New technology idea...

[Pazuzu]

Let's noodle my new idea together.

I want to make a massively interlaced solar power supply that can be used to help feed green energy to a region (town, city, etc). Finding the available surface area for such a large number of solar cells is hard, if you need to buy land. So, I thought about possible surfaces that are distributed around a community going unused right now.

The backs of cell phones!

I want to make a cell phone case that has a solar panel on it, perhaps 50x70mm? Even basic 50x50mm cheap-o Chinese panels, which are readily available online in bulk. Attach them to a phone case, have the cases distributed around a community, and viola, a wide spiderweb of power sources. Use the phone's cellular connection to transmit the accumulated power to a central accumulator station, which can then feed the power back into the local grid, contributing green energy for everyone in the town.

50x50mm panels can produce 2V, 160mA power which is 320mW continuous. Running 12 hours per day is 3800mwh total! If there were 50,000 people in a town, that would means 190,000wh of energy each day for that town, all for FREE!
The average house consumes around 30Kwh per day, so we could power 6.5 homes for free in that town, just by using the accumulated power from 50,000 cell phone cases.

Game changer.

Help me finalize this idea!

[john70t]

Neat idea. First you want to file a utility patent with the words "cell phone case containing solar charging system" and have it include the integrated case as well as slip on accessory slip covers. Cover both options, though that require two separate filings. Be aware there are already a hundred previous art work examples of stand-alone solar chargers that a phone or battery pack can plug into, but I've never heard of it integrated. It makes sense for those that leave it on the table.

"Use the phone's cellular connection to transmit the accumulated power to a central accumulator station" is where my knowledge is limited as to if this is even technologically possible or feasible. The power required to transmit might be more than that gained with a small panel. And then why not industrial panels on a pole right at the station. Many options to consider which have been thought of before. Even having roads made of panels.

[KFC911]

The required "land" is already there... virtually everywhere, is typically dark and already absorbing solar energy (heat) in a counterproductive way.... use it. It dwarfs yer idea both in area and feasibility imo.

I can't take credit for this idea ... just pointing out what seems intuitively obvious to my dawg...

Woof, woof, roof

It early and I haven't given this nearly as much thought (none ) as you have tho'.

My dawg could be wrong and just wants to go outside.... need more coffee....

[oldE]

Er... Don't most folks carry their cel phone in pocket or purse?



Just put the panels on the roof of every commercial building and cover the parking lots with them.


Best
Les

[porsche tech]

Audi used to have a solar panel in the sunroof for the purpose of turning on the interior blower fan to lower the interior temp on hot days when the car was parked. Always thought that was innovative…but didn’t last long.

[blucille]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_EV-1

The Saab EV-1, or Saab 900 Turbo EV-1, was developed by Saab in 1985 as a fully functional and roadworthy future concept car, EV-1 stands for ´Experimental Vehicle One´.

It was a wedge shaped 2 + 2 sports coupé body style based on the Saab 900 Turbo 16v. The body was steel and the roof all glass. The design was made by Björn Envall, and the metal work was done by Leif Mellberg included features such as a solar powered interior cooling fan, with 66 solar cells mounted in the glass roof.

This device cooled the car when parked in sunlight. The front and rear bumpers (fenders) were designed to absorb impacts and revert to their original shape. They were made of Aramid fibre (Twaron or Kevlar) reinforced composites. The side doors featured carbon-fibre side impact protection.

[rfuerst911sc]

I always thought there is a lot of wasted real estate on telephone poles . Wires on top and bare to the ground . Fill that space with solar panels . Feed the generated power into the power lines directly above .

[john70t]

Originally Posted by oldE

and cover the parking lots with them.

You mean that half mile of parking lot with no shade anywhere which is 120deg?
Naw. Terrible idea.

[Norm K]

The government loves mandates, especially "green" ones, so maybe they should force automakers to use solar panels as the roof in every vehicle they manufacture, then further require that all energy produced is for the greater good and is to be shared with the energy network. There's a lot more real estate to be had by covering vehicles with this planet-saving technology than on the back of an in-the-pocket-anyway cell phone.

_

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I would do baseball cap brims before cell phone cases. Bonus is you could recharge your embedded chip just by walking outside.

[Zeke]

When in use the back of a CP is pointing down. Also I don't understand wireless electricity transfer. Neither did Nicolas Tesla.

[herr_oberst]

Or, solar-cell cable that could be strung from existing power poles.

[911 Rod]

You can send power wirelessly?
My iphone does not like being in the sun and shuts down.

[cstreit]

I assume you’re looking for cheap and readily available surfaces that are constantly exposed to the sun and uses cheap available panels. It would be great it if also had access to the power grid.

How about roofs?

Cell sized panels wouldn’t even keep the phone charged.

[aschen]

I hope my sarcasometer is correctly functioning on this

[pwd72s]

There's nothing new under the sun...

[Scott Douglas]

Most of the schools around here have panels up on their parking lots.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

there is somewhere around 85 million dogs in the US. Taking out dobermans, rottweilers and pit bulls, lets say 75 million dogs.

That's a lot of tails wagging. Harness that energy and we are energy independent. My dog even as a lab rott mix with no tail, wiggled enough when I came home that would provide enough e- to heat my home for a week I think.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by KC911

The required "land" is already there... virtually everywhere, is typically dark and already absorbing solar energy (heat) in a counterproductive way.... use it. It dwarfs yer idea both in area and feasibility imo.

I agree. Distributed solar collection is the way to go. The scale of trying to do it with cell phones is waaayyyyy to small.

[Arizona_928]

Overheat the device/battery