Solar Gadgets and Gifts

Solar power, like wind power, is a renewable resource and a great alternative to electricity. Over time, our ability to harness solar energy and convert it into something compatible and usable with modern electronics has grown leaps and bounds. While it is not yet cost effective to use solar panels to power your entire house, there are plenty of gadgets you can use to lower your dependency on electricity, which saves you money and can give you tons of enjoyment.

Rather than equipping your garage with flood lamps, why not try using solar powered yard lamps? The Malibu lighting system provides constant light at no cost (beyond the initial investment of around $35.) There are no wires, so you don’t have to worry about animals breaking your connection. This also means you can use these lights to make neat designs in your front yard! The batteries in the Malibu solar yard lights last about 10 hours, and take about 10 to charge, making these lamps pretty versatile – and good for the environment!

Tired of having to stop work or put away your iPod because the battery ran out and you don’t have anywhere to plug it in? Why not use the Xpower Solar pack? Basically, this device stores solar power and converts it to be used for recharging all kinds of different things. If you plug it in to a wall, or it requires a USB connection to charge, you can use this bad boy.

These jars are something I happened across and they’re –awesome-. These jars have no switches, no operation of any sort required. You can choose from two colors, a warm orange frosted mason jar, or a cool moonlight blue frosted mason jar. Inside are three solar powered LED lights, which come on automatically when it gets dark, and turn off when it’s light out. These are great gifts, and at around $45 dollars, you’ll never need a night-light or reading lamp again.