Eco Factor: LED street lighting system powered by solar energy. Industrial designer Edan Kurzweil feels that if we want to prevent ourselves from falling over potholes in the era where electricity would be much more expensive than what it is today, then solar energy will have to be exploited as much as possible. To keep city lanes and highways illuminated in the future, Edan has come up with a solar powered lighting system known as the Night Owl.
The path and street lighting units are illuminated via high-output LED clusters that rely on batteries charged by large flexible polymer solar films incorporated on the top of the lights. The lights would also be hardwired into the city’s power grid to return any additional solar energy back to the city or to draw minimal charging power during long winters, or extended periods of time without sunlight. The solar module is covered in a transparent sphere that reduces accumulation of debris, which finally reduces the maintenance costs. 
Without restricting the concept at just the solar lights, Edan has also developed a parking meter working on similar technology. The Night Owl parking meter is also powered by solar energy and has built-in lighting that can reduce the need for additional street lights. The meter is developed to harness enough energy to power a time display and a credit card swipe strip.
[Thanks: Edan Kurzweil]
