Google Launches Little Box Challenge with $1M Prize

The search engine giant has just launched the Little Box Challenge. This is an open competition to design and construct a tiny solar power inverter. Google are going to give away a $1 million prize for the inventor who comes up the solution.

Google thought it would take the chance to announce its Little Box Challenge at a recent event, with President Obama, on the future of solar energy. The competition is to build a smaller and cheaper power inverter to be used in solar power systems.

Although solar panels have become cheaper and more efficient over the last few years, the same cannot be said for the inverters. These are part of the system, which converts the direct current into the alternate current (which the grid uses).

Google wants to address the predicament by using $1m prize money. This will be given to the person who creates the complete inverter.  The company has warned people that the challenge will not be easy. If someone does produce the small power box, however, then it may lead to eco-friendly energy in areas where it’s currently not practical or unaffordable.

Google explained in a blog post,  “This prize is one of Google’s many efforts to advance a clean energy future. We have a goal of powering our operations with 100% renewable energy, and to that end have contracted over a gigawatt of wind energy for our data centers.”

The firm has also stated that they have dedicated over $1 billion to 16 renewable energy projects across the globe. If you are interested in this challenge then you can follow the Little Box Challenge site for more information in the foreseeable future.

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[Image via africagreenmedia]

SOURCE: http://www.t3.com/news/google-launches-competition-to-develop-cheap-solar-power-systems