About time something like this came to the market; the solar cooler does exactly what the name implies. It relies on energy from sun to keep it’s contents cool so you may very well term it as your portable refrigerator, one which runs on solar energy.
CES 2014 at Las Vegas witnessed this handy gadget which can be used to keep your food and/or drinks cold by employing solar energy. The refrigeration system in solar cooler relies on sun’s energy and is basically connected to solar panels.
All of us who left our homes with ice filled coolers and had to face disappointment when we reached our destination and opened the cooler would greatly appreciate this gadget. The designers claim that their gadget is capable of maintaining a steady temperature of 5.5°C for more than 24 hours while factoring in how many times the lid is opened and closed. However, that is not all that it can do, it can maintain a temperature of -10°C as well if needed. This setting of temperature can be adjusted by making use of a digital display which is quite precise. In order to increase the power, a user may attach more solar panels to the gadget or make use of an electrical outlet to charge the batteries before setting out to party or travelling.
The gadget measures 41x36x43 cm and weighs about 25 kg. Despite the refrigeration system, the interior space still measures up to 40 liters and since you don’t need ice for this gadget; all the space is available for your contents that need to be kept cool. As expected, the design is pretty user friendly; it comes with handles which allow ease of carrying, has a rugged finish and design to make it more durable and able to survive parties. It also has the option of installing beach wheels which will make your life even easier. On the side, you will find two outlets; USB and 12 V and these can be used to either charge a phone or maybe use a blender. The inside lid comes with light so you need not worry about how to find something if its dark.
The design looks simple and quite easy to manufacture. However, that is not the case. To achieve this simplicity, the designers had to really put in some hard work and achieve this balance of size and power. The task was not easy and required some bulk of research and tests. The whole process of collecting solar energy, transferring it to batteries and then powering the refrigeration system had to be seamless and they have finally achieved the desired goal.
If this particular version pans out well, the company has some other great ideas for this gadget. They plan on bringing another model out in the market which will be specifically designed for the purpose of carrying vaccines known as Hêlios. Whether it gets to that stage or not is unclear as of now. However, we have high hopes for this gadget and wish well to the company. Oh and it’s priced at $1,200 and will ship in June this year.
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