I recently found this article on another solar “invention”. I’m not too sure how well this one might actually work, but it was somewhat refreshing to see an idea that looked pretty straightforward; too much of the news on scientific “discoveries” of potential relevance to sustainable energy seem to be dealing with cobalt and catalysts and making photovoltaic cells that mimic leaves, etc. – while these are usually based on promising experimental data (obtained under funded laboratory-research conditions), even when they are technically feasible, issues seem to invariably arise in terms of their implementation, related to the economics of producing them at a large enough scale to have an impact on the practical realities of technologies for energy generation…
Inflatable Solar Panel Source: Greentech.co.uk – July 09, 2008
A UK-based sustainable product design consultancy, has unveiled an inflatable solar collector (called ‘SolarStore’). This reportedly harnesses the sun’s natural energy to warm domestic water and “
can heat up to three full tanks of water per day at temperatures close to 80°C” and thus could provide a cheap source of domestic hot water. The designers anticipate that the product could be beneficial in developing countries, particularly those in which reliable electricity supply is a problem. It works by allowing sunlight to pass through a clear outer layer to a black inner layer which holds the water. By a process of heat transfer, the water is then heated up. The surrounding air between the clear and black layers then acts as insulation to help keep the heat in...
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UK firm invents inflatable solar panel | Green Tech 
Inflatable Solar Panel? 
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