MNN - Mother Nature Network

Back in December after catching a particularly annoying/amusing doorbell-related "Saturday Night Live" sketch (embedded at the bottom of the page), I was left with one of those deep thoughts that I’m guessing only strikes green home bloggers at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night: is there such a thing as an eco-friendly doorbell?

 

I did a bit of looking around and nothing of note surfaced. Now, months later, a doorbell concept that fits the bill has emerged on the eco-design blog circuit. Designed by David Barry, this unique wireless ding-donger called Glow is solar-powered, aesthetically inoffensive, and provides both audio (there’s dual bell tones for both kids and adults) and visual (both interior and exterior components actually glow) alerts to homeowners when someone comes a-ringin’.

Perhaps the most nifty aspect of the floral-patterned Glow is that the volume of the bells can be raised and lowered. Hosting a noisy house party or vacuuming and don't want to miss the UPS man? Crank up the volume a few notches. Trying to get the baby to sleep or meditating? Lower it for a couple of hours.

 

But wait … there’s more. As the product description reads on David Barry's Dexigner page:

 

 

Glow is currently a prototype, so don’t expect to find it on the shelves of your local home improvement stores. But if it was, would you rely on the power of the sun to operate a doorbell with "emotional value?"