Since there’s almost any size and shape of solar panel available for purchase from a myriad of vendors across the Internet why would anybody want to go through the hassle of tabbing together their own cells to build a solar panel? Because you can, obviously. This DIY video will run through the basics of chaining together polycrystalline cells and leaves the details like enclosure and such to the user.
courtesy: Make
Activism and music can make for a grating combination. Who wants to hear jet-setters with five houses apiece and LCD screens on the soles of their shoes lecture a crowd on how to live responsibly?
The Solar Music Festival could contain a certain level of such pontification, but in this case there will be more to the sentiments than jargon and hot air. The main festival’s stage runs on wind power from a local cooperative, while a side stage runs on photovoltaic cells.
“The festival is a hotbed of creativity and ideas for a better, more sustainable world,” according to festival co-founder and director Dawn Richardson. “It’s one thing to promote a party, but we want to inspire people to improve their environment for the long term.”
Currently in its tenth year, the Solar Music Festival will feature Steve Earle, Susan Tedeschi, BoDeans, Collective Soul and The Coup this time around. The festival is held in Taos, New Mexico from June 27-29, and will also feature a solar village where people can see alternative energy in action.
Recordings from last year’s festival are available in MP3, FLAC and CD formats for between $10 and $20 per set.
Source: Wired
Photo: Van Mij