An electric power generation system is disclosed to produce electrical energy. The electric power generation system includes a solar awning that is ideally carried by a vehicle that is operable under its own power or towed behind a lead vehicle. The solar awning has a solar base attached to the roof of the vehicle and a pair of solar arms that are hingedly connected to respective opposite sides of the solar base. Each of the solar base and the pair of solar arms has an array of solar panels that convert solar energy to electrical energy. The solar awning is folded from an open configuration for maximum exposure to the sun at which the solar arms lie side-by-side the solar base to a closed configuration for minimum exposure to the sun at which the solar arms rotate downwardly from the solar base to lie alongside the vehicle.

An electric power generation system is disclosed to produce electrical energy. The electric power generation system includes a solar awning that is ideally carried by a vehicle that is operable under its own power or towed behind a lead vehicle. The solar awning has a solar base attached to the roof of the vehicle and a pair of solar arms that are hingedly connected to respective opposite sides of the solar base. Each of the solar base and the pair of solar arms has an array of solar panels that convert solar energy to electrical energy. The solar awning is folded from an open configuration for maximum exposure to the sun at which the solar arms lie side-by-side the solar base to a closed configuration for minimum exposure to the sun at which the solar arms rotate downwardly from the solar base to lie alongside the vehicle.

The LPSP invention comprises an array of solar panel slats called solar slats along with inter-digitized filler slats. The solar slates on the outside can be open to the outside air or behind a covering window. The solar slats, filler slats or both types of slats can rotate or be fixed in angle position with respect to the sun solar angle. In a window shade application, the filler slats can rotate to avoid blocking the sun's rays from impinging on the solar slats. Alternatively, the filler slats can be transparent, or be adapted with electrically activated films (electroactive) to change the degree of transparency. The solar slats comprise structural material adapted with or containing photovoltaic material, even semi-transparent solar photo electric glass, and further comprising accompanying electrodes and wiring to conduct the generated electricity to an electrical load. The LPSP can be used as elements in a LPSP systems that folds and allows walking support such as a deck. The LPSP flips sides exposed to the environment to offer a different functionality.

The systems and methods of the present disclosure provide film-ready solar signs and assemblies for installations of solar signs.

The systems and methods of the present disclosure provide film-ready solar signs and assemblies for installations of solar signs.

Satellites having autonomously deployable solar arrays are disclosed. A disclosed example satellite includes a solar array, a sensor to detect that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle, a processor to, based on the satellite exiting the launch vehicle, enable release of magnets or locks of an array, a release controller to control the release of the magnets or the locks of the array based on a release sequence to autonomously deploy the solar array, and a sequence analyzer to adapt the release sequence during execution of the release sequence, wherein adapting the release sequence includes changing an order in which the magnets or the locks of the array are released based on a degree to which the solar array is unfolded.

An extension panel may include a mating surface shaped to interface with a back surface of a clamp that includes a mounting hole corresponding to a bolt slot in the back surface of the clamp to accommodate a single bolt passing through the extension panel and the clamp. The extension panel may also include a pair of flanges projecting outward from the mating surface and positioned to be on either side of the clamp. The extension panel may also include a flat top surface generally parallel and aligned linearly with another flat top surface of a flexible member. The extension flat top surface may be sized to be approximately a same width as the flexible member at a first end of the extension flat top surface proximate the mating surface and may flare out as the extension flat top surface extends away from the flexible member.

A solar array structure for a spacecraft is based on a modular approach, allowing for arrays to be designed, and designed to be modified, and manufactured in reduced time and with reduced cost. The embodiments for the solar array are formed of multiple copies of a “bay” of a multiple strings of solar array cells mounted on semi-rigid face-sheet structural elements. The bays are then placed into frame structures made of tubes connected by nodes to provide an easily scalable, configurable, and producible solar array wing structure. This allows for rapid turnaround of program specific designs and proposal iterations that is quickly adaptable to new/future PhotoVoltaic (PV) technologies and that can create uniquely shaped (i.e., not rectangular) arrays, allowing for mass production with simple mass producible building blocks.

A portable cooler is disclosed herein. The portable cooler includes a cooler body portion, the cooler body portion defining an interior compartment configured to hold beverages and/or food items; and a cooler lid portion coupled to the cooler body portion, the cooler lid portion operable between open and closed states so as to allow a user to gain access to the beverages and/or food items in the interior compartment. In one or more embodiments, the portable cooler further includes a telescopic handle assembly pivotally coupled to the cooler body portion with an upper handle portion telescopically extendable from a lower handle portion. In one or more embodiments, the portable cooler further includes a solar panel disposed on the cooler lid portion, and an electrical power output device electrically coupled to the solar panel for transmitting electrical energy generated by the solar panel to an electrical device.

Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and systems for providing electric vehicle (EV) group charging events. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a plurality of electric vehicle (EV) chargers configured to be coupled with an energy source, and a computing device coupled with the plurality of EV chargers. In another embodiment, a method receiving a scheduling availability for the apparatus, receiving user data associated with a plurality of EV users, and determining a first EV user of the plurality of EV users to invite to an EV group charging event based on the user data, and transmitting an invitation for the EV group charging event to a user device associated with the first EV user.