Or rather, do both with SolarGaps, heralded as the “world’s first solar smart blinds.” These guys don’t just keep out the powerful rays of everyone’s favorite star, but they also generate electricity from the sun’s energy. All you have to do is plug in SolarGaps and allow solar energy to begin powering all the devices in your home. Better still, you can take whatever energy you do not use over the course of a day and store it in a battery as an emergency power source. So if you are looking for relief from the heat and from a high electricity bill, this may just be the product for you.
According to the SolarGaps team, just 10 square feet of these blinds are capable of generating up to 150Wh, enough to power 30 LED light bulbs or three MacBooks. What is more, SolarGaps promises to help you use up to 40 percent less energy on air conditioning — key during the upcoming summer months. So even if you cannot afford to put solar panels on your roof, you can add a green solution to your home.
Because these blinds are self-adjusting, SolarGaps will always be able to absorb the maximum amount of light (and therefore, energy) from the sun. If you opt for the motion sensor, SolarGaps will even open automatically whenever it detects someone entering a room so that your house always seems bright and cheery.
Of course, SolarGaps can be controlled by your smartphone and the blinds are connected to the app via Wi-Fi. You will be able to raise or lower your blinds, change the slats’ angles, and check to see how much electricity is being generated, all from your phone. And don’t worry — whether you live in the desert or the tundra, SolarGaps ought to be able to stand up to the elements. The outer shell of SolarGaps is constructed with durable aluminum and fiberglass and can withstand temperatures between negative-40 and 176 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lastly, you do not need a professional to install the blinds — rather, the plug-and-play setup promises to be user-friendly and starts at $385 for 10 square feet. You can pre-order them on Kickstarter here with an estimated delivery date of August.
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