Public charging station powers mobile devices with footsteps and solar panels

The ENGO charging station uses kinetic tiles and solar panels to charge up to 14 smartphones at a time, and provides free WiFi access and an emergency phone.

It's been interesting to watch the different approaches used by companies developing clean energy charging stations, especially those working on public mobile device chargers, as each business tries to figure out both the financial and the practical aspects of what's fast becoming an important part of our infrastructure - access to power for our gadgets.

A new contender has hit the streets (or sidewalks, as it were), with an installation of an ENGO Public Charging Station at Webster University in St. Louis, MO, which uses a combination of kinetic tiles (to harvest energy from footsteps) and solar panels to recharge up to 14 mobile devices at a time.

The ENGO station, from Volta Group, includes 10 charging cables (to fit most models of phones and tablets), two USB charge ports, and two wireless charging pads for compatible devices. The model installed on the university's main campus, at the East Academic Building, will provide free charging for students, faculty, and staff, as well as supply a WiFi access point and an emergency phone that connects directly to the university's Public Safety department.

The purpose of the station, beyond providing free power for recharging, is to raise awareness of renewable energy and energy efficiency by serving as an educational tool.

"Energy efficiency is a key step to reducing negative impact on climate change. The EnGo Charging Station provides free recharging and also serves as an educational tool with the main goal to motivate people to become more aware how their actions affect the planet, while also increasing their awareness about importance of using renewable energy sources. We cannot hope to create a sustainable culture with any but sustainable-oriented people." - Petar Mirovic, CEO of Volta Group.

Treehugger

Same Category

Researchers build all-perovskite tandem solar cell with 28.2% efficiency

19/11/2024

Singapore government pushes energy-efficient data center plan 17/11/2024

The city state is looking at greener energy sources and wants to make every aspect of data center energy consumption, from cooling to coding, more efficient.
Road to Industrial Energy Conservation in Singapore 16/11/2024

Energy conservation has become a trending topic all around the world, and Singapore’s industrial sector cannot stay away from this so easily as this nation puts so much weight on sustainability. What has Singapore done to conserve energy? From using less carbon-intensive fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to switching to natural gas to generate electricity, their commitment is quite impressive! However, there are many other initiatives they can easily implement technologically if they want to make it a smart manufacturing grid. What is the energy strategy of Singapore?
Announcing Funding to Improve Energy Efficiency in Ontario’s Industrial Facilities 15/11/2024

Investments in energy-saving programs are essential to help industries and workers build a more prosperous and sustainable future. The Government of Canada is committed to innovative energy management solutions for industry partners across the country.
Shifting from gas to electric heating could save Victorians more than $2,000 a year, research finds 15/11/2024

Report concludes using reverse-cycle air conditioning instead of gas ducted heating could save households between $999 to $2,215 a year.
South Korea Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings Market By Application 15/11/2024

In South Korea, the revenue in the Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings Market is estimated to reach US$ XX Bn by 2024. It is anticipated that the revenue will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2031).
CoreLogic and CSIRO launch RapidRate energy efficiency tool to meet banking industry needs 14/11/2024

RapidRate is an innovative tool that can estimate the energy efficiency performance of Australia’s 11 million residential properties.
Homeowners and landlords to get energy saving tips 14/11/2024

Cornwall Council is offering free advice on saving money on energy to people in the county, as well as low-cost loans to eligible homeowners and landlords.
Rwanda can scale-up energy efficiency while accelerating energy access 14/11/2024

Countries across Sub-Saharan Africa are grappling with the challenges of expanding energy access while addressing climate change. As efforts accelerate to expand access to electricity to more people in the region, adopting energy efficiency measures upfront would help avoid locking-in inefficient energy consumption.