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1. Apple Eying Solar for iPods, iPhones & Laptops?
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2. Major League Solar: Baseball Goes Green
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3. Bike commuting: slackers welcome
Apple Eying Solar for iPods, iPhones & Laptops?
Katie Fehrenbacher - Energy
A few startups are just beginning to sell solar-powered backup chargers for our gadgets and cell phones, but none of the big consumer electronics makers have yet embraced solar as a viable option to embed in mainstream devices. Well, according to a patent application picked up by MacRumors (hat tip Engadget) it could actually be Apple that is leading the way to a sunny future of solar-powered gadgets. Yeah, that’s the same Apple that has consistently received poor marks from environmentalists for not being green enough.
The patent application says that Apple is looking at ways to embed solar panels behind the LCD screens of mobile gadgets like iPods, iPhones and laptops. That type of design is likely years in the making and is waiting on the cost of next-generation solar panels to drop dramatically. But we can’t deny there’s a real appeal.
Embedding solar in gadgets could be valuable, because as devices get more complex and power-hungry, solar could provide a way to extend the device’s battery life. Our current battery technology is certainly not keeping pace with gadgets’ growing power demands.
There’s also the space constraints. While our gadgets are getting more power hungry, they’re also getting smaller, which is why Apple could be thinking of doubling up on the screen and solar panel space. There’s just no room for them anywhere else. Utilizing the space behind the screen means the company wouldn’t have to make major design changes to its current successful products.
Not to be overlooked, embedded solar could help disconnect our gadgets from the not-so-green power grid. That can cut down on carbon emissions and also enable the gadget-owner to save a bit on the electricity bill. Apple might not demonstrate its commitment to fighting global warming just yet, but we’re sure the company would be more than happy with the green PR generated by a “solar iPod”.
No doubt they’d also be pleased with the markup they could add to such a product. Hey, we’d pay the premium for the solar option off the shelf any day.
Major League Solar: Baseball Goes Green
Craig Rubens - Big Green
But MLB is working to do more than single, one-off green days. Several ballparks are now producing their own energy with solar power systems. While the players can blame the sun for that missed flyball, the stadiums can really benefit from those rays. Check out how these parks are going solar:
Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park: The Green Monster isn’t the only green thing in Fenway park anymore. This week the Boston Red Sox unveiled 28 solar hot-water panels on the roof at Fenway Park. The panels will use the heat of the sun to heat up water in the park, replacing a third of the natural gas currently used for water heating. This is first solar thermal installation at a Major League park, the Red Sox say.
The panels were manufactured by Heliodyne of Richmond, Calif., which has been working in solar thermal since 1976. The panels were installed by solar installer startup groSolar, based in White River Junction, Vt.
This is just part of the Red Sox initiative to green up “America’s most beloved ballpark.” Also on the cleantech docket is installation of solar-powered ‘Big Belly’ trash compactors around the park.
Colorado Rockies, Coors Field: Up at 5,277 feet, the Rockies are using an array of 46 panels to power their Coors Field LED scoreboard. The system, which churns out 9.9 kW of power, was bought by the Rockies through Xcel Energy. Designed and installed in just two weeks by Independent Power Systems, a SunPower Premier Dealer, the system consists of SunPower’s all-black, 215-watt modules, according to the company.
One really cool thing about the system is that you can watch the solar juice coming off the panels in real time online using Fat Spaniel’s monitoring system. You can see how much energy is being produced right now as well as how carbon emissions have been avoided over the lifetime of the system. Check it out and click around on the embed below.
San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park: It should be no surprise that the ballpark where you can buy an organic hot dog and one of 50 microbrew beers is also home to MLB’s biggest photovoltaic array. Designed by Mass.-based Solar Design Associates and installed by PG&E, the system is made up of 590 Sharp solar cells and can kick out about 120 kW. Not a huge amount, but enough to help keep the new energy-efficient scoreboard twinkling.
Cleveland Indians, Jacobs Field: Becoming the first American League ballpark to go solar, the Cleveland Indians and Green Energy Ohio collaborated to put 42 GE solar panels on a pavilion at Jacobs Field. The array can produce 8.4 kW of power and was designed by Doty and Miller Architects.
The Indians, like the Rockies, are also using Fat Spaniel to broadcast their energy production online, which you can check out here.
Bike commuting: slackers welcome
The slacker’s guide to bike commuting provoked an interesting response. A lot of old hands offered up a lot of good advice, but the tone of the advice was a bit…prescriptive for a blog post whose central point was that new bike commuters can come as they are.
In particular, the photo of a Dutch cyclist provoked a lot of snickers. People seemed to think the image is a stock photo or model shot. Or maybe a cycling safety public service announcement: don’t be like this guy if you want to live past the next stop sign.
But no. This is a real bicycle commuter in Amsterdam, really wearing a suit and tie, really checking his text messages as he pedals his sit-up-and-beg style commuter along a Dutch street, a bag draped over his handlebars. There’s a decent chance that much of his commute is on segregated bike lanes that are fully protected from cars, and he’s probably biking quite slowly by American speed-racer standards.
This is what a strong bicycle commuting culture looks like. Obviously this guy isn’t practicing ideal safety standards, much as those of us who drive around while talking on a cell phone aren’t being as safe as we could be. Regardless, Americans have pretty much nothing to tell the Dutch about how to get around on bicycles. For the most part, Dutch people don’t wear helmets. They don’t wear special cycling clothes. And they don’t ride expensive specialty bikes. Yet they seem to managing pretty well.
Same goes for China. In China, you’ll see old ladies and rumpled businessmen on bikes. Fashionistas in high heels. High school students jabbering into cell phones. Dogs riding in handlebar baskets. Most people are pushing cheap, single-gear clunkers, and absolutely one wears a helmet. Why would you, when you’re cruising along slowly in a river of bikes? It’s about as dangerous as walking.
Now, obviously the moral here isn’t that we should all stop wearing helmets so we can be more like the Dutch. Safety is important, and the key safety device on any bicycle is the rider. So ride smart, and please don’t talk on your cell phone while doing so. But biking is also a lot less complicated than we sometimes make it out to be. By all means, get the equipment that makes your ride more enjoyable, if that’s what moves you. But mostly just get started riding.
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