Startup Introduces ‘Personal Solar Appliance’

By John Laposky -- TWICE, 3/8/2010

CAMPBELL, CALIF.— Solar Components, a start-up based here, is targeting June for shipments of its fi rst consumer product, the Joos Orange solar-power generator.

The company is calling the Joos (pronounced “ juice”) Orange “the world’s first personal solar appliance” because its 20-watt lithium-ion polymer battery can generate between 10 to 20 watt hours per day depending upon geographic conditions. That can deliver more than 2.5 hours of cellphone talktime for every hour of charging time, or as much as 20 times the powering capability of existing personal solar power devices, according to the company.

The replaceable 3.7-volt, 5,400 milliamp polymer battery is powerful enough to fully charge six standard cellphones or more than four smartphones, the company claimed.

The Joos Orange has LED status lights for power production and battery status, along with a low-light and a dead-battery circuit. It can also be recharged by any USB power source with an included mini-USB connector and ships with two to six device adapters, depending upon configuration.

The Joos Orange features a rugged, waterproof polycarbonate case encapsulated in automotive-grade urethane to withstand years of outdoor use, the company said. It features a steel heat sink to reduce heat, top and bottom ventilation, and legs for solar orientation. It also works while submerged in water.

Photovoltaic details include a 5-inch mono-crystalline solar cell with an antireflective silicon nitride coating with a maximum power output of 2.6 watts.

The device weighs 24 ounces and has a suggested retail of $99.95.

“The Joos Orange uses the highest-effi ciency mono-crystalline solar cell on the market instead of a lower-effi ciency polycrystalline cell,” said Jamie Bullen, CEO and co-founder of Solar Components. “Everything we’ve done up to this point is designed to set a new standard for excellence in the personal solar power arena — to create a personal solar appliance that can be used every day to recharge our electronics and is not just a drawer toy,” he continued.

The Joos Orange is FCC A and B, CE and RoHS certifi ed and also meets the NEMA 6P waterproofi ng and submergibility standard.

There are currently 1.7 billion people in the world who don’t have access to an electrical grid and another 1.4 billion people that live with intermittent electricity,” Bullen said. “The sun has the ability to provide energy that, if captured at the right price for these people, will provide them with a continuous supply of energy for all kinds of useful devices. This in turn will help make their lives more productive and enjoyable without a carbon footprint. Our goal at Solar Components is to develop products that harness the sun’s capability in a cost-effective and effi cient manner. The Joos Orange is our fi rst step in reaching that goal.”

Retailers and distributors interested in selling and/or distributing the Joos Orange should contact David Matusich of Solar Components at david@ solarcomponentsllc.com.