A portable compact solar charger – capable of charging virtually any type of smartphone or tablet – has been developed with thanks to the crowd-sourced funding platform Kickstarter.
The charging station is called WakaWaka Power, and it not only charges phones but can also be used as a reading light.
The popularity of smartphones packed with many features (that run the battery down quickly) has seen a concurrent increase in demand for portable chargers.
WakaWaka Power is basically in a pocket-sized charger that uses PV cells to capture solar energy and has a power-management system to offer an on-demand, off-grid electrical charge.
The device, created by Dutch solar design firm Intivation, can charge any type of smartphone and tablet with just a USB connection. It is equipped with solar cells that are 200 percent more efficient than any other currently available product.
Photo Credit WakaWaka Power
Apart from its charging capability, WakaWaka Power is also a light source that can provide 40 hours of reading light on a single day of solar charge, and 10 hours of light if also used for phone charging.
The Kickstarter project started with reaching a goal amount of $100,000. Now it has exceeded its second goal amount of $250,000, prompting plans to manufacture parts of the compact solar charger in Haiti, a country still recovering from the devastating 2010 earthquake.
For every $79 spent on the retail price, consumers get the chance to help. According to the creators of WakaWaka Power, there are still about 370,000 Haitians living without lights and still depending on dangerous kerosene lamps – that’s why company has pledged to donate two of its WakaWaka Solar Lamps for every WakaWaka Power purchased.
The creators of WakaWaka Power initially planned to have the first products shipped in May 2013, but thanks to support on Kickstarter now expect the first products to be ready earlier.
