18 Jun 2012
A quick cell phone charge-up in Bryant Park
Battery dead? No worries, thanks to a solar-powered station in Bryant Park your cell phone can be powered up immediately. This renewable energy gadget with a 85-watt solar panel is designed by Brooklynite Tommy Mitchell. A great idea, which can charge eight phones with no cost to the user or (also very important) to the environment.
The solar powered charging station idea arose from a visit at the Occupy Wall Street protestors, who spent days camping in Zuccotti Park. You can imagine with no power sources they had to be creative with charging their cell phones, and they did by using a hot dog vendor’s generator. Combining this inspirational solution with his interest in renewable energy he began devising a plan to develop public cell phone charging stations using only renewable energy.
The first prototype is completely made of parts ordered from Amazon.com, built from the ground up. Mitchell even thought of the cloudy weather because the 85-watt solar panel siphons energy from the sun and feeds a giant battery, which stores enough energy to charge phones for a week. In addition the use of this sustainable charger is free, he would just ask for a nominal fee for the parks.
Mitchell has reached out to the Bryant Park Corporation, and is currently in talks with vice president Jerome Barth about permanently locating a prototype charger at the park.
Source: Inhabitat
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