All products, from clothing to electronics, start out in the conceptual phase, as an idea and then as a design. The lucky ones get produced in the physical world, while the rest remain in the realm of ideas. Designers are coming up with new ideas for a cleaner, greener future every day, and maybe we’ll get to see some of these innovative ideas come to fruition.

Image via Kukil Han

This week, we’re looking at some of the concept designs featured at EarthTechling in the past that use solar power, from a super-high-tech backpack that’s actually a computer, to solar chargers disguised as plants and other household items, to solar-powered public transport. Solar power is already used for electricity, but what about cooking? How does the development of thin film solar open up a world of opportunities for integrating solar power into everyday life? Check out the photo gallery of images you can click on for more details and find out.