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Design

Giant Solar Cubes Might Change Urban Energy Infrastructure

This solar cube could blow Stanley Kubrick's mind and charge your laptop at the same time.

Power to the people! Well, solar power to the people, anyway. You can now power your phone, laptop, Gameboy, authentic 70s rainbow lava lamp or any other electronic device with e-QBO, a crazy, futuristic, energy-independent solar cube.

The black, cube-shaped energy source was designed by Romolo Stanco, from the T°RED design firm, and Ricerca Sistema Energetico, an energy research group. The real power of e-QBO lies in its adaptability. According to the e-QBO concept site, it's a "photovoltaic accumulator designed in a pure form, able to create a dialogue with the nature or with the buildings of the city."

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'The Possibilities,' Image via__

Looking at the thing, you can get an idea of what the designers mean. Contrasting with the deep, black solar panels, bright LEDs shine through e-QBO's cracks, creating an entrancing alien effect that somehow coexists with an urban environment.

e-QBO comes in all shapes and sizes. The structure ranges from a little taller than your average human up to a giant, 6x6 meter obelesk that would blow Stanley Kubrick's mind. Smaller e-QBOs provide a stylish hub for the public to service their electronics, but larger ones can exist as independent structures. They can house TVs, art installations, WIFI hotspots, or even small businesses.

The killer combination of its simplicity and energy independance mean that e-QBO can be constructed virtually anywhere, from the middle of a desert to the middle of Times Square. The standard 5x5 cube, prototyped last summer, runs about $150,000, and only takes a small group three days to set up. The Italian city of Picanza has already ordered its own e-QBO, which it plans to turn into an information hub. According to The Atlantic  there is also interest in installing e-QBOs in Africa, paving the way for greater access to information technology in developing nations, and a Lebanese resort is in talks to develop a 200 m2 module.

To learn more, check out e-QBO's website here. If you see a large, cube-shaped obelisk erected in your hometown, it's probably not aliens, but it might be e-QBO.

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'The Residence,' Image via__

'The Cafe,' Image via__

via The Atlantic Cities