My goodness me – what will they think of next when it comes to solar power? Well, on a number of occasions, we have reported about a few interesting innovations involving solar panels.
It will be interesting to see if we will be able to buy umbrellas with solar panels fitted in them in the UK.
Apparently, a Saudi- Palestinian business has come up with an umbrella that is powered by solar panels that have been inserted into the fabric of the umbrella. The umbrella is actually ideally presently to be used to keep the sun at bay rather than stop you getting wet.
The small solar photovoltaic panels capture the sun’s rays and daylight and generate solar power that is stored within the handle of the umbrella. The electricity is then used for a variety of purposes some of which can be controlled by switches.
For instance, the umbrella has a fan that can be switched on to produce cooling air for the benefit of the owner of the umbrella to help keep their temperature down. Another switch controls a navigation system that will help from a location point of view. There is also a light that can be activated that will no doubt help someone in the dark.
Another interesting feature of this solar paneled umbrella is that there are three USB ports that can be used to, for instance, help charge up someone’s mobile phone or tablet.
Apparently, the inventors are looking for backing to go into producing these solar umbrellas on a commercial basis. It will be interesting to hear how they progress in this respect and we will keep our readers updated.
Over the years we have mentioned a number of interesting uses that have been found for solar panels. For instance, solar panels have been built into rucksacks that can be used by the likes of backpackers to charge up their mobile phones. This could be of particular benefit should they be walking in some remote areas of the world and get into difficulty requiring the use of a mobile phone to call for assistance.
