The Window Socket is an idea so fabulously simple, it’s slightly amazing that we haven’t seen one before. Designed by Kyuho Song & Boa Oh, the charger sticks to a window and draws solar power to an internal battery, which enables one to either plug in small devices to the outlet right there and then, or save the stored power for use during night time hours.

Read the rest of Window Socket: Portable Solar-Powered Outlet Sticks to Windows, Charges Small Electronics

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Post tags: Boa Oh, green energy, Kyuho Song, off grid charger, off grid living, portable outlet, portable socket, portable solar, solar battery, solar charger, solar devices, window socket

When Hurricane Sandy hit last week and the power in my lower Manhattan apartment went out, my first thought, as I dug around for candles and LED lamps was “Well this will be a fun little off-grid adventure!” I naively harbored some romantic notion of the coziness of eating dinner and playing board games with my family by candlelight, and even actually enjoyed the first 24 hours without electricity for the chance to disconnect. However, when my gadget batteries started to die one by one, the water dried up, the food in the fridge started to spoil, and contact with the outside world began to shut down, the novelty started to wear off and the reality of the situation finally began to hit me. First my computer battery died, then iPad, then finally my phone, and I think I never fully realized until that moment how much of a lifeline these mobile communication devices are. Without even a working cell phone – my last vestige of communication – to call my family or look at the news, I had no idea what was going on around me, how much longer the power outage was supposed to last, and whether there was any help available, and I started to get desperate.

Read the rest of How The Nokero SunRay Pro Power Solar Charger Saved My Skin & My Sanity During Hurricane Sandy

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Post tags: blackout NYC, charger for power outages, compact solar chargers, compact solar power chargers, cord free lamps, designs for power outages, disaster relief designs, emergency lamps, emergency lighting earthquake lighting, emergency lights, emergency relief designs, flood lighting, humanitarian relief designs, hurricane new york, hurricane relief, Hurricane Sandy, hurricane sandy blackout, hurricane sandy knocks out power, jill fehrenbacher, new york blackout, new york goes dark, new york power loss, nokero, Nokero Crestone, Nokero Crestone Solar Light Bulb (N200), nokero Solar Battery Chargers, nokero solar charger, nokero solar charging unit, nokero solar products, Nokero SunRay Pro Power Panel, powerless new york, powerless nyc, sandy new york, sandy nyc, sandy storm, solar batteries, solar battery, solar charger, solar charging stations, solar gadgets, solar lamp, solar light, solar light bulb, solar lighting, solar power charger, solar power designs, solar power emergency gadgets, storm new york, sun chargers

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Post tags: all white house, Dacha's Origami, Dachniy Otvet, eco design, green design, minimalist design, origami, Peter Kostelov, russia, solar battery, summer home, sustainable design, timber

Tesla may be best known for exceptionally good-looking electric sports cars, but their role in the automotive industry has honed their skills in battery-making too. Now, the company is teaming up with solar rental company SolarCity, and the pair is set to apply their battery know-how to create a complete off-the-grid kit for home solar power storage. The partnership could provide an easy (though potentially costly) way to overcome a long-standing problem: almost all solar systems are tied to and somewhat dependent on an electric grid. When the grid is off, the solar panels are out, and when the sun is off, there’s no solar power stored and you’re back on the electrical grid. And if both are out, you’re completely in the dark. But Tesla and SolarCity’s new off-the-shelf lithium-ion battery pack could just solve that once and for all.

Read the rest of Tesla and SolarCity Team Up to Create New Off-the-Grid Solar Power Storage System

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Post tags: "clean energy", alternative energy, california incentive, elon musk, energy tax, lithium ion battery, off the grid, peter rive, solar battery, Solar Power, solar storage, solarcity panel, tesla battery, tesla electric, tesla solarcity

Boris Mordkovich and Anna Mostovetsky thrive on adventure and share an enduring passion for the environment, so when Boris and his brother, Yevgeniy started EVELO, an electric bike company in New York, Boris wanted to find a way to raise awareness about green transportation. After some thought, he and cycle partner Anna Mostovetsky took on one daunting undertaking, deciding to set off on a trans-American electric bike tour. Now two and a half weeks in, the journey is taking the pair from New York City to San Francisco by electric bike, with stops along the way to give talks and test rides to anyone who might be curious about the technology.

Read the rest of A Pair Travels from NYC to San Francisco by Electric Bike to Educate Americans on Green Transportation

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Post tags: Anna Mostovetsky, Bike Battery, Bike Paths, Bike Ride, Bike Tour, Boris Mordkovich, E-Bike rides, electric bicycle, Evelo Bikes, Google maps, green transportation, New York City Bike, San Francisco Bike, solar battery, Trans-American Electric Bike Tour

The ever-evolving transition from cell phones to smart phones has most of us itching for the latest model. But what to do when we want an upgrade that goes lighter on the earth? Sprint may have the answer with their new smartphone – touted as the first eco-friendly Android device. A combination of recycled materials, solar charging and the Android 2.2 Froyo platform makes the Samsung Replenish is the eco-answer for today’s smart device.

Read the rest of Sprint Introduces Replenish, the First Eco-Friendly Android Smartphone

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Post tags: cell phone, eco design, green design, Recycled Materials, smart device, solar battery, solar charger, Sprint Replenish, sustainable design