Margaret Peggy McDermott

09/23/2026

I could take two if it was an option.

German Startup Turns Shop Awnings Into Mini Solar Power Plants

German startup Solar Markise has developed photovoltaic awnings that provide shade while generating electricity for homes and businesses. Its SolarMarkise systems are available in 1.35 kW and 1.8 kW versions, using rollable solar fabric mounted on aluminum frames.

The larger 1.8 kW model measures about 4.35 × 3 meters, while both versions provide waterproofing and UV protection. The awnings can also withstand winds up to Beaufort force 5 when fully extended.

The systems are designed mainly for self-consumption, making them particularly suitable for restaurants, cafés and other businesses with outdoor spaces. The company has already installed pilot systems at a café in Cologne, where the awnings provide shade while supplying electricity directly to the business.

Priced from €4,499 to €5,499, the solar awnings cost around 10%–15% more than high-quality conventional awnings. Solar Markise plans to expand across Germany, Austria and Switzerland while developing other solar-powered shading products such as roller shutters and parasols.

Source:
PV Magazine

09/23/2026

This is astonishing. What an ingenious 17 yr. Old.

09/10/2026

Always an intriguing idea.

Buying an abandoned property can mean a serious bargain, but finding one, and actually claiming it, is far more complicated than TikTok makes it look. Here's what to know before you go looking.

08/22/2026

Has anyone else tried this? A few weeks ago when we were away we purchased two baby pools. The heat has been intense this summer and rain is not guaranteed.
The pools were filled with water after we placed potted plants in them. We still put a small sprinkler on.
Honestly most of the plants thrived. One or two it was too much moisture. Lesson learned there.
Takes some of the worry about having a dead garden when you return.

07/27/2026

This morning I saw the finished product on a neighborhood home and I like it. Well done.

07/27/2026

My vision has come together and created an elegant solution to a kitchen glam up in my historic home. I am not sure which detail wins the beauty prize, the crown moldings or the vintage sink that I salvaged from a curb. And I decided to go with a modern gold faucet to update the look.
The open shelving with thick cut wood adds a warm touch and I will add some additional lighting there. The headboard backsplash is perfect and we were able to utilize a vintage rosette we stored.
The brick wall was sealed and surrounded by molding to update the rawness of it.

Everything was color saturated in different finishes, I color matched Portland Stone from Little Green Paint Company.
New lights, a new Minke Ceiling fan and a recoat of Tung Oil on the floors for the finishing touch.

The next step is decor, new rugs most importantly with 3 dogs and two cats. And definitely a smaller table.

The next reveal.

07/21/2026

Almost there.

07/20/2026

Oh, the irony. They pulled the sink from my kitchen today. Stamped 1950. And I am replacing it with a beautiful 1957 sink.

07/13/2026

When in Newport I walk every morning, which is not that interesting. What is interesting is watching updates, especially those I find attractive.
The new fencing and gate are nice, but I love the creativity they are using with these slate colored slabs to create an interesting path. Hope to share the final product soon.

06/17/2026

This is ingenious for energy savings and year round use.

Every timber fence does exactly one thing. It sits on a boundary line and slowly rots. Eventually, you pay to replace it. Germany has started replacing that math entirely. They are installing solar panel fences that cost less than wood to put up. They last decades longer with zero maintenance. And they turn a static property line into an active power plant. The brilliance is in the angle. Morning and evening sun sits low in the sky, exactly where roof panels struggle to catch it. Vertical panels take that low-angle light directly. Germany didn't invent a new type of solar. They just looked at the dead space bordering every yard and asked why it wasn't working. Now it is.