By Evan Ackerman
This is some ivy any green blooded duck squeezer would be proud to have covering their house, and not just because it’s not an invasive species. Solar Ivy is solar powered, just like real ivy, but rather than growing out of control and choking out all other endemic vegetation, it passes electricity on to you (yay!). Gigantic solar panels are expensive, but having a whole bunch of smaller solar panels is cheaper to produce, cheaper to replace, and can still put out enough power to make a dent in your energy bill: a 4′ x 7′ strip of Solar Ivy can produce up to 85 watts.
In order to get Solar Ivy into production, the company (Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology) is looking for a grant Pepsi ‘Refresh’ grant (such things exist) of some $50,000. This is one of those rare occasions where a really cool concept has an actual chance of becoming commercial reality… Right now, they’re ranked #32, and they’ll need to get into the top tend to get funding. You can vote for Solar Ivy here.
