The two founders of Noon Solar, Jane Palmer and Marianne Fairbanks, have backgrounds in fibers and textiles. They met in the graduate MFA program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Their company began as an art project in early spring of 2002 as a response to the impending war in Iraq. They were feeling powerless in the country's decision making process and felt the US was largely going to war for oil. They came up with a solution to give people not only personal power, but to integrate renewable solar power into daily life.
According to Jane Palmer and Marianne Fairbanks, "By integrating solar power into items that we regularly use such as handbags, messenger bags, or totes, it is our hope that solar power can be integrated into our lives on an individual level. If more people use solar energy, the more likely the industry can grow and our nation, and world, can become less dependent on non-renewable resources."
Noon Solar bags incorporate flexible solar panels to keep cell phones and iPods charged. Each bag is designed to be able to sit in a window at work or in the car to collect charges. The solar power is stored in a lithium-ion battery pack, weighing about 4oz, found inside the bag. Because the solar power is stored inside a battery pack, cell phones and iPods can be charged day or night.
Noon Solar bags are made from biodegradable materials so that the bags can skip the landfill and go directly into your backyard without hurting the earth. The bags are safe and non-toxic, and most of the materials will actually nourish the earth if buried. The other materials such as the solar panel and hardware can be removed and recycled or reused.
The founders personally hand dye, with natural substances such as pomegranate and weld, the organic hemp and cotton fabrics that comprise their bags. Noon Solar is one of a very small number of design companies using natural dyes on a production scale in the US.
To create textures and patterns on their bags, Noon uses the ancient Japanese dying method, Shibori, making each bag unique.
On the outside of your bag, there is a paper thin, flexible solar panel. This solar panel charges a battery pack located inside the bag to supply power for your cell phone or iPod, day or night. Simply place the solar panel in the bag towards the sun to collect usable energy. Put it in your window at work, home, car, or on the train; face it towards the sun at a café; or walk/bike around town with the panel exposed. Even on cloudy or rainy days, energy is collected through the UV light of the sun. On a bright, sunny day the battery should be fully charged in 6-8 hours. On a cloudy day the battery will require a bit more time. The battery pack will hold the sun's energy for several days.
