Noon Solar. Just in time for holiday wishlists... a line of solar bags that look great. I am currently debating whether to order the black Cortland Tote.... and they were smart enough to put the solar panel on one side so you can easily choose whether to face it outwards, or have it face your body and look like a sleek leather tote... well a tote with "entire exterior and interior constructed from Bavarian sourced, chrome-free, naturally tanned and dyed, full-grain cowhide leather and naturally dyed hemp cotton blend" to be precise. It looks like the perfect size for a 15" macbook pro... close ups below of the bags and the technology within... read more about the solar power and battery pack here. Also a great potential gift for the men in your life... their Logan Satchel in brown. Isn't it about time someone put solar panels to aethetically appealing use? (Yes, i'm thinking of you, ugly solar backpacks.)

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Tags: bag - fashion - gifts - green - leather - shopping - solar

NOTCOT Note: Here's another article from Anna Corpron of Sub-Studio!

The third-ever Solar Decathlon took place two weeks ago from October 12 - 20 at Washington D.C.'s National Mall. The Solar Decathlon was established in 2002, with the purpose of educating a new generation of students about the possibilities of energy-efficient design and also as a vehicle for educating the public about renewable energy and energy efficient homes. Twenty US and international university teams took part in the competition, with each team competing to design and build an energy-efficient solar-powered house. The various universities spend two years developing their designs and ideas, and also undertake the fundraising and technical research needed to build an energy-efficient home. The houses are essentially pre-fab units, built off-site first and then transported to Washington D.C. and reassembled on-site at the Mall.

The winning team was the Technische Universität Darmstadt from Germany. Can you imagine transporting the house from Germany to D.C. (it came by boat)? The home focused on the concept of passive energy and was designed essentially as a box with three layers - an outer layer of oak, louvered screens that generate electricity with photovoltaic energy, a middle layer consisting of energy efficient walls and windows, and an interior core that houses the kitchen, bathroom and the majority of the building systems. Besides the outer skin of screens that allow you as much or as little privacy and light as you wish, I really like the multi-functional spaces, and TUD's innovative use of the floor which can be opened up to reveal a sleeping area. [Note: All photos are credited to Kaye Evans-Lutterodt/Solar Decathlon]

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Tags: green - solar - sub-studio

We've all seen and loved the Sun Jar by Tobias Wong for Suck UK ~ in fact its won quite a few gift of the year awards even! But somehow i failed to notice it is also available in BLUE, until i saw it over at ThinkGeek labeled a MOON JAR! So i'm quite excited and craving one of these tonight ~ more images below for anyone who wants to catch up on how the Sun Jar works...

More excitingly... i found this because i just shopping, designing, coding, and hunting through archives to get ready for the holiday season gift guide! I've never really done one before, but since i need to do it anyhow to figure out holiday and birthday gifts (SO many december babies! Myself included), figured this year no harm rounding it all up. In fact we've got some great sponsors lined up to help make it possible as well! (And if you'd like to join in and sponsor the gift guide as well please drop our advertising manager, Jared, a line - jared at notcot.com) Also, if you have any ideas for great products that shouldn't be left out, or think you know what will be THE "it" product of the season, leave me a note!

OH ~ and for those who are starting pre-thanksgiving and need some help ~ in my hunting today i've added more stores to last years post filled with stores for great gifts.

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Tags: gift guide - gifts - green - shopping - solar