Wednesday, July 13, 2011

NEW YORK'S SOLAR IVY

It's hard to believe, but there's a Solar development company in New York. This Brooklyn company has developed a new form of solar panels. It's a new twist on a current material. In smaller portions, the individual panels are shaped like artistically fashioned ivy leaves. Like the picture above, they decorate the wall's surface.


This product called Solar Ivy, was in the news a few years ago as the miniaturized plates were developed. I only recently discovered they were located in Brooklyn from a friend of mine in NYC. So I figured I would post about them as they set of to install a significant application at the University of Utah. The company is (SMIT) Sustainably Minded Interactive Technologies.
  
The developers are Sam (pictured right)  and his sister Teresita Cochran, and fellow Pratt alumnus Ben Howes. Testing their prototypes in a Navy Yard, They've been  contracted to install this system through funds derived right from student  contributions. What remains in raising funds is expected to come from local green awareness events.
 
As you can see by the pictures I found online, Solar Ivy is a composition of small photovoltaic panels shaped so that they can be installed in an attractive arrangement, much like ivy growing over a building's surface. The panels generate electricity that is used by the building, offsetting the amount of power the building buys from the utility company.

I guess the reason I'm compelled to post this terrific news is that we have another solar success story in New York State. It may not be here in our Hudson Valley Solar Consortium region, but it's here. I guess the next question would be why aren't WE utilizing this company for solar initiatives at SUNY or other New York colleges?  Why Utah? Did it ever occur to anyone to seek New York companies before purchasing foreign solar panels? Could we get a special deal from SMIT in the future? Can we pursue this? 

1 comment:

whyimded said...

I just saw this creeping solar ivy last night, and now I find this. I was just thinking that it would be cool if there was a solar tree. That would be interesting, and entire tree with leaves of solar collectors, and the trunk is the AC/DC converter box, and then a "root" goes along underground and attaches to the house feeding it the extra electricity. Artistic, pretty, always green, and provides electricity. Neat idea.