Solar Powered Vending Machines

I sometimes wonder how even vending machines stuck just outside the middle of nowhere, still have reliable electricity and someone to come stock them regularly.

It’s bewildered me to this day, but lukily, I’ve found a possible green solution to one of my questions.

This is an example of a solar powered vending machine.

No plug required, thesolar panel on the top of the machine keeps the refrigeration going 24/7, using on-board batteries for nighttime of cloudy periods.

It’s amazing to think just how vending machines there are out there, all actively keeping drinks cold, all the time. Luckily they don’t lose cold when you get a drink, unlike your kitchen fridge, but there’s still an awful lot of energy being used by these machines.

If they could all be solar powered, not only would we reduce energy load, even companies and retailers would see the  financial benefit of taking a big power-hog off their grid.

A lot of public electronics are leaning toward green energy lately, as we’ve seen with solar powered streetlights and bus shelters.

The article on Treehugger brings up a great point as well. With not plug as a tether, already obscurely-yet-conveniently-placed vending machines could go whole new places, such as the side of ski hill!

This is the future people, an ice-cold coke halfway down your favorite double-black-diamond.

While the company website gives me absolutely no faith in the quality of their products specifically, the idea is fantastic, and I truly hope we see this catch on with the big distributers.

via Treehugger

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