The iPhone and iPod touch created waves with their launches, but has anyone ever thought of the harm they cause to the environment with the frequent recharging they require? Jerome Kelty comes to the rescue with his innovative creation, the solar-powered recharger. This unique recharger is made by assembling a small solar panel, a USB plug, a battery and an empty Altoids tin.
mini solar cell
Kelty’s recharger is inspired by the Minty Boost, a charger powered by two AA alkaline batteries. However, the Minty Boost has a limitation, which is that the battery of the iPhone only gets half a charge due to its large size. To balance it, Keltey replaced the AA batteries with a rechargeable lithium polymer battery and attached a small solar panel. The solar panel soaks up the sunlight to power the internal battery, which in turn recharges the iPhone.
Kelty won the United States of Efficiency contest for the best energy-saving idea. The contest sponsored by Earth Justice and Instructables.com, an online community of do-it-yourselfers, gives people a creative way of expressing support for new federal energy efficiency standards.
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