Mobile power source

[weremermaid]

Now you can really be a road warrior with this solar power backpack. According the the manufacturer, it's also iPod friendly. Gizmodo review here. Now does any one have US$229 to spare?

If you are a sporty do-it-yourself type, get a flexible solar cell version here.

[Edited on 11-16-2004 by weremermaid]

[katsch]

with the new oil price increases due to US bullying of Iran, 4th largest oil supplier in the world, don't you wish we had these options not only for portables but even for general home use?:

http://www.ecomall.com/biz/solarcat.htm

some gems:

•"Install a solar roof and during your lifetime you could prevent 34 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Solar PV generated power could provide 10,000 times more energy than the world currently uses."- Solar Century
•A patch of 100 square miles of open space covered with efficient solar panels such as in Nevada, where sun rays are powerful, could generate all the electrical power needs of the United States. - National Renewable Energy Laboratory
•In Japan, housing companies have introduced homes with silicon roof tiles that generate enough electricity to meet most of a family's annual needs and have already installed 10,000." - Worldwatch

am seriously considering a solar roof. does any philmugger know local suppliers? beyond all the lip service everytime these crises come up, have the authorities really done anything concrete to make these things available to us?

[jepaz]

Business is business if you know what I mean.

[kartman]

am seriously considering a solar roof. does any philmugger know local suppliers? beyond all the lip service everytime these crises come up, have the authorities really done anything concrete to make these things available to us?

i'll try to dig up the number of this guy i bike with in sta. rosa. he's an american working for this company that installs solar cells for residential use.

he was telling us that most of their work is in the provinces where the government is prioritizing barrios that aren't connected to the national grid (or lack the infrastructure for more power).

according to him, the installation is costly. more than 150k for a simple set up that will only run a few lights and appliances. however, he did mention something quite interesting--if you have a solar power set-up in your home, meralco is supposed to buy the electricity that your system generates. so theoretically, if you generate more than you consume, meralco ends up as your customer

[ultratramp]

Brunton portable power starting at $119. I'd go with this outdoor outfitter if i desperately needed power in the field. I especially like the roll up solar panels but theyre quite pricey. Ive used a solarport for mobile phone charging and it gets the job done. it takes a while to draw enough to completely recharge but id expect that youd trickle charge a full batt whenever you could and keep appliances off when not in use. also one would use power very judiciously if you were ever in a situation where power requires a solar source.

[katsch]

i'll try to dig up the number of this guy i bike with in sta. rosa. he's an american working for this company that installs solar cells for residential use.

my house is in biñan technically but only a P10 tricycle ride to paseo de sta rosa. (man these tricycle rides are so expensive! full monopoly of the area as there is virtually no PU in these parts).

he was telling us that most of their work is in the provinces where the government is prioritizing barrios that aren't connected to the national grid (or lack the infrastructure for more power).

why don't they ever publicise these things? shouldn't those pa-pretty boys at the DOE get themselves busy with promotion of alternative power sources instead of constantly justifying oil price hikes as something beyond their control?

according to him, the installation is costly. more than 150k for a simple set up that will only run a few lights and appliances.

am hoping that the technology has gotten better since to get higher output from the set up. my long term objective is to be independent of the grid. i know it is going to cost me but i just have to be able to put my still non-existent money where my mouth is. everyone says the high price is mainly because of low demand.

thanks a lot for the reply, kartman. hope to hear from you soon!

how are the abs and the aerobic wellness nowadays, toby?