Good Design Awards 2007: Solar Rules!
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10. 2.07
For anyone looking for proof that design can make a positive difference and point us toward a greener world, look no further than the Good Design Awards 2007. After culling a list of over 1,000 entrants, the awards and accompanying "G-Mark" have been bestowed on 15 of the best, including several noteworthy sustainable designs.
Nominated for the Grand Prize (to be chosen later this month) is the Eneloop Solar Charger, above right, featured here on TreeHugger. The handy device uses the power of the sun to charge a lithium-ion battery pack, which can then be used to recharge your AAs or other such rechargeable batteries; the slick design allows the panels to catch sunlight from different angles as the sun moves across the sky throughout the day, maximizing solar exposure.
Hit the jump for more details on this charger, plus info the solar roof system pictured above.
The jury had this to say about the charger: "Rechargeable, reusable batteries represent a new phase in development for the Eneloop series, highly acclaimed as communicating Sanyo's eco-friendly corporate philosophy through a platform of innovative technology. One application of this technology is this solar recharger for Eneloop batteries, which epitomizes clean energy. Functional and attractive, the pyramid can be repositioned to catch the sun at different altitudes from two angles."
The solar roof system, above left, is the winner of the 2007 Ecology Design Prize, and for good reason. The photovoltaic system boasts some impressive numbers: energy payback in only 0.9 years, approximately half the time of conventional solar batteries, and uses 1/100th of the materials used when conventional batteries are manufactured. Made of the same materials used in typical Japanese house roofs and built to fit their traditional stepped design, the solar roof integrates almost seamlessly into existing roof structures.
Get more details about the solar roof here and all the info about the Good Design Awards here, and stay tuned for more info about the Grand Prize award, coming later this month. ::Good Design Awards 2007 via ::dezain.net
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Half the time of solar batteries? Are you talking about the array?
I think they mean the roof mounted array has an energy payback time of 0.9 years. Money payback time is probably longer.