One day, snowboarders may be able to charge down the slopes while charging their batteries with a solar panel equipped snowboard. The snowboard will be equipped with a pair of solar panels fitted to the board's shape and connected to a converter in the center of the board. The board's two rechargeable batteries will be able to power smartphones and music devices, taking advantage of the bright sun on snowy mountain slopes.

A new take on the transparent solar cell screen cover could bring solar powered screens to the market sooner than anticipated. The new, lower tech method will involve alternating stripes of thin-film solar cells with transparent film and then adding a layer of tiny lenses. The layer of lenses will help to spread the image on the screen, causing the stripes to become invisible while also concentrating the sun's rays. The technology could extend the battery life of a mobile...

A hybrid solar system could help increase the efficiency and eco-friendliness of natural gas power plants while also creating a synthetic fuel for vehicles. The system will feature a parabolic mirror that will focus sunlight on a small chemical reactor lined with narrow channels containing natural gas. A catalyst will break down the molecules of the sunlight-warmed gas to create a mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen called syngas (synthesis gas). The waste heat from this...

The generator will be designed to capitalize on the energy potential available both in the winds above the ocean, and in the currents flowing beneath the waves. The device will use an omnidirectional wind turbine sitting 47 meters above the sea on one end of a vertical shaft, with a different type of omnidirectional turbine design, a 15 meter diameter, spinning at the other end under the surface. The floating unit is supposed to be stable and self-righting, thanks to a...

The thermal system will be able to concentrate the power of 2000 suns while also delivering fresh water. The system will follow the sun and will be made up of hundreds of photovoltaic chips that will gather energy at the center while being cooled by a microchannel water cooling process. This will allow the each chip to concentrate the solar energy without being damaged by extreme heat. And since the water in the microchannels reaches up to 194 degrees, it will be used to heat a...

Taking inspiration from nature, I suggest developing a self-healing solar cell that will repair itself with its synthetic vascular system. The self-regenerating solar cell will be designed with a network of channels that will mimic the vascular system of leaves, and will be composed of a water-based gel core, electrodes and light-sensitive, organic dye molecules. The dye molecules will produce electricity when they are "excited" by the sun's rays, but they will eventually degrade...

Instead of the conventional roof-mounted solar panels, the new design concept will feature a flexible, solar cell-embedded façade able to move with the sun and shift positions for maximum energy efficiency. The façade of the house will made up of a network of textile strips embedded with photovoltaic cells. With its two axis solar tracking system, the façade will be able to move to follow the sun and gather the maximum amount of energy. The flexible façade will also be altered to...

New sunglasses will do more than protect your eyes from UV rays - they will also harness power from the sun to top off mobile gadgets. The sunglasses will be made from a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses that have been fitted with photovoltaic cells on the plastic ear pieces. The cells will collect solar rays to charge a battery embedded in the frame, and the ear pieces can be removed to reveal a microUSB or Lightening connector that can be used to charge an iPhone.

The sleek and intuitive window socket concept will be a portable, solar powered socket designed to be easily attached to a window. Meant to be easy to use with no special training, the small, round window socket will feature a solar panel surrounded by a suction plate and a converter that will convert the energy to electricity. A battery on the device will store the power for later use, and it will provide up to 10 hours of continuous power when fully charged.

The idea is to create a microturbine able to harness the rainwater runoff from roofs to generate electricity. The system will feature a microturbine measuring about 2 inches wide by 10 inches high designed to be placed in half-inch pipe. As the turbine is spun by the flowing water from rooftop gutters, it will generate enough energy to charge 12-volt batteries that can be used to power small household devices. As an added benefit, the water flowing through the turbine will...