10 Creative Applications of Solar Energy

Solar energy refers to the energy from the sun which is used to produce heat or electric power. This type of energy is in abundant supply and when converted to usable power is considered very environment friendly. Thus, people have invented many ways of using this powerful energy resource to benefit our day-to-day activities.

I remember that the first gadget which I've seen which uses solar energy is the solar powered calculator. But with the fast development in technology, there are a lot of creative applications of solar energy available in the market today. Some of the successful applications include the solar powered earth satellites, rooftop installations of solar panels for heating water or providing an alternative source of electricity for homes, solar power plants, greenhouses and the solar car. In this hub, however, I would like to feature 10 creative applications of solar energy which are handy, affordable and user-friendly to the average consumer.

1. Solar Charger for Electronics

Most of the gadgets nowadays like smartphone, laptop, e-book readers, iPod, digital camera, etc are supplied with power using chargers. Did it ever occur to you that you can't continue using these gadgets because the battery is low and you need to charge them? The problem is, you don't have any access to a charger.

This is what may happen to frequent travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, and during emergency situations. With a solar charger, you can charge electronic devices anywhere just by using the power of the sun.

2. Solar Car Battery Charger

I can't remember how many times already that we experienced our car failing to start because of discharged car battery. Maybe it was because the car was not used for a while or a light was accidentally left turned on in the parking lot. Now, there's a mini alternative solution to this problem presented by this solar car battery charger. You just need to plug it to the car's cigarette lighter socket, let the solar panel absorb sunlight and your car battery will be recharged. That's another cool way to use clean green energy.

3. Solar Keyboard

With the advent of many gadgets like the iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab or the Blackberry Playbook, many have also bought and used wireless keyboards. These keyboards require batteries and you can't use them in case the batteries are out, unless you have extra fresh batteries. What you need is this solar keyboard. The solar cells work in sunlight or any light and keeps your keyboard always charged and ready to use.

4. Solar Flashlight

What about when you're walking to your car in the parking lot at night and then you can't seem to find the right key because it is dark? What if you just got home from work and are trying to open the door to your house in total darkness? Wouldn't it be nice to have a solar flashlight with key chain? Your flashlight won't run out of light and the right key would always be easy to find.

5. Solar Cooker

As a food technologist, I am familiar with using solar dehydrators. These are devices used to preserve food products like fruits or fish by drying them using the sun's heat. But using the sun's heat to cook is something I have not done before. It's now possible using a solar oven. This solar appliance can be used to bake bread, cookies, pizza, muffins or anything you cook in the oven. It's amazing that it can cook using the power of the sun only and no fuel is ever needed.

6. Solar Water Bottle

Almost everyone uses a water bottle. But this water bottle is different. It is solar. It is perfect when going camping. Not only would you have a water bottle, but you would also get to use it as a night light. Thanks to the solar panel and LEDs built into its waterproof cap.

7. Solar backpack

Always on the go? Then you need a versatile bag to put in all your "can't go without" things like your mobile phone, laptop, digital camera, MP3 player and other gadgets. Now, this solar backpack has a removable solar pocket which can charge all your handheld electronics using the power of the sunlight.

8. Solar Curtains

Want to lower your costs on heating and air conditioning in your home? Try these solar curtains. You only need to hang these between your curtains and the window. When it is cold, the solar curtains prevent heat loss and reflect heat back into the room. When it is very hot, the sun's rays are kept from penetrating and heating up the house.

9. Solar Lighting

People like decorating their house, the shrubs, umbrellas or doorways during special occasions like the Chistmas holidays. Now, using these solar lighting are really beautiful and economical for decorating the house. During the day, the solar panels collect the solar energy while at night they use the stored energy.

10. Solar Powered Toys

The toys that my kids have are most often battery powered. We always buy rechargeable batteries for these to save money on buying new batteries every time. Just think if there's a way to use solar powered batteries in these toys just like in this solar car? It's a great savings and more environment friendly.

These 10 are just samples of the creative applications of solar energy. If you look more carefully at the market, there are still a lot more applications which can prove the good use of solar