Solar technology is not only changing the way that enables us to live in a more environment-friendly society, but there are also some innovations that we should think about as different methods to harvest solar energy as follows:
• Trash and recycling: Trash cans and recycling bins that are outfitted with solar-powered compactors use solar energy to compress their contents. The benefit of these pieces of equipment is compacting the trash people throw in increases the capacity of equipment, reducing their need to be emptied by up to 80%. In addition, they provide cost savings on labour and transporting trash.
• Emergency medicine: Solar technology provides power to emergency treatment that plays a key role in medicine in a far remote region or in the wake of natural disasters. For instance, health-care workers can use solar energy in medical lighting, communications, laptops and small medical devices.
• Vehicles: People can energize electric cars with solar energy from rooftop solar panels or the grid. In addition, they increasingly find parking garages, small shelters and other structures outfitted with solar panels to charge their cars.
• Clothing: A large number of designers have generated a range of fashion styles, from tee-shirts to jackets to backpacks to jewelry, which incorporates solar technology. For example, Dutch designer Pauline Van Dongen created a t-shirt that can generate up to one watt of electricity.
• Device Chargers: These chargers are portable, giving outdoors enthusiasts much convenience.
• Ski lifts: these lifts include a system of about 80 solar panels to power them. The lift is also connected to the power grid in case it doesn’t get sunlight on snowy days.
• Paint: In the future, users might be able to use paint to collect energy from sun to power their house. Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology are developing a solar paint which absorbs solar energy and moisture from the air and then splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then energize a fuel cell. This paint turns any object into a source of energy.