Open Source ‘Solar Pocket Factory’ Can 3D Print A Solar Panel Every 15 Seconds
Shawn Frayne and Alex Hornstein, two young inventors based in the Philippines, are taking their passion for clean free energy and developing a way to make it accessible and cheap for everyone. These guys are working restlessly to provide a product that could be used by practically anyone to make homemade solar panels.
The factory is small enough to fit on a desktop and efficient enough to produce 300k to one million panels per year, up to one every 15 seconds. By cutting out much of the labor intensive process, which represents 50% of the total cost, this machine can dramatically reduce the price of solar. Their pocket solar panel producer can change the way the world views electricity.
What type of applications can a homemade solar panel have? For starters it can replace the need for outlets in a home for smaller electronics such as phones, computers, lamps, etc.
One of the more intriguing applications is the added versatility solar panels can provide. In short, with these panels you can use your electronics anywhere there’s sunshine .
Their initial Kickstarter campaign was quickly fully funded, but they are raising additional funds to redesign the CNC laser cutter with the intentions to open source the technology. Eventually they plan to power the solar panel maker using solar panels.
The product is continuously being improved and the technology is open source which makes it free for anyone to copy or improve upon.
Other grass-roots inventors, such as Ma Yehe — who invented a 3D printer to build houses – are beginning to emerge in hopes of improving the world. These are the type of inventors that are going to drive innovation and technology into the new age. Corrupt, politicized and controlled global marketplaces cannot suppress innovation anymore. The future is promising with the budding new wave of inventors with actual intentions to improve mankind with open source technology and ideas. Check out the video below and the Solar Pocket Factory website for more info.
Here’s their first working model in action:
