As our lives are completely dominated by gadgets that guzzle electricity, we should look for ways to mitigate their energy demands. Using solar electricity to power them is one of the options.
Granted, not many solar-powered chargers are efficient enough, but there are some models out there that can do their jobs pretty well. One that has been attracting praise is the Solio Bolt.
This 3.5in x 3.5in x 1in battery pack and solar charger features an on-board battery and rotating solar panels and it can be used to charge USB enabled gadgets such as smartphones and MP3 players, e-readers, GPS devices and cameras – just about most types of equipment we have in our offices, really.
One of Solio Bolt’s design innovations is an aperture in its center where a pencil (included in the package) can be inserted to work like a sundial. Insert the pencil and point the system towards the sun, rotating it until the pencil stops casting a shadow. It helps the charger to make the most of the sunlight and recharge more quickly. It takes roughly a full day in direct sunlight to charge the Bolt’s on-board battery. As a less green option, the Bolt can also be charged by plugging it into a computer through a USB cable that is included in the package. In this case, it takes about 4.5 hours to fully charge the device.
Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.
