Imagine a world that produces less carbon monoxide, consumes less energy and powers itself. We would live, eat and breathe healthier. We would live longer. Technology has been trending more and more toward the “eco-friendly” ways that the rest of society has taught us to be like.
How much energy do you think you blast through when you’re charging your laptop or your cell? According to a representative from Central Maine Power, you use more than 700 watts charging your favorite gadgets in a month.
So who can teach us how to reduce, reuse and recycle? The sun. The sun is a vast source of renewable energy that’s inexpensive and will never run out. We can harness the sun’s energy with the use of solar paneling.
A Chinese company that goes by the name of HTW Electronics invented a solar powered cell phone. Basically, little solar cells are built on the flip part of the handset. Forty-five minutes of direct sunlight gives you 25 minutes of free to use, eco-friendly energy. While this isn’t the preferred method of charging a phone, it does come in handy in an emergency and consumes absolutely no energy.
Hybrid cars are the answer to fuel woes that we are inevitably going to face. What if we could save ourselves $3.09 (soon to be more than $4) at the pump by switching over to electric power cars? You’d gladly trade in your 18 mpg sports car for a new 75 mpg electric plug-in hybrid that you can charge up via solar panels on the hood. You may think this is a pipe dream, but some analysts say that we could see these cars on the market as soon as 10 years from now.
Even clothing designers are trending toward the environmentally friendly. Ermenegildo Zegna made the iSolarX jacket. This jacket keeps all the gadgets that are on your person charged up and ready to go via an integrated battery. Solar panels built into the neoprene collar collect energy and it is passed through conducting textile and stored in a buffer battery, or connects directly into a device.
You already see solar panels powering buildings and road signs. Sooner or later you’ll begin to see solar paneling on more common household items. It’s a small start for energy conservation, but it’s only one side of a multi-faceted eco-issue.
Think the planet’s problems are too big for you to make a difference? Remember — “THE POWER IS YOURS!”
Jonathan Masker is a wireless solution expert and is a self proclaimed gadget guru.