Wouldn’t it be great if you could store just a little bit of sunlight for a rainy day? That’s what designer Stefano Merlo thougt, and while actually storing sunlight might just be a bit too difficult, his solar-powered Energy Bucket, might just be the next best thing.
Merlo’s inspiration was simple: saving energy is a problem, and the solutions offered are too far removed from what people actually do in real life. He was inspired by the age-old practice of collecting water from the river in buckets. Thus, the Energy Bucket is simply just a plastic bucket that houses 1kw LED lights which are powered by the photovoltaic solar panels installed on the lid of the bucket. Needless to say, he took something as mundane as a bucket and turned it into an opportunity for people to realize that there are simple solutions to big problems.
+ Energy Bucket
[...] http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/10/08/solar-powered-energy-bucket-collects-sunshine/#more-6403 http://www.stefanomerlo.com/ [...]
So… they… glow?
Well; the design is quite pleasant, and the intent is well meaning. The issue that I note is that the product was essentially created as a statement, with little functional purpose. I understand that it could work as a sort of nightlight or chic trinket, but it really seems like another item on the market that will be labeled green, bought, and thrown into the pile of superfluous material detritus.
Where does he *get* those 1 KW LEDs?
I guess we’re not supposed to take this too seriously … In a world where sustainable design is not just defined by solar technology, we won’t be producing mono-functional objects of uncertain recyclability.
the only thing green about it is it does not use batteries and I can see no use for it anyway.
arty version of the solar garden lights all my firends have.
looks like its all photoshop to me…
I agree with Adam. If all this bucket does is glow its as essentially useful as those little stars you can buy and stick on your wall that glow at night with a retail price of 99p. Why not make a bucket that collects light super efficeiently and actually is as bright as a light bulb when you switch it on should you need it in your garden or wherever
1 kw LEDs? I don’t think so. Even if somehow he did have 1 kw of LED lighting inside that bucket (which would probably melt the plastic) a really sunny day’s light will only provide about 10 watts per square foot. That being the case and assuming a charging system that’s 100% efficient (can’t happen), the top of the bucket would have to be WELL over 100 square feet to support the lighting. Either that or the bucket would have to charge for 100 days to be lit for 1. That combined with the fact that these photos are a fairly obvious photochopping job… Make your own conclusions.
[...] Source here… This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 9th, 2007 at 9:07 am and is filed under le Chat Marchet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. [...]
It’s a Solar Powered Bucket. hmmm… Solar powered shovel anyone?
Adam is right; I often see clever ideas with not much practical application, and I continue to wonder: why does form always trump function in the design universe? There are so many essential needs that remain unaddressed while the privileged few engage in the aesthetics and trivialities of design. BTW: is that Adam Davidson, Gordon and Judi’s son, an NPR reporter, or a different Adam?
1kw is incorrect, as that is the energy a typical house uses. more like 1 or 2 watts, given the size of the solar panel on the top of the bucket, not 1,000 watts, which is more than the avaiable energy at the equator in direct sunlight in a square meter of sunlight.
This is kinda dumb, a night light doesn’t need that much electricity, it costs more to manufacturer these than a years worth of electricity for a nightlight (the glowey kind)
I really don’t see anything that this product does that isn’t done by any of the hundreds of other solar powered lawn lights already on the market.
[...] Merlo has invented an energy bucket. According to Inhabitat, this is what Merlo’s energy bucket is about, the Energy Bucket is simply just a plastic [...]
PURE GENIUS
[...] 2007, 8:37 am Archiviato in: bezerker Non male questa lampada da esterno ad energia solare, a forma di secchio… sta bene negli agriturismi [...]
[...] just be a bit too difficult, his solar-powered Energy Bucket, might just be the next best thing.read more | digg [...]
[...] read more | digg story By Ben, 10/9/2007, 2:57 pm o’clock [...]
Good grief…can you all take you fingers out of your a**e for a minute and look at what it is… a’light’ hearted piece of art (modern?) that is there to make you smile, think and possibly question how you can help save energy…..
Hear hear Sam!
Read through the comments and had the exact same reaction.
I dig it.
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[...] read more | digg story [...]
I agree with Aaron.. looks like photo shop … went to his site … found no real info .. just more pictures.
here are the pictures of the prototype.
You can find them on the website
http://www.stefanomerlo.com/Energy_Bucket_PressKit.zip
1 kW? .. holy..
Here it is 3 yrs later and Im totally intrigued with these buckets and would love to have them. They’re perfectly useful. And we can purchase where….?