Tesla’s new solar shingles – i.e. PV panels that look and feel like normal roof tiles. The company is going after those who think solar technology is useful but unattractive.
And just this week, we came across an interesting story about a new invention from South Korea. Graduate students from the Samsung Art and Design Institute have just developed solar panel sockets that attach to windows.
What Do These Solar Panel Sockets Do Exactly?
Roughly the size of a hockey puck, these sockets come with tiny PV cells that allow them to absorb sunlight and generate clean electricity. The solar panel sockets also come with suction cups so users can attach them to windows.
It takes up to 8 hours for each socket to fully charge. And it can generate enough electricity to power a standard lightbulb. The current prototypes, however, can’t charge your average smart phone.
Inventors, Kyuho Song and Boa Oh, showcased their work at the recent Dubai Design Week. And it made quite a splash.
But what good is a portable PV system if it doesn’t generate enough energy to power the simplest of devices?
Admittedly, the solar panel socket is quite limited – at least in its current form. But the inventors behind this project hope that future iterations will be more powerful and affordable.
We would point out that the original solar PV panel (back in the 1950s) wasn’t very practical either. It took years of improvements to bring those early panels into the mainstream. And we expect the same will be true of the solar panel window socket as well.
And even if only a handful of people adopt this technology, the end result is still good. Each additional watt of solar electricity helps to reduce our reliance on oil, gas, and coal. And that’s the whole point – to phase out fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy sources.
To learn how we can help you solarize your own home or business, contact us today for a free consultation.
