The iPhone has been a multi-functional device for games, business apps and even videos. But now it seems to be adding another dimension towards its many uses as a monitoring device for homes that make use of solar energy.

There are homes now that make use of solar power as their main source of energy but the available power generated by these solar panels leaves a lot to be feted on. For one, knowing how much energy is available for use to power up the home is needed and until now, no competent means of measuring that was available.

SunPower Corp. thus unveils a solar power monitoring software that can be used via the iPhone/ iPod Touch. With this new app which is now available at the Apple App Store for free, home owners can now easily evaluate and see the efficiency of their solar cells, panels and system and see if they are functioning accordingly.

“With the SunPower Monitoring System, our customers can optimize their solar investment and save on energy expenses,” said Jan Soderstrom, vice president and chief marketing officer at SunPower Corp. “By monitoring their solar systems online, in-home or via their Apple mobile devices, these tools empower homeowners to track their systems anytime and from practically any location.”

(Source) Press

Tags: Apple, energy expenses, iPhone, iPhone, iPod Touch, main source, mobile devices, Mobile Software, monitoring software, monitoring system, solar cells, solar panels, solar power, solar systems, source of energy, sunpower corp, use of solar energy

Prolonging the life of batteries of devices is a great boost to avoid additional costs for certain devices. But the actual practice of prolonging them is sometimes overlooked.

In fact, there is no real way of properly evaluating their state but with this new Solar Power Battery Charger Evaluation Boards from IXYS, battery life extensions are bound to improve.

These evaluation boards show how the ‘Solar Bit’ can be used to increase battery life, help design solar cell based products, provide customer convenience and reduce the disposal of batteries. The boards are designed to assist customers in understanding the features of the IXYS Solar Cells in the form of Solar Bits.

The Solar Power Battery Charger Evaluation Boards are as follows:

EVIX-CX3AA – Showcases three different IXYS components which are used to create a battery charger. This demonstrates an entirely ‘off-grid’ design which automatically disconnects the battery from the solar cells in low or no-light conditions thereby preventing inadvertent discharging with no additional circuitry required.

EVIX-10 – This highly configurable evaluation board provides 10 ‘Solar Bits’ which can be individually set to series or parallel configuration with the other cells. In addition, several EVIX-10 boards can be connected together, also in either parallel or series. This allows users to customize the configuration precisely to a specific need. Changes to the configuration take only seconds and are made via simple jumpers.

EVIX-USB – As USB devices become more prevalent, the use of the USB connection to charge batteries while away from a computer increases in value. The EVIX-USB demonstrates how the innovative design of the ‘Solar Bit’ can be used to create a simple USB charger. By utilizing the IXYS ‘Solar Bit’ in this application users can develop products that substantially extend the usable time for USB charged products while away from a computer and utilizing the power of the sun rather than an AC power source.

EVIX-LED – With the advent of several emerging technologies we are now able to provide completely battery-less power sources for remote applications. The EVIX-LED demonstrates how the IXYS ‘Solar Bit’, combined with super-capacitor technology, can be used to provide a burst of energy for a short period with a rapid recharge time. This solution is completely off-grid and does not require a battery. In this case it powers a bright LED for over one full second and recharges in full sun in just a few minutes. Designers now have the capability of using the IXYS ‘Solar Bit’ to provide battery-less solar power sources for applications requiring an intermittent burst of energy.

EVXOB17-12X1 – This simple evaluation board connects 10 IXOLAR ‘Solar Bits’ in series for general experimentation and use in a small footprint, as a Solar Panel to charge batteries, for portable devices, like MP3 players, cell phones, PDA’s, test instruments, portable medical devices, etc.

(Source) Press

Tags: Accessories, application users, battery charger, battery life, Cell Phones, disposal of batteries, evaluation board, evaluation boards, grid design, innovative design, power battery, solar cell, solar cells, solar power, usable time, usb connection