Smart blinds generate solar electricity while shading your windows
Innovation, Renewables May 10, 2017
For those wanting to offset some of their electricity with clean power, but rooftop solar is not an option, the SolarGaps smart blinds are a simple and affordable DIY solution to produce your own electricity and reduce energy bills up to 70%.
Standard window blinds already save a significant amount of energy by reducing the cooling load of a room, so adding solar cells and a tracking mechanism for optimal positioning seems like a no-brainer innovation.
The smart blinds can be mounted inside or outside windows and simply plugged in to any outlet. They can be raised or lowered manually or via a motorized component, while an automatic tracking mechanism adjusts the angle of the blinds to follow the sun’s position through the day. The aluminum blinds can also function as privacy shades.
The solar cells in the blinds have a 25-year lifespan and the electricity generated from them can be used directly or stored in a home battery system for use after the sun sets. According to the company, a square meter of SolarGaps blinds can produce 100 watt-hours of electricity per day when mounted outside the window, or up to 50 watt-hours per day when mounted inside, which is enough “to power 30 LED light bulbs or three MacBooks.”
And because everything is becoming ‘smart’ these days, the SolarGaps blinds can be app-controlled and set on an automated schedule (or operated manually) and can integrate with other smart home devices like Amazon Echo, Google home, and the Nest thermostat.
The SolarGaps blinds are being launched via a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, where a variety of sizes and custom orders are available. The company estimates delivery of the blinds will begin sometime in September 2017.
Learn more @ SolarGaps
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