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Solar window blinds both block and harvest sunlight

Solar window blinds both block and harvest sunlight
Each SolarGap slat is equipped with an array of solar panels
Each SolarGap slat is equipped with an array of solar panels
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Although the slats do automatically change their angle to track the sun, the SolarGaps blinds can also be manually operated via an iOS/Android app
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Although the slats do automatically change their angle to track the sun, the SolarGaps blinds can also be manually operated via an iOS/Android app
Each SolarGap slat is equipped with an array of solar panels
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Each SolarGap slat is equipped with an array of solar panels
SolarGaps are reportedly able to generate up to 100 watt-hours of energy for every square meter when mounted on the outside of a window, or up to 50 watt-hours when mounted inside
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SolarGaps are reportedly able to generate up to 100 watt-hours of energy for every square meter when mounted on the outside of a window, or up to 50 watt-hours when mounted inside
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Regular window blinds already help people to save electricity – by keeping incoming sunlight from heating a room up, they reduce the need to run an air conditioner. SolarGaps, however, take things a step further. Each slat is equipped with an array of monocrystalline solar panels, which generate electricity via the very sunlight that they're blocking. Additionally, the blinds use a light sensor to track the sun, automatically changing the angle of the slats in oder to best absorb its rays.

Invented by entrepreneur Yevgen Erik, SolarGaps are reportedly able to generate up to 100 watt-hours of energy for every square meter when mounted on the outside of a window, or up to 50 watt-hours when mounted inside.

The energy that they produce can be fed into the municipal grid and sold to the local utility company, stored in a battery for later use, or it can be used as it's being generated, for purposes such as charging electronic devices.

Although the slats do automatically change their angle to track the sun, the SolarGaps blinds can also be manually operated via an iOS/Android app
Although the slats do automatically change their angle to track the sun, the SolarGaps blinds can also be manually operated via an iOS/Android app

Although the slats do automatically change their angle to track the sun, the blinds can also be manually operated via an iOS/Android app. Not only does the software allow users to open and close the blinds at will, but it also lets them set the blinds on a schedule, monitor how much energy they're producing, or even set them so that they open whenever someone enters the room (they have a built-in motion sensor).

If you're interested in getting some SolarGaps, they're currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of $390 will get you an extra-small set of the blinds, when and if they reach production. The planned retail price is $783, with prices going up accordingly for larger sizes.

Source: Kickstarter

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5 comments
5 comments
Robert in Vancouver
50 watt hours per sq.m. is a very small amount of electricity generated by these blinds. The cost of the blinds and getting an electrician to connect it all to your electrical system would make the payback time at least 50 years. But it's worth it because you are saving the planet (joke).
YouAre
@robo - right, what a waste of money! I wish I had a bunch of Ferrarries to drive from my McMansion to a gigayacht I needed just once a year, ' cause I'd be always in the air deciding where to lunch next. It'd be good for the nature and quite cheap too.
MattII
100 watt-hours isn't a useful figure, is that per hour, per day, per year, or over the whole lifetime (however long that is) of the product? Seriously, dome of these articles need to be proof-read.
Abagnale
I can't place solar batteries on to roof, so i was looking for solar generation device, some device, i could place on to windows or facade wall. I think it's good sub-decision instead of solar panels
Angie Hernandez Vera
I think that some of you are missing the point when you live in a hurricane-prone area this is a real blessing I lived through three months without electricity. I live in a condo this would have been a real-life savvier for me.