Any space exposed to the sky is fair game for solar panel coverage these days it seems. There’s car park solar farms, prototype solar highways and with the evolution of flexible solar panels, just about any surface can become a solar collector – even tent fabric and clothing.
So what’s the connection between solar power and dumpsters?
Inventor Ray Saluccio of EarthSure Renewable Energy Corp. owned a sanitation company for over 2 decades and he noticed flaws in the trash removal systems that he was hired to service, but he also saw an opportunity. He also looked at the space above the dumpsters as an untapped resource. Mr. Saluccio has developed a concept in which dumpster areas can be better maintained, kept cleaner, more secure – and generate energy.
The Solar Energy Enclosed Dumpster System, or SEEDS, utilises areas dedicated to trash removal with a portable system to turn them in solar power plants. The dumpster enclosure also serves to prevent unwanted access to the dumpster while providing a more aesthetically pleasing facade. The design also satisfies the requirements of many local governments for enclosing dumpsters.
Dumpster enclosures are also very susceptible to being damaged by trucks, so SEEDS is designed to absorb this kind of abuse by employing the same technology and material that is applied to highway barrier systems.
SEEDS can be fitted with other useful accessories such as an emergency phone, safety lighting and surveillance camera. Any electricity not consumed in its operation can be exported to the mains grid.
