Reduce Your Energy Bill With This Smart Window Blinds

It seems that everywhere you turn these days, someone is taking ordinary everyday items and bringing them into the future. This is the case of the smart window blinds that double as solar panels and slash your energy bill by more than half.

Finally, proof that the word ‘smart’ can be attached to anything to make it sound cooler and in line with the future. This is certainly the case with the Smart Window Blinds from SolarGaps that don’t just prevent sun rays from getting into your home but also generate enough energy to be doubly useful at the same time. 

Solar panels have been around for some time now; since 1954 to be precise. These photovoltaic panels absorb sunlight as a source of energy and generate electricity which can be used in several commercial and residential applications to charge phones and laptops, power machines and appliances, or stored for future use. ^[1]

The growing wave of technological innovation has had several positive impacts on solar panels over the years. With each new innovation increasing their popularity and applicability. Most of these new updates to solar panels come in the form of a new device that can be placed on the roof of your home. 

We have had Elon Musk’s stunning Solar City solar tiles that comes with seamlessly integrated battery storage. There’s also the solar coating for pre-existing shingles developed by a team of chemists at the University of California. 

The problem is that most innovations surrounding solar panel seem to be based on the idea that they must be placed on a roof. But what if you don’t have a roof to call your own? Well, SolarGaps, a San Francisco based company has developed a green energy solution which improves on the traditional solar panel.

Introducing the Smart Window Blinds from SolarGaps

There are millions of people all over the world who rent or lease properties and do not have enough to update their building’s roof for solar power. On the other hand, almost everyone has access to their windows. 

This is the basic premise of the Smart Solar Blinds from SolarGaps. This impressive option for those looking to save energy, save money, and improve the environment, grew from a 2017 Kickstarter campaign to a trusted provider of innovative solar blind technology to generate green energy. 

The Smart Solar Blinds are a flexible solution for those who can’t (renters) or don’t want to install rooftop solar panels to reduce their monthly power bill – no roof necessary. According to their website:

“SolarGaps protects your house from external influences, shade the room allowing you to save on air conditioning up to 30%. At the same time, solar panels generate green energy (apr. 100W from 1 m2). So you can significantly save on your energy bill” ^[2]

An obvious green solution

The solar panel and window blind combo cleverly combines the window blinds’ ability to block harsh sun rays from entering a room and solar panels to harness the sun’s rays to generate energy. This seems to work as the startup claims that the blinds can help reduce your energy bills significantly.

Yevgeniy Erik, founder, and CEO of SolarGaps says; 

“The idea to combine solar panels and wide horizontal blinds shook me once I saw how sunflowers watching the sun. Through my invention, I wanted to claim that everyone is responsible for saving our planet. Not all of us have the opportunity to place solar panels on the roof. However, the window is the decision.”

Although not every window in the home gets the same amount of sunlight, these panel blinds are capable of generating an average of 100 watts for every 10 square feet of window. This is roughly equivalent to powering 30 LED lightbulbs or charge three MacBooks after just an hour of exposure.

The Smart Solar Blinds can be installed on either the inside or outside of the home (though indoor installation cuts the power-generation capability in half), and the installation process is supposed to be easy enough for customers to do it themselves. ^[3]

The best part is that the angle and positioning of the blinds are controlled through an app that also displays energy generation numbers. There’s a setting for the blinds to automatically optimize their angle according to the sun. You can also integrate the controls with smart home hubs like Google Home, Echo, and Nest.

Users have three options for using the generated solar energy. ^[4]

1. They can simply plug their devices into the SolarGaps dock and charge directly from the blinds. 
2. They can store the generated solar power in a battery to use during peak hours when energy rates are higher. 
3. Users also have the option to sell the extra solar energy back to the power grid using a two-way meter that can be gotten from your local utility company. 

SolarGap says that selling the surplus during the day can fetch users some extra cash because the demand and prices are higher.