solar

Envision Solar has developed the first-generation Solar Grove for use in parking lots. This "grove" of Solar Trees not only generates power, it transforms otherwise barren parking lots into modern-looking, shaded areas. Everyone knows how much time and gas it takes to cool down

your car when it's been sitting in the sun all day. Not only do the Kyocera-manufactured solar panels keep the sun off of cars parked underneath, they prevent the asphalt from absorbing and later releasing wasted heat energy. All this while generating enough electricity to pay for the investment

Get your hands behind the controller of the latest H2Go fuel-cell electric vehicle. The solar panel generates electricity to recharge the controller and electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen at the refueling station. With a little sunlight and water, this car has a range of five minutes between fill-ups.

The manufacturer, Corgi International, won the 2008 ToyAward at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. The technology for this product and others is made by Singapore's Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. Other hydrogen gadgets they have powered include

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE will be presenting a door-sized prototype solar module at Tokyo's Nanotech 2008 conference. The new semi-transparent technology features nanoparticles and organic dye which are used to create colors, images, or text and generate electricity.

Potential applications include decorative building facades or placement in windows, where they also function as window shades, reducing glare.