Solar-powered chargers just got very sexy and very cool thanks to the upcoming ReNu product line from Regen. The product line is basically made up of two parts – the ReNu panel which consists of a solar panel charging a built-in Lithium Ion battery – and an accompanying accessory such as an iPod dock, an iPod sound dock, or a side light.

The ideas pretty straightforward. While you’re out, you leave the ReNu panel in direct sunlight where the Lithium Ion battery gets charged. Once you come back home, simply place the ReNu panel into the appropriate accessory to charge/power the accessory – whether it’s the iPod dock, the Sound Dock, or the side light. Each accessory has a slot where the ReNu panel easily slides into – providing the necessary power to the accessory.

According to Regen, the ReNu takes 9 hours to fully charge battery in direct sunlight outdoors and 20 hours to fully charge battery in direct sunlight indoors. Once fully charged it takes 1.5 hours to charge an iPhone from a ReNu.

Other specs to the panel include:

• Measures 8.85 x 8.85 x 0.748 inches and weighs 1.1 pounds
• 3.7V 4Ah Lithium-Ion battery capable of > 2 iPhone charges when fully charged
• USB A socket (power only)
• Custom connector for connecting to dock and other accessories allows both power and data transfer
• 3.7 hours to generate enough power to fully charge an iPhone in direct sunlight outdoors
• 7.3 hours to generate enough power to fully charge an iPhone in direct sunlight indoors

Prices for the ReNu product line are as follows:

• ReNu panel – $199 with pre-order deposit of $50 dollars
• ReNu panel + iPod dock – $249 with pre-order deposit of $75 dollars
• iPod dock – $89 dollars with pre-order deposit of $25 dollars
• Sound dock – $149 with pre-order deposit of $149 dollars
• Side Light – $89 dollars with pre-order deposit of $25 dollars.

Regen expects the ReNu product line to ship between February and March of 2010.

[Check it out via DVICE.com]

Technorati Tags: Regen ReNu solar-powered charger

Kudos to Timex Group USA for being a bit more green.

The company recently completed an installation of 800 solar panels outside its Middlebury headquarters in CT. This would make the facility one of the largest ground-mounted solar electric installations in that state as well as the northeastern U.S. This 2.5 million dollar project (which was partially financed through a $920,000 grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and tax credits) consists of 27 rows of 244kW solar panels which can generate 285,439 kilowatt-hours a year – enough electricity annually to power 32 average CT homes. According to the company, the output will “avoid over 6.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide, 28,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 11,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide over the 25-year life of the system.”

Alteris Renewables handled the installation of the panels which can be monitored on the web through this website here. Yes.. since it’s night time, the system is generating nothing thus far.. BUT it has generated approximately 12,021.7 kWh already. Pretty sweet.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Timex Group USA, Solar Power, Solar Panels