© Justin Downs, Nick Hasty, Florica Vlad. All Rights Reserved.
We designed and built the Sola-System :
1. as a onetime buy, using no dependent economies:
The sola-system's parts were chosen in order to build a device that would be a one time buy. This means that after the original purchase the owner would not have to buy any other linked products (like batteries or adaptors) to use the speaker. This allows for much less waist economically and environmentally. The speaker system does not ever need new batteries, cords or disks, what you pay for is what you need.
2. with modular and simple construction that can be changed or fixed by the owner:
Through the use of simple materials and components the sola-system is completely modifiable and fixable, from its no nonsense wood housing to the speaker/amp system inside. This creates a personal investment in the object allowing for the customization and development of a psychological bond of ownership that deters one time use/throw away behavior.
3. run with power where you find it.
The third principle is one of the most important to use services where they are needed and are sustainable. With the solar speaker there is a direct correlation between the harnessed power available and the use of that power. The auditory output of the device becomes a divining rod of energy. The user once again becomes aware of his/her environment hearing the changes of a cloud moving across the sun. This creates a tangible expectation of want from the immediate surroundings. Why is this good? Because not only will this system provide music and power for the entire life span of its parts(10-20 years), it makes the user aware of the other possibilities of their environment. This provides a inexhaustible resource of idea, used for tapping the energetic potential of their environment on a more personalize level. The end result of this logic are technologies based on the individual and their resources instead of on a uncertain larger social structure. This will make technologies based on this thought available in the economies of the industrialized nations as well as the non centralized economies of the "developing" nations.
Theory behind design principles:
Why we designed and built the Sola-system:
1. as a onetime buy, using no dependent economies:
The current trend in design/ production is to develop not a single product but a daisy chained mini economy of product. For example the method of linking cellphones with the service, in order to get a new service you have to buy a new phone and if that phone breaks you are required to get a new service for the new phone. This causes a cyclical buying pattern of product that is seen as driving our consumer based economy. This mode of production is not sustainable in the long run. It is based on the specific conditions of the U.S.'s World War Two economic surplus and the shift of production to "developing" countries where the classical living standards are much lower. This pattern has made the effective labor cost of these product a horizontal line (essentially unlimited) for supply, so only the demand is a factor in production. Unfortunately this is not sustainable due to the real factors of material cost, a closing of the gap (in terms of monetary living standards) between the U.S. and the supply countries, and the psychological impacts these have on the meta market systems of the various stock markets.
So in order to keep design and products going in the coming years, a new design strategy has to be implemented. This strategy has to account for the new changes in market and social systems. In light of this fact we believe a key principle will be to be able to design product which can be sustained by the individual. If the cost, maintenance and service are encapsulated in one system it allows greater control by the individual, causing the product to be more effective for the individual in the long run. And with this boost of efficacy , the product will be worth the larger cost of production that is inevitable in todays market.
2. with modular and simple construction that can be changed or fixed by the owner:
To make the product more accessible to the consumer we made the design choices based on what the owner could master with a reasonable "time input to benefit" ratio. The deciding factor in continued use of a technology is the balance of invested time in, to perceived benefit out. For example if you made the best blender in the world that could take care of all your food processing needs at a relatively cheap cost to the market, it would still falter if the learning curve on the device is 20 years. This balance of use to design is key to making a lasting object. With the sola-system we tried to make all the parts accessible and modifiable to the consumer. The choice of material dictates psychologically what the owner can perceive they can do with the an object. By making the housing out of wood we are giving the psychological room for personal modification linking the product with notions of do it yourself projects, while still keeping a high level of functionality and design ( it is also very biodegradable).
3. run with power where you find it.
Power is a increasing concern as more and more technologies crave it and more and more people need it. The methods of centralized production / dissemination of power in the industrialized world is starting to become unattainable. The dependance on coal and copper to get power to the devices of users is reaching the limits of our current technologies. The material, environmental and social structures these methods of energy production use are becoming strained with the larger populations and environmental impacts they are having. If we want to continue using electrical and mechanical power to assist us, we need to find alternate solutions for power creation and dissemination. In making the Sola-System we are focusing on the strategy of channeling energy into power where you use it. In this way the material needs of copper to transfer power drops from miles and tons of electrical cable to inches and grams as well as saving the energy loss associated with high voltage power transmission / rectification. It also creates a direct relationship of power creation to power demand, using this principle the power system is infinitely scalable and the social impedance of energy production is always matched. The byproducts of energy speculation to use is removed creating a tangible view of need to use, preventing wasted energy and brownouts.
Technical overview:
why we chose solar
Solar Energy
Heat and light from the Sun, along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomes, account for over 99.9% of the available flow of renewable energy on the Earth. Solar energy technologies harness the sun's heat and light for practical ends such as heating, lighting and electricity.
It would be great if 100% of the sunshine that hit a solar panel became electricity, but conversion of one form of energy to another always causes a loss of energy. The efficiency of commercially available solar panels (PV) is about 15%. This means that when a solar panel converts the sun's light to electricity, only about 15% of the energy in the sunlight (3 to 9 kWh/m²/day) becomes electricity. With this loss the energy supplied is still more than enough for our needs, we are able to fully power our device and achieve great sound.
PV cells
Photovoltaic (PV) cells are made of special materials called semiconductors such as silicon. When light strikes the cell, a certain portion of it is absorbed within the semiconductor material. The energy knocks electrons loose, allowing them to flow freely. PV cells also all have one or more electric fields that act to force electrons freed by light absorption to flow in a certain direction. This flow of electrons is a current, and by placing metal contacts on the top and bottom of the PV cell, we can draw that current off to use externally. This current, together with the cell's voltage (which is a result of its built-in electric field or fields), defines the power (or wattage) that the solar cell can produce.
tech overview:
Encased in wood it includes a 17v 1 amp solar panel, a 2 channel 14 watt amplifier, and two 8" speakers.
Our Solar Panels
-rated at 17 volts, 1 amp, 20 watts
-14.5w" X 22.5" long inches
http://www.plastecs.com/solar%20panels.html
What we are powering:
Speaker
Jensen® MOD® 8-20 Speaker
8" speaker
20 watt rated power
Ceramic Magnet
4 ohm impedance
http://www.tubesandmore.com/
Amp from www.canakit.com