A patio umbrella that can charge your phone? In one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments, ZON has taken a simple idea and turned it into a reality that helps remove the stress and fear of a draining phone battery in a sustainable way.

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With solar panels attached to the top of the umbrella, the Powersol collects energy into a connected table-top battery hub. Three USB devices can charge off of it at once (day or night) and, according to ZON, it charges devices as fast as a wall outlet does.

“Now people don’t have to worry about bringing a special device or extra battery with them, they can simply go to their favourite hotel, campus or restaurant and charge up, while using their phone, and go about their day stress free,” Cameron Welborn-Wilson, ZON Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, said in a statement.

The main implementation of the Powersol is currently commercial applications, such as hotels and restaurants. Individuals can purchase one directly from ZON, but it will cost you $2,005USD for a square umbrella and $2,095USD for an octagon one (both are available in multiple colours).

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The good news is that the company is working on a less expensive consumer-friendly version (I’d personally love to see a beach umbrella Powersol) and they ship to Canada.

“We are currently working with our engineers and product development team on some really cool new features, and one thing is to create an ‘at home’ version at a lower price point,” Welborn-Wilson confirmed in an email. “We do not have a Canadian distributor yet, but we are available to ship to Canada.”

For more information on the Powersol, visit zon-technology.com.

Does a solar-charging patio umbrella interest you? Share your thoughts in the comments below or at facebook.com/bamcatBuzz.