We found this cool, artistic “Greenerator” recently, which combines solar panels and wind turbines to generate clean electricity right from your deck or balcony:

The Greenerator combines solar panels and a small wind turbine

The concept is the creation of industrial designer Jonathan Globerson and has been seen on Discovery News.  The balcony-based solar collector/wind turbine generates can generate enough clean energy to cut about 6% off of your electricity bill.

Consider this video:

Love these cool solar gadget inventions that can reduce carbon emissions while saving energy and money!

Hopefully the Greenerator will soon be available for the public to use and enjoy.

Hexound Solar Powered Wireless Headphones

I’ve always loved wireless headphones and now, there is a new option for renewable energy-minded music lovers.  Industrial designer Zhong-Fa Lie has created “Hexound,” (pictured above) – solar powered wireless headphones that are Bluetooth enabled.

One of the newest solar gadgets, the concept design includes a headset covered with thin film photovoltaic (PV) panels that use sunlight to charge the internal battery without the need for an electrical outlet.  Hexound is actually comprised of three units: two speakers that connect together with a foldable solar panel covered headband.  You can listen to music with Hexound as a wireless headphone device, or with the speakers detached from the headset, in speaker mode.

Hexound solar headphones

You can’t purchase Hexound yet, but we think its a pretty cool solar gadget!

The Scorpion: Portable solar charger, radio and light all in one

Love camping, hiking, fishing or hunting?  For all you survivalist wanna-bes, there’s a new solar gadget for you.  The Scorpion is a solar-powered radio and flashlight that can also be used to charge up your phone, MP3 player, camera and more.

Manufactured by Eton, the Scorpion is one rugged device!  Solar panels are incorporated into the design.  Exposure to UV light will power the radio, store energy for the flashlight, and even recharge cell phones with its built-in USB port.  Simply clip the Scorpion onto your backpack or belt and start drawing on solar energy.  Its about the size of a walkie-talkie.  The Scorpion can also be powered using a hand-crank, if necessary.

When you’re out in the field, you’ll be able to keep updated on weather conditions through the NOAA weather band.  Easily find out when a system is moving in and whether its time to pitch your tent or find shelter.  The Scorpion’s radio tuner is digital.

With Father’s Day and graduation season upon us, this would make a perfect gift.  The Scorpion retails for $50, and you can find it at Amazon.com, REI and many other sports/outdoors retail outlets.

For more information on the Scorpion, check out its webpage.

Solar charge: Take this solar gadget charger everywhere you go to charge up almost any devise with a USB port. A great birthday gift too. From RedEnvelope.

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Flexible solar panels provide clean power for on-the-go people

Roll-up solar panels may one day be the solar gadget that you cannot live without.  These flexible solar panels are created with thin films of solar foil, which absorb sunlight energy from three different wavelengths.

Unlike rigid PV solar panels, these are less costly, more portable, and very easy to use.  And, they’ll allow you to charge up your devices without the use of CO2 producing electricity.

Also known as roll-up solar chargers, thin film solar technology, described above, is used to create flexible panels that can simply be rolled out into the sun and used to recharge phones, cameras, computers, iPods – you name it!

Several manufacturers are marketing roll-up solar panels.  For example, Brunton makes “SolarRolls,” in two sizes: a 12″ x 22″ panel, which weighs 6.4 ounces and can output 4.5 watts, 15.4 Volts/300mA.  At $169, it may be worth stashing in your backpack for your next camping trip.  You’ll never be without your cell phone “juice” again.

For gadgets that need more power (laptops or camcorders), you may want the 12″x57″ solar panel which outputs 14 watts and 15.4 volts/900 mA and costs $399.  The roll-up panels can even be strung together for more output.

I’d even go so far as to say that you may want one of these roll-up solar chargers in your trunk as part of your emergency kit.

Roll-up solar panels are also ideal for servicemen and servicewomen

Xunlight Corporation is another source for roll-up solar panels.  Their website describes the manufacturing of flexible solar panels on stainless steel plates that are 3 feet wide and up to a mile long!

The 25MW solar cell manufacturing equipment, a 200-feet long series of connected vacuum deposition chambers, uses a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process to deposit thin-film silicon solar cells on a 3ft wide, one-mile-long thin stainless steel substrate at a speed of 720-square feet per hour. This manufacturing process is inherently lower-cost and more productive than competing technologies, and is designed, developed and constructed by Xunlight Corporation

Smaller, more portable sizes are available, if you don’t need a mile’s worth of solar panel….

Other companies have also announced plans to manufacture roll-up solar panels for a wide variety of uses, and at varying prices.  Smaller solar chargers (to be available from Konarka Technologies) may cost as little as $75.

Many experts and other commentators have enthused about roll-up solar panels, noting that their inexpensive cost allows a broad application and use of free solar energy.  Those in the construction industry and military – as well as ordinary people who simply enjoy being outdoors – should be able to extend the use of radios, flashlights, cameras and phones with a simple flick of the wrist, and unrolling of these lightweight, flexible panels.