Solar Power from the Sahara

Many countries have been looking at using the Sahara Desert as a source of solar power for years, especially countries in Europe. However, no one has yet to be able to solve the issue of how to build a huge solar array in the Sahara and then get the power from there to Europe. The major issue is the Mediterranean Sea which sits between the desert and the countries that want the solar power. However, recent work in the area of solar power by a number of German companies may change that.

Around 20 different companies from Germany have formed a consortium with the purpose of making use of solar power in the Sahara. They’re working to raise 400 billion euros to create the Desertec project. This project will place solar arrays in the most politically stable areas of the Sahara Desert. The total amount of power produced by these huge arrays could actually equal around 15 percent of all the electricity used in Europe. However, the Desertec project wouldn’t actually start providing this energy until 2019 or so.

The Desertec project is anything but a sure bet, unfortunately. The risk of building huge arrays in North Africa is fairly large, making it difficult to persuade some investors that the project is viable. Regulations in the area are another issue, especially since the various countries that control the Sahara want to have some control of the project. The red tape involved can be quite complicated.

Another major issue is the fact that while the array can provide a large amount of power to all European countries, there may be some compatibility issues. There is no single European power distribution network. Instead, each country has a different system, and until these systems are more integrated and unified, distributing the energy collected in the desert may be difficult.

Solar Powered Bus Stops

First there was the idea for the solar powered bench (the one that can power a laptop, remember?).  Well, now the scientists at MIT have designed what they call the EyeStop, a solar powered bus stop that features a number of different entertainment options.  These options include current news and weather so that people will be informed about the world (something many people are not), but there are other uses to the EyeStop as well.

In addition to the news, those waiting for the bus will also be able to use an interactive mapping screen to figure out their bus route from the station to their destination, including which stops they need to get off on and which buses they need to catch.  They can also use the internet from their mobile devices and even see what types of pollutants they’ve been exposed to in real-time.  The EyeStop will also feature an electronic bulletin board that users can post ads and other announcements on.  All of this will combine to turn the bus stop into more than just a place to wait.  In fact, it could actually make people want to ride the bus again.

Another cool feature of the EyeStop is that it will start to glow as the bus gets closer.  This will let everyone know just how much time they have until their ride arrives, plus at night it will make it easier for bus drivers to see if anyone is waiting at the stop.

But there’s more to the EyeStop than just helping out the average bus rider, although that is its main focus.  However, each EyeStop will also monitor the environment around it, collecting useful real-time information for environmentalists and others.  Of course, the EyeStop will do its part for the environment—they will run off of solar power, and each EyeStop will be made out of as much recycled materials as possible.

Solar Powered Benches

There are many things we might expect to see with a solar power panel on them: cell phones, outdoor lights, GPS systems…we might not even be that surprised to see solar cells on cars or lawn mowers.  But few people would probably ever expect to see a solar powered bench, but that is exactly what the Solar Inside is.  While it’s not reality yet, the concept for this solar powered bench is quite unusual, and it’s certainly more than just something to sit on.

Solar Inside was designed by Owen Song, Byung-Min Woo, and Seon-Keun Park, and it uses very thin solar panels that can actually work in many different weather conditions.  These panels charge up the Solar Inside’s rechargeable battery.  During the night, this battery powers the bench’s night lights, but it does much more than that: the bench also features a WiFi system that is powered by solar energy, too.  This means that anyone with a laptop can sit down, boot up, and have access to the internet for as long as the bench has energy.

In addition to using solar energy, the entire Solar Inside bench is environmentally friendly.  The frame is made from recycled aluminum and recycled plastic.  The entire thing is self-contained, so it doesn’t need to be plugged in to anything or be near any special location, although there could be some WiFi limitations depending on signal strength.

The Solar Inside isn’t completed yet, and there could be some design changes (a back or a cell phone charger plug would be great additions).  It probably won’t be too long before these appear in parks around the world, though.  The idea of using benches as power generators is a great idea.

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