Solar Planes Are Hard
A regular comment we see on electric aircraft is to “just add solar panels to the wings.” [James] from Project Air has been working on just such a solar plane, …read more Continue reading Solar Planes Are Hard
Category Archives: solar hacks
Pi Zero Power Optimization Leaves No Stone Unturned
If you’ve ever designed a battery-powered device with a Pi Zero, you have no doubt looked into decreasing its power consumption. Generic advice, like disabling the HDMI interface and the …read more Continue reading Pi Zero Power Optimization Leaves No Stone Unturned
Hard Lessons Learned While Building a Solar RC Plane
Although not the first to try and build a DIY solar-powered remote control airplane, [ProjectAir]’s recent attempt is the most significant one in recent memory. It follows [rctestflight]’s multi-year saga …read more Continue reading Hard Lessons Learned While Building a Solar RC Plane
Does Solar Energy Make Us Vulnerable?
Here’s a hypothetical situation. You decide to build your own steam generator plant and connect it to the electric grid. No matter where you live, you’d probably have to meet …read more Continue reading Does Solar Energy Make Us Vulnerable?
The Sunchronizer Keeps Your Solar Panel Aligned
In the past few years, the price-per-watt for solar panels has dropped dramatically. This has led to a number of downstream effects beyond simple cost savings. For example, many commercial …read more Continue reading The Sunchronizer Keeps Your Solar Panel Aligned
New Solar Spheres Claim to be Better than Solar Panels
When you think of solar energy, you probably think of flat plates on rooftops. A company called WAVJA wants you to think of spheres. The little spheres, ranging from one …read more Continue reading New Solar Spheres Claim to be Better than Solar Panels
Solar Energy Plant Creates Fuel
Normally, when you think of solar power, you think about photovoltaic cells or using the sun to generate steam. But engineers at Synhelion — a spin off from ETH Zurich …read more Continue reading Solar Energy Plant Creates Fuel
2024 Business Card Challenge: NoiseCard Judges the Sound Around You
Let’s face it: even with the rise of the electric car, the world is a noisy place. And it seems like it has only gotten worse in recent years. But …read more Continue reading 2024 Business Card Challenge: NoiseCard Judges the Sound Around You
Industrial Solar Heat Hits 1000˚C
While electricity generation has been the star of the energy transition show, about half of the world’s energy consumption is to make heat. Many industrial processes rely on fossil fuels …read more Continue reading Industrial Solar Heat Hits 1000˚C
Double-Checking NASA’s Eclipse Estimate at Home
If you were lucky enough to be near the path of totality, and didn’t have your view obscured by clouds, yesterday’s eclipse provided some very memorable views. But you know …read more Continue reading Double-Checking NASA’s Eclipse Estimate at Home