Source: inhabitat.com
Published: May 17, 2013
by Lori Zimmer
Contemporary Energy’s Solar Kettle uses the sun’s rays to boil water on the go. The lightweight thermos-like device is perfect for camping or picnics, allowing users to make hot beverages or sterilize water without electricity. Using fold out reflectors, it channels solar power to the container, boiling the water inside.
Developed from Contemporary Energy’s T45 prototype, the solar kettle goes beyond an ordinary thermos, which only keeps liquids and food hot temporarily. The key to the Solar Kettle is its extendable reflectors. When closed, the Solar Kettle looks just like—and is as easily transportable—as a regular thermos. But once you’re settled, the stand is popped out and the reflectors are folded out to face the sun at an angle. In just a few minutes, the reflectors will draw in the sun’s power and cause the water to boil.
With the Solar Kettle, users will have the freedom to heat and boil liquids in remote locations off the grid. But the kettle can also be used day to day as a renewable way to save electricity from the grid. Using the Solar Kettle for tea or coffee can add up to major savings over the course of the year for caffeine addicts the world over.
Moreover, the Solar Kettle can also be used in post-disaster situations, creating drinkable water from melted snow, ponds or streams and even seawater.