SMIT, a sustainable design start-up company, has developed an interesting, potentially ground breaking, and completely simple idea called GROW. Solar energy scientists have been trying to imitate photosynthesis for a while now. They’ve done an excellent job of it, and I’m continually impressed with newer techs and better availability. In this sense, GROW is not a novel idea. However, in its literal interpretation, that being solar leaves, GROW is probably one of the most thoughtful products yet.

Let me be clear when I offer my praise (I don’t want to go soft on anybody). GROW’s innovation isn’t in the photovoltaics – it’s in the leaves themselves and their hybrid capabilities. See, not only do the leaves produce solar-electric energy, but the stems have a wind powered generator inside. These hybrid generators are also small and modular, easy to hang, and quite easy to replace singularly. The flexibility and duel capability of GROW make the design.

According to SMIT’s website, the first product will be solar only. To be specific, GROW.2 is the product shown and is strictly solar. GROW.1 is still awaiting efficient and profitable production. Other standout features are the recyclable materials. While the PV material and the generator are, for now, un-recyclable, the plastics can be put back into the production process.

Via ecogeek

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Nanosolar is coming out with their new product PowerSheet. This paper thin sheet is a solar panel in disguise. The panels are basically printed on a sheet of aluminum foil in a process that is much like printing a newspaper. The result is a product that can be rapidly produced at greatly reduced costs. The best part is that the product uses not silicon. Silicon is a very expensive material in short supply used on most photovaltic panels. Even worse, up to 70 percent gets wasted during manufacturing. So you’re paying for a lot of material waste that doesn’t help produce your electricity. Though Nanosolar hasn’t publicly released their product, we all have high hopes of a much less expensive solar alternative. To see more information, check out Popular Science’s article and make sure you click on the “See How It Works” button.

If you’re anxious to hear costs and advantages, go to their website. They don’t have anything up that specifially mentions the PowerSheet yet, but they explain the thin sheet technology. I signed up to their mailing list to hear about costs when it comes out. You can too, but I’ll do my best to post the costs here when it comes out.

I’d like to see a solar power system that’s like putting an apartment above the garage one day. I’d like to see one that produces so much excess electricity that your power company will be pay you enough to start a savings account on. Instead of saving money and the environment, preservation would become you own personal home business… wouldn’t that be nice.

HousePlans.Info: The latest trends, observations and opinions on all things related to house plans, home design and home building.