make your ereader run on solar power

[pholy]

It's OK, Harry... We know you can't help being the wet blanket

Maybe you could invent some sort of water turbine that worked with rain drops?

People in Vancouver (BC) would like that too.

[The Terminator]

7FT annual rainfall here.

Stages of rain

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4:

Day 54 of non-stop rain

[elcreative]

Prefer a separate Solar Charger... with a built-in Lithium Ion/Polymer battery... can leave it in the window to charge (especially whilst reading) and then charge eReader at any time, night or day, without having to sit with reader in sun...

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Prefer a separate Solar Charger... with a built-in Lithium Ion/Polymer battery... can leave it in the window to charge (especially whilst reading) and then charge eReader at any time, night or day, without having to sit with reader in sun...

Best idea.

But still not environmentally sound over the long term and taking into account making the solar cells.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

Best idea.

But still not environmentally sound over the long term and taking into account making the solar cells.

And what is "environmentally sound," we can't even shoot all of ourselves 'cos that's polluting too...

[5thWiggle]

Originally Posted by pholy

Maybe you could invent some sort of water turbine that worked with rain drops?

People in Vancouver (BC) would like that too.

Easy! rainbarrel, gardenhose, small DC motor, some plastic spoons and duct tape. Macgyver to the rescue!



I'm thinking of making a saltwater battery and using the road in front of my house to power my reader this winter.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by HarryT

and...
Sunshine
... a thing which is generally rather lacking in our part of the world.

Very true - although at this particular point in the ever-thrilling game of "hunt the cheap trillion" I think we're getting close to qualifying as below......

"..........the third world and emerging economies all around the planet."

only we're not, of course, emerging, but sub.......

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

If building solar cells pollutes more than getting the same life cycle amount of power by other methods, it is NOT green, short or long term.

I don't know if that is currently the situation or not (I HOPE it's not) but in any case, demand for solar cells will drive innovation and improvements in the technology. It's a classic market chicken and egg thing. People are reluctant to buy a thing until it improves, and manufactures are reluctant to invest in improvements until people start buying.

So even if it's true in the short term, the market effect could make it better in the long term.

I'd like a solar charger for my kindle. I will probably hack up one of the solar chargers I already own to serve the purpose, though.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by ApK

................So even if it's true in the short term, the market effect could make it better in the long term................

-----
Yes, the "greenery" of solar panels is very borderline, certainly at the moment - and furthermore, I don't recall seeing anything anywhere about how easy they are to de-commission, come to think of it.

And I'm afraid "the market" isn't going to anything about it, at least in the UK, for a while yet - following the government's recent announcement it was cutting drastically the financial support it gives to solar power, not just research, but more importantly in the subsidies for householders by way of tarrifs.

I have always been sceptical about the financial benefits the more they were put under the microscope - especially considering the weighty start-up cost for outright purchase.
Unlike the benefits for installation firms, which was a no-brainer - until now.

One estimate I heard today was 3,500 jobs gone already, and a lot of installation businesses facing a very uncertain future.

Mind you, the gadget market will always go for it, I s'pose, so by next year there'll probably be one for readers and things - I already have one for phones, but it's not very successful here - as Harry highlighted.

[Ken Maltby]

Solar's practical and financial viability is limited by scale, as well as its noncompetitive
position in relation to other available energy sources. Solar can be a viable option in
remote locations. It is also practical as a power source for very small scale devices.

In most places of the world, the daily solar potential per square meter is way too low
to support anything like a modern technical lifestyle dwelling.

But - the available solar energy density can easily support the energy needs of modern
mobile devices.

Luck;
Ken

[wvcherrybomb]

Looks cool, but doubt I would ever use it. My K3 has a very long battery life so I don't charge much as it is. And the only time I use it outside is when we're camping or at the beach.

We've looked into solar systems for our home - we have 365 sunny days per year here - but they are more expensive than our current electric bill times the average lifespan of the equipment. It's too bad as I always feel all this great sunshine is going to waste.

[Keloff]

This is a brilliant premise for programs such as Worldreader - especially in sunny South Africa.

[DDHarriman]

ello

How about an alternative.

Any cranck phone charger that as mini usb or micro usb output (or any other proprietary connection), is able to charge an eBook reader to the full.

In my country, nowadays, I can get a led flash light cranck powered that can charge mini/micro/other connections devices for less then 8 euros, and the best is… no dependence on the availability of sun [I have nothing against solar power, for the (completely) contrary!]
(this is just an example: http://www.amazon.com/SOS-Charger-Ha.../dp/B002WRKZZ4)

Best regards,

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by ApK

I don't know if that is currently the situation or not (I HOPE it's not) but in any case, demand for solar cells will drive innovation and improvements in the technology. It's a classic market chicken and egg thing. People are reluctant to buy a thing until it improves, and manufactures are reluctant to invest in improvements until people start buying.

So even if it's true in the short term, the market effect could make it better in the long term.

I'd like a solar charger for my kindle. I will probably hack up one of the solar chargers I already own to serve the purpose, though.

Except the US and some others have been pouring a huge amount of money into the field for many years (back to the 70s at least).

Unless someone comes up with an entirely new solar cell, the problems with producing them will remain. These use certain metals and such that are highly toxic and have to be highly purified. Controlling the first and making the second are very energy intensive.

And BTW do you have ANY idea of how much area of solar cells would be required to make the power the US uses? Assuming all sunny days.

About 6 states the size of New Mexico. And what happens to the plants and animals that used to live in those areas? They are now in perpetual dark.

TANSTAAFL.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

And BTW do you have ANY idea of how much area of solar cells would be required to make the power the US uses? Assuming all sunny days.

I don't think using solar for all the power in the US was ever the goal. Using it where appropriate is different beast. Also, photo-voltaics isn't the only way get solar power to offset fossil fuels.