Eco Factor: Solar-powered system teaches the simple principles to go green.
Designed by Valeria Bianco, the CLOVERS is a renewable energy education system that uses flexible solar panel technology to teach teenagers about the electricity usage of their entertainment devices and also allows them to help lower their family’s energy costs.
While small portable solar panel systems have been available for some time, this is the first that addresses the energy consumption of playtime devices such as TVs and video games. By installing a simple “fun” meter in teenagers’ rooms, they learn first-hand about renewable energy and the importance of giving back.
When it comes to the issue of consuming less energy, finding accessible, easy solutions has been daunting. While it is undeniably vital to continue governmental and corporate development in this area, we are compelled as individuals to make some effort in our daily life to reduce our energy addiction and perhaps even more importantly, to pass this goal on to our children.
CLOVERS uses thin-film solar panels molded into a distinct shape that is singularly wired to plug into its fitted frames. Each panel is designed to work both in series and in parallel to maximize voltage and current. Panels feed energy back into the grid when electronic devices are off. In order to make this technology more accessible to its users, CLOVERS would be sold at electronic retail stores alongside the entertainment equipment that it powers.
The watts generated by CLOVERS are meant to work with your existing household power by adding a specifically designed meter to your kid’s room. CLOVERS teaches our teens to be aware of their own energy consumption and build a conscience about the impact of their activities. The potential impact of this design is a built-in behavior of efficient energy usage in the long term.
Thanks: [Valeria Bianco]
