Emerging green technology startup Levante, in a bid to revolutionize off-grid power supply, has innovatively combined the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, origami, with modern solar technology to create easily transportable, foldable solar panels. These lightweight solar panels, due to the sheer slimness of their solar plates, can be carried and installed anywhere in less than a minute with a simple push-and-pull action. The hinges fold and unfold instantaneously, providing users with ready access to renewable energy wherever they need it.
Levante’s foldable origami solar panels are envisaged to serve as a traveling companion for those who seek the adventure of off-grid living. They can be easily affixed to watercraft and camper vans, providing a seamless power solution for nomads, campers, and sailors. The startup’s founders, Sara Plaga and Kim-Joar Myklebust, both avid campers and sailors, identified the need for a portable and reliable power supply during off-grid living and embarked on creating this solution.
The origami-inspired solar panels from Levante are designed to deliver electricity even when folded, with their output significantly increasing when unfolded due to the ability to absorb more solar energy. A unique feature of these panels is a rectangular base that doubles as a hook, allowing the solar panels to double as awnings when deployed on watercraft.
The foldable origami solar panels by Levante come in two power variants – 330 watts and 500 watts, depending on the users’ power requirements. The clever origami-inspired design, adopted to combat the bulkiness of traditional solar panels, allows the panels to fold up, saving space and making them an ideal portable source of renewable energy.
Plaga and Myklebust have crafted these solar panels in Italy, employing monocrystalline silicon cells that boast a 23.4 percent conversion efficiency. They estimate that, when the solar panels are fully deployed under the sun, they can generate enough energy to power various appliances for substantial durations: 38 hours for a fridge, 27 hours for a laptop, four hours for an air conditioner, and an hour and a half for an induction stove.
In conclusion, Levante’s foldable origami solar panels offer a unique, portable, and efficient solution to renewable energy supply. Their innovative design, inspired by the art of origami, provides an easily deployable and space-saving power source. The product’s versatility allows for broad applications, particularly suiting the needs of those living or traveling off-grid. By merging art with technology, Levante’s founders have truly created a game-changer in the realm of renewable energy solutions.
Source: Levante
