Britons won’t have to worry about mobile battery drainage any more because thanks to two geography students Harold Craston and Kirsty Kenny, all the red phone boxes are getting transformed into solar-powered mobile phone charging stations. The new gen Smart phones, their vast applications and our continuous usage of wifi create the crisis of rapid charge drainage, but with the mushrooming of charging stations at various public places you can stayed connected all day long without worrying about low battery charge.
These two graduates of London School of Economics (LSE) presented their idea at the 2014 Low Carbon Entrepreneur competition where the “Solarbox” bagged a runner-up position. The concept of converting a telephone booth into a solarbox is a very creative way of harnessing a renewable form of energy. With the growing global emphasis on making more use of renewable sources of energy, this idea was a breath of fresh air. These charging booths are fitted with a solar panel to provide the clean and free energy for mobile charging.
The charging service is absolutely free and these booths get their income from advertising. Another advantage of these kiosks is that they are of low maintenance since they require only cleaning. Although these charging kiosks are a great relief for avid mobile users, it has not yet been mentioned as to how many of these telephone booths are going to be changed into charging stations.
The first solar box was inaugurated in Tottenham Court Road, London’s main central shopping district. The next solar box is expected to open in January while more will follow. These neon green stations have provisions for charging many types of mobile phones, cameras, tablets and many more other devices. They can charge around 100 phones per day and provide 20 per cent increase in ten minutes.
The “Solarbox” initiative has not only helped Telephone Booths make itself useful again but it has also helped to inspire and involve the citizens in using a clean fuel like solar energy.
If there aren’t any green telephone boxes near you, you can always get your own solar powered phone charger. They’re actually cheaper and more efficient than you might have thought.