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.

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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 solar panel system will be able to track the sun while floating on the surface of artificial waterways, increasing efficiency without taking up any space on land. The floating panels will use reflectors to increase the efficiency of the solar energy capture during different times of the day. The panels will also use the water to help stay cool, reducing costs to 20 percent less than conventional, ground based systems.

Ocean floating solar/wave domes connected by a web-like array could be used to harness both sun and wave power. The concept involves connecting dome shaped solar cells in an orderly network. The photovoltaic covered domes would harness solar power while they also capture wave energy as they bob on the water. Solar energy reflected back to the photovoltaics from the water would increase the solar capture by as much as 20 percent.