• Design Jobs
  • Firms
  • Awards
  • Conference
e

Core77

Sign In / Join Now;
e
  • Topics
    • Product Design
    • Process
    • Technology
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Materials
    • News
    • Furniture
    • Tools
    • Transportation
    • Education
    • Footwear
    • Impact
    • Reference
    • Video
  • Features
    • Features
    • Yo! C77 Sketch
    • Photo Galleries
    • Bizarre Inventions
    • Design Calendar
    • Weekly Maker's Roundup
    • DiResta's Cut
    • Industrial Design Tips
    • Hand Tool School
    • Tools & Craft
    • Design Experience that Matters
  • Shopping Guide
  • Projects
    • Projects
    • Firm Projects
    • Reader Projects
  • Forums
    • Forums
    • General Discussion
    • Students & Schools
    • Design Employment
    • Sketching
    • Software & Technology
    • All Forums
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • About
    • Contact
    • Advertise

Solar power's day in the sun

By Niti Bhan - Jan 09, 2010

  • }Favorite This
  • Y1
  • m1
  • U1
  • X1
  • H1
  • 2 Comments

That's the ReNu, a portable solar panel designed for the mass market, for powering personal electronics like iPhones, music players, and desk lamps due to hit the shelves in June 2010. Reena Jana interviews Robert Brunner, Chief Designer on his tactics, and he shares 3 tips for innovation. Here's a snippet,

But they didn't ask them what they wanted in such products. They asked them more broadly about their experiences in conserving power.

Friends told them about the situations when they were acutely aware of power supply. For example, "when they used their laptops on planes, they started looking at power differently," Brunner said. "They paid more attention to the battery symbol on their screens." An investor had his own moments of not taking energy for granted: "He said he is most aware of power sources is when he is sailing," Thinking of such moments when people are focused on energy use, ReGen's designers paid particular attention to their products' charge-level displays, making them eye-catching and easy-to-interpret. By putting usage on display, the unobtrusive interface influences consumers' energy consumption habits with everyday home gadgets, and is hailed as one of ReNu's most innovative features.

It was being acutely aware of power shortages after his recent move to Kenya from Florida, that led Erik Hersman to uncover some solar powered alternatives available in the local market.

This is the ToughStuff solar panel that comes with accessories to charge mobile phones, radios and even fake D-cell batteries that take direct input from the panel to allow for flexibility of use such as at night.

The latest design news, jobs & events.
Straight to you every other week.

Join over 300,000 designers who stay up-to-date with the Core77 newsletter...

Subscribe

Test it out; it only takes a single click to unsubscribe

  • }Favorite This
  • Y1
  • m1
  • U1
  • X1
  • H1

Niti Bhan

  • x

Niti Bhan focuses on offering strategic insight for growth opportunities and revenue generation in the rapidly evolving interstitial space between design and business. Her 15 years of experience include employers such McCann Erickson Worldwide, Hewlett Packard India, The Second City and most recently, the Institute of Design. She is an engineer and an MBA whose most significant achievement in the field of design has been dropping out of two graduate design programs on two continents in two centuries - the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and the Institute of Design, Chicago. Her areas of interest are business intelligence and trends, business strategy as well as creating a compelling user case for design as force for increasing value.

Putting the "Desi" in Design
Ecodesign, Ecolabels and the Environment
Shopping for Innovation
Seismic Shift - Changes in the global design industry
While You Were Out

2 Comments

  • Brecht
    9 years ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply
    Funny. "Regen" is Dutch for "rain". Nice product though.
    !Report as spam
  • Jacek Barcikowski
    9 years ago
    Z
    Z
    Reply
    I like the clean design of the concept. I don't know how efficient the solar batteries are and if they can operate not faced towards the sun but I wouldn't expose my iPhone or any other electronic device to the direct sunlight.
    !Report as spam

Core77's Design Directory

View all Design Firms »

Hot On Coroflot

Fashion Sketchbook 2016-2018 Jeffrey Brown
Gigi Hadid x Reebok Classic Leather Diamond Chris Hill (Chrisco.)

Recent Posts

  • SmartBowl: Homeware from Hardware

    By Joshua Skirtich - a day ago

  • A Dental Industry Tool for Getting the Last Drop of Product Out of a Squeeze Tube

    By Rain Noe - a day ago

  • Watch Nicole Gibbons' "How to Disrupt an Oversaturated Market" Talk at the 2018 Core77 Conference

    By Core Jr - a day ago

  • These Bolts Change Color When Tightened Properly

    By Rain Noe - a day ago

Continued Reading

K

{

Welcome

  • YSign In with Facebook
  • mSign In with Twitter
  • USign In with Linkedin
OR
  • jSign In with Core77 Account
  1. Forgot password?
  • Cancel

Don't have an account? Join Now

K

{

Welcome

Create a Core77 Account

  • YJoin Now with Facebook
  • mJoin Now with Twitter
  • UJoin Now with Linkedin
OR
  • jJoin Now with Email
  • Cancel

Already have an account? Sign In

By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use

K

Reset Password

Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.

  • Cancel
Today On the Core77 Network...
  • ]Design Jobs

    • Foundations of Art/Graphic Design Teacher

      St. Andrew's School Middletown, Delaware
    • Industrial Designer/Design Strategist

      The Clorox Company Pleasanton, California
    • Industrial Design/Design Strategist

      The Clorox Company Pleasanton, California
    • Project Manager

      Muse and Company, Inc. Oakland, California
    • Post A Job
    • View All Jobs
  • ]Design Directory

    View other design services:

    • *Hot On Coroflot

      • Jumpstart Charging Systems

        Ryan Paul
      • Beverage Dispenser

        Jonathan Smith
    •  

      • ET TOY WORK

        Rurik Tyler
      • ECCO Biom Venture TR

        Ventsislav Nikolov
    • © 2019 Core77, Inc. All rights reserved.
    • Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • About
    • )
    • m
    • Y
    • '
    • S
    • © 2019 Core77, Inc. All rights reserved.
    Advertise Here