GreenSpace: A waving queen and other solar-powered wonders

Philadelphia Inquirer 

The queen of England has gone solar.

The panels may not be on Buckingham or Balmoral. But there’s one on the tiny black purse of a six-inch queen figurine, and the power it generates makes Her Majesty’s white-gloved hand wave.

This could be the best evidence yet that the technology is becoming better, cheaper, smaller, faster. More a part of our everyday world. If also, at times, a tad silly.
 
This year, solar gadgets have proliferated. And by “gadgets,” we mean everything from kitschy gizmos to emergency equipment to snazzy charging devices that will keep your cell phone topped off – even by mere lamplight.