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SKYShades
Umbrella uses sun

UMBRELLA USES SUN


SKYShades has begun field-testing on an umbrella that will use the sun"s energy to create battery power to charge personal electronic devices. The umbrellas will use groundbreaking technology from Konarka Technologies in the form of organic photovoltaic material integrated into the umbrella"s fabric membrane to create a source of renewable solar energy.

"SKYShades has long sought to adapt its world-wide membrane roofing structures to the conversion of solar energy into clean electricity," said Barry Maranta, international president of SKYShades. "Our understanding with Konarka has linked us with the world"s leader in OPV technology. Both companies are determined to perfect the bonding of Konarka"s Power Plastic to our membranes and quantify the wattage generated for commercial applications." During the initial testing, representatives from Konarka Technologies and executives from Orlando-based SKYShades, set up an umbrella prototype at Lake Highland Preparatory School in downtown Orlando, where two of Lake Highland"s junior class physics students, Bilal Shaukat and Tyler Dingman, will help with the process.

"It is very important for us to test this material in an outdoor environment with exposure to the elements," said Rick Hess, CEO of Konarka. "The outdoor environment will demonstrate what Power Plastic " a useable solar energy source " is capable of producing." The students at Highland Prep will take daily notations of elemental effects, including waterproofing and how condensation affects the bonding of the Power Plastic. Throughout the remainder of the school year, new aspects will be added and tested, including solar battery hook-ups and wattage output. Also scheduled to take place will be the first-ever live test of the umbrella"s capacity to produce enough energy to potentially charge and run laptop computers, cell phones, iPods or any number of personal devices. Once testing is complete, Konarka and SKYShades plan to extend this technology to a variety of different tension membrane structures.

Dan Williams, vice president of product and business development for Konarka said, "This technology can bring power just about anywhere people require it. The photovoltaic material is lightweight and flexible, and can be incorporated into a variety of fabrics " something that the traditional, rigid photovoltaic elements can not do."

SKYShades
www.skyshades.com
Konarka Technologies, Inc.
www.konarka.com
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