I am always surprised by the kind of gadgets and gizmos which harness the power of the sun that are coughed up by men, and here is yet another one – the Eco-Shell solar powered bus stop which is currently available in Japan. This is made possible thanks to a partnership between Sekisui Jushi and Kyocera, where both companies came together to combine Sekisui Jushi’s conventional multipurpose shelter unit alongside Kyocera’s solar power generating system. All energy from the sun will be used to power the energy efficient LED lighting so that the bus stop needs not suck up juice from the grid when dusk falls. Not only that, the Eco-Shell will also come with an outlet which lets you use it as an emergency power source – such as during an emergency.
Sounds good to you, aye? Hopefully the power outlet will be made available to the public even when there are no emergencies, such as powering a “thirsty” smartphone when you’re waiting for your bus. I would suppose this collected energy can be used to power advertising displays to boot, and any excess energy will be sold back to power companies.