I’ve been on a lot of camping excursions the last few years and have learned a lot about preparedness in the outdoors. When I mention preparedness, I’m not talking about close encounters with wildlife or first aid supplies, I’m referring to cooking supplies and utensils. I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve forgotten to bring extra propane cylinders for the grill or been unable to find dry wood for fire pits. Granted, propane isn’t exactly eco-friendly (and neither is burning branches and whatnot), but until recently there haven’t been too many viable alternatives.

I began doing some research into solar ovens and was pleased to find that there are many affordable options nowadays that contain many valuable features. One of the solar ovens I researched functions as not only an oven, but a crock-pot, slow cooker and camp oven. The solar oven functions in three different modes (full solar, electric and a hybrid mode which utilizes both), so that it can be fully functional regardless of the conditions. Although still a little pricey, these ovens definitely deliver.

Source: EarthTechProducts 

There are a lot of solar charging systems on the market nowadays, so in order to choose one that is tailored to your needs can be quite an investigative process. Sometimes solar bags are quite cumbersome and contain some features that may be out of the realm of normal usage. I mean, do you really need to charge a laptop on top of a mountain, or a cell phone charger on custom english saddles?

Anyway, I recently discovered a nice solar bag for digital photography enthusiasts. The bag is relatively small and lightweight and features not only a solar battery charger, but also a fully customizable compartment for relevant gear and supplies. In addition to meeting your photography needs, the bag also features an iPod and phone charger. With an asking price of $125, this solar camera bag is a must see for photography and solar enthusiasts as well.

Source: EarthTechProducts 

With the slogun of “Renewable energy for a sustainable future”, Solar Energy International has set out to educate everyday people on the advantages of renewable energy sources for their homes and businesses.  In addition to their altruistic mantra, Solar Energy International is a non-profit organization that offers courses online as well as 22 locations around the planet.

Solar Energy International also spends a great deal of time visiting local schools where they invite students to learn more about different renewable energies. Focused nt only on the boardroom, SEI considers solar education to be their most important priority. Whether they are in the boardroom delivering a presentation, or in Honduras setting up shop on tv stands, SEI takes solar education seriously. 

Source: solarenergy.org

There are many misconceptions regarding solar power. Many people believe that if the sun isn’t shining, systems powered by solar energy cannot function. That couldn’t possibly be any farther from the truth. Almost all solar power applications have the ability to store energy gathered during the course of the day.

Another popular misconception involving solar panels is that they are unsightly and can negatively affect your property value. That couldn’t possibly be further from the truth, solar panels fit seamlessly onto your roof and are quite similar to a skylight in their appearance.

There are many questions and concerns over the nationwide viability of solar energy. Many Americans believe, or have been led to believe, that many areas of the United States do not receive enough sunlight to effectively utilize solar energy.  Many of the misconceptions aren’t at all different from peoples thoughts about diet pills. Through education and awareness, people are beginning to accept that many of their misconceptions are just that. For instance, Seattle, WA receives 30% more direct sunlight per year than Germany who is the world leader in solar energy usage. 

Source: Seattlepi.com

San Diego will be ground zero for 2008’s Solar Power Conference and Expo. The conference will have over 400 exhibitors as well as 60 plus conference sessions featuring up to date market date, policy, technology breakthroughs and industry information. The conference is a must for those with a professional interest in solar energy.

Many of the themes will focus on concentration of photovoltaic’s, solar thermal electric and solar hot water.  The conference will also feature industry leaders who will be available to discuss how to boost market development and reduce technology costs.  The conference will begin October 13^th and run all week through the 17^th. With beautiful weather almost always in the forecast in San Diego, be sure to remember your golf bags.

Source: SolarPowerConference.com 

The American Solar Energy Society has been promoting the benefits of solar energy for over fifty years. With more than 11,000 members across the country, all of whom possibly wear company logo shirts, and numerous groups of supporters, the ASES has been raising awareness on the effects of carbon emissions on climate change.

The ASES has recently published their “Green-Collared Jobs Report” which shows that the renewable energy and efficiency sectors generate nearly 8.5 million jobs and almost  $1 trillion in annual revenue in the United States. Not only does this prove the vital importance of renewables, but also the effects of renewables in the U.S. economy. If we are ever to end our nations dependence on foreign energy we need to continue to follow the ASES’ lead.

Source: ASES.org 

  Today, I received a Solio portable hybrid Solar Power Charger.  It can charge many different mobile devices using either Solar Power or you can charge the Solo battery, and later on when your device (camera, cell phone or game device) needs a charge, you can charge it off the Solio.

I have just received this product today, and plan to test it out in a number of situations over the next several weeks.  I will primarily be testing this solar charger with my Treo 700 P (on Verizon’s service for what its worth).

My 700P is not very good at holding a charge itself, so having a back up charge available is definitely something that I am interested in.  Plus, I am interested in the solar charging capability for those situations when I am on the go, outdoors on the lake, or just wanting to use greener energy alternatives.

New Solar Gold Mine Review Section

In addition to everything else, I plan to cover my reviews in a section entirely dedicated to reviewing and testing solar related products, concepts and options.  I’ll offer up more on this later as I update the web layout for these reviews, but it will be easily accessible here on the front of the site.

My cell phone, cameras, and home will be the likely items tested with these products.  Although if I could get such a power source for my laptop that would be very cool.  I suspect with spinning hard drives, it probably isn’t terribly practical.  Maybe someday I’ll upgrade to one of those Dell memory hard drives that are all flash made by Samsung.