Solar shoppin’

Summertime is here and so is plenty of sunshine. Ever think about harnessing all that energy?

You’d be surprised by what sorts of solar devices are available these days. To get an idea, check out www.sundancesolar.com. Based in the little town of Warner, N.H., the company is pretty much a one-stop Web shop for everything solar.

The site sells the normal stuff: solar panels for your home, RV or boat; solar battery chargers; and solar-energy-related books. It also sells small wind turbines, as well as a book called Wind Energy Basics.

The best part about the site, though, is its gadgets:

Sundance Solar sells solar disco balls and pretty garden lanterns, solar multicolored floating pond lights, solar backpacks, and wind-up LED bike lights, among many other things. Check out the pocket-sized Solio Solar Charger for iPod, cell phone, GPS and PDA ($99.95). Or build your own solar battery charger: Kits start at $11.95 (for one that charges 2 AA batteries).

Kid-oriented solar-education kits range from $8.75-$9.95. Teach your child (or class) about sustainability issues with Sundance Solar’s global-warming, acid-rain, air-pollution and soil-quality learning kits. Kids also might enjoy kits to build a robot or race car, or an amphibious vehicle. There’s even a solar electric house kit ($27.50) for building a model solar-powered house.