Cell Phone Innovation

Nowadays, everyone has a cell phone. Charging the batteries of over a billion cell phones is only one of many strains on our energy production, but is significant none the less. Cell phone use had all but eliminated the need for phone booths, until Harold Craston and Kristy Kenny had a vision. The iconic red phone booths in London had fallen into disrepair, so they gave them a coat of green paint, installed a solar panel, and Solarbox was born. The panels provide enough energy (stored in a battery) to charge up to 100 phones or tablets. This allows people on the go to access a sustainable and renewable source of energy when they need a boost. If such an idea were to be globally implemented, the benefits would be astounding. Not only would it relieve some pressure on our energy grid, it could be a fantastic way to locally represent to the public a practical, working example of renewable energy at work. Click on this article for greater detail.  This is also a brilliant example of repurposing the built environment, reducing the waste stream, a win-win innovation. 

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