Over the years, it has become evident that the sun is one of the most abundant alternative energy sources. It is widely available for use. For this reason, scientists and engineers have been searching for ways to create products that use solar energy to meet every consumer’s unique needs. Solar-powered inventions in 2021 have been vast and have found creative use-cases.
Solar Paint
As the name suggests, solar paint is paint that can turn any surface into a solar panel. It looks like regular paint, except it has billions of light-sensitive pieces scattered in it, which help turn light into energy that you can use. The installation process is pretty simple. All you have to do to implement these solar inventions is paint a surface of your choosing, and what’s left will be a technician to come out and take a look at it afterwards. For now, solar paint is not commercially sold as its efficiency is at 3-8%, but when you consider solar cells used to be at that efficiency, there is hope for it to go commercial in the next five years! It cuts down on costs by a lot and takes away the most challenging part of switching to solar energy usage in the Bay Area.
Solar Windows
Solar Windows are still an innovation, but researchers worldwide are working on making it a polished product. It has the potential of supplying 40% of energy demands in the US. This product is made from transparent glass that is tinted. The tint is how they convert solar energy to electricity. Of course, they will never be as efficient as traditional solar panels because they have to stay tinted, but they have many potentials.
Solar Cars
It’s not a secret that cars release immense amounts of fossil fuels, which is why in the attempt to go green, it is recommended to lower your car trips and rideshare. Developers have been attempting to create solar cars To make cars more green and reduce the inconvenience of lowering car usage. The problem is that with the current solar cars, the performance is too low for them to be sold commercially. But this has not stopped engineers from trying to get them to be consumers’ daily drivers. They do this by racing with solar cars to see how each one performs. Of course there is the electric car alternative that uses an ev charger.
Solar Roads
Solar roads are a fascinating attempt at solar inventions. It’s an ambitious try at making transportation into one of the solar inventions of the modern world. Multiple countries have launched initiatives to create solar roads, one of those countries being the US. It’s a great idea since even the busiest roads still have 70 to 90% solar time. An honourable mention is the first solar road in America in Sandpoint, Idaho. It was created in 2016.
Infrared Spectrum Solar Panels
All modern solar panels produce energy from the visible spectrum. Out of all the types of solar cells, none can convert infrared spectrum light into energy. It leaves a lot of the spectrum unused. Researchers have been trying to find ways to use other materials in solar semiconductors for panels to capture infrared lighting.
Solar Backpack and tote bag
Developers created both of these innovations for the same purpose. Say you are in the woods camping, you would be carrying some backpack or tote bag. If your phone ran out of juice, all you’d have to do with the solar bags is plug them in after they’ve been under the sun for a bit. It can be instrumental in day to day life as it even makes your charging process renewable!