I’m taking my phone off “the grid”, who’s with me?
It’s about time for another crazy mobile experiment. Last time was my 60-day "web-challenge" where I tried to use only a browser for my daily computing tasks. It went quite well, but indicated to me that web services still have plenty of room to mature. So what’s the new challenge? This one fits in with our household efforts to be more "green" in our care for the environment.
In 2005, we sold a gas-guzzling truck and opted for a new hybrid vehicle. In 2007, we swapped out over two-dozen incandescent bulbs with CCFLs and saw a huge drop in our electricity usage. Earlier this year, we purchased and installed a solar-powered attic fan and we’re on the verge of composting our organic food waste. Since I use mobile devices all day, I decided to take a solar-powered approach to further reduce our electricity consumption so here’s the challenge: I’m taking my handheld devices off the grid for the next 60 days. Or at least, that’s what I’m going to try.
After much research, I opted to purchase a Solio Classic hybrid solar charger for $99 through Amazon. It’s about the size of a mouse when folded up, but unfolds to show three solar panels. Solio makes two other hybrid solar chargers but I felt the Classic would meet my needs the best. Each of the three Solio models is a "hybrid" in two ways: all of them include a rechargeable battery so you can store energy and each can be charged through a USB port from a computer. I felt that the $99 Classic model offered the best bang for buck in terms of the battery since it can store 1650 mAh of juice. The Solio Hybrid 1000 is cheaper at $79, but the internal battery only stores 1000 mAh of power. That’s a significantly lesser amount for the $20 savings. On the other hand, the Solio Magnesium Edition stores 1800 mAh worth of juice, but retails for $169. I like that Solio includes adapter tips so you can charge a number of handheld devices. Included with my unit were adapters for USB, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG and mini-USB devices. I might be able to use this with the kid’s handheld game platforms in a pinch.
I’m still using a first-generation iPhone and the internal battery is rated for 1400 mAh of power, so a fully charged Solio Classic will fully charge my phone, with a little extra power to spare. I’ve also trained myself to use the device a little more efficiently from a power perspective:
- Set the screen brightness to the lowest usable level. I don’t want to squint in the dark, but I find that the phone is perfectly usable with the brightness setting at nearly zero. One bump up from no brightness works for me and my four eyes.
- Turn off WiFi when the phone is idling for hours. (Note the same would apply to 3G, but my handset doesn’t offer 3G). In standby, I need my phone to be ready for calls at a minimum. E-mail is important to, but EDGE is perfectly fine; even for the hundreds of e-mails I receive daily. When I need to hit the web for a while, it’s no big deal to turn WiFi back on.
- Set the e-mail fetch interval. Even though my career is totally dependent on the web and heavily on e-mail, there’s no message that can’t wait more than 30 minutes. If it’s that important, someone can call me, so I set my e-mail fetch interval to 30 minutes. This way, the phone isn’t checking more often via the data connection.
Note that anyone can take this approach to get more run-time out of a handheld. You don’t need to go extreme and start solar charging to reduce your electricity demand. The strategies above let me go two days without charging my iPhone however, and that gives me two days to capture sunlight with the Solio. I guess if we have a three-day rainstorm, I’m out of luck.
So here’s the (crazy) challenge I’m undertaking. I’m going to see how long I can use my iPhone without plugging it into the A/C adapter or into my MacBook for power. The only exception will be for an iPhone software update. My goal is at least 30 days, but my stretch goal is 60. While I won’t sacrifice my standard usage of the device, I will be smart in how I use it, based on the strategies above. Using the Solio Classic in my south-facing home office, I’m hoping for around four to five hours of direct sunlight per day and I may end up moving the unit to a west window in the afternoon. Solio says it takes around eight to ten hours of direct sunlight to fully charge the internal battery, so it’s going to be tough to make this work. Plus I’ll need to keep an eye on the weather and take full advantage of sunny days.
Is a $99 solar charger going to provide enough free electricity to make this cost effective? I can almost guarantee the answer to that is no, so no need to tell me so in the comments. But it’s not about the money. It’s about being productive and mobile while trying to do whatever we can to reduce our demand for electricity. Besides, you often learn more from the journey than simply from the destination. Who’s with me?
Hmm… I’ll wait to see how it goes for you. How about getting a hand crank style charger? You don’t exactly live in a state known for constant sun!
I’m interested to see how it goes for you. Summer may have been a better time to try this out now that we’re headed into winter, but smart planning and use of your charger and devices should make for a good test.
I’m all for this. I applaud your effort and I can’t wait to see the results. In fact, I may do this same experiment. Why? Because it’s fun!
Hi,
If anyone’s serious about running cell phones, laptops, ipods, etc. off of solar power, I’d highly recommend the slightly more expensive but much higher output flexible, folding, durable, portable solar chargers from Sunlinq and/or Brunton. The 6.5W models are good for charging 1 cell phone quickly, 12W models are good for multiple devices and/or low-draw laptop chargers. The 24W models should be good for many laptops.
Just my $0.02
Actually, the 6.5W models are selling on EBay for under $80. I picked up a 12W model for around $160 last year.
I have a PowerMonkey Explorer, that comes with a handy-dandy rechargeable battery that I use as emergency power mainly for my Blackberry, iPod Touch and Sony Reader.
The rechargeable battery part can be topped up by mains, USB connection to a PC or by a neat looking solar panel.
I have never used the solar part, so I will join you. I will charge up everything first, and then see how I survive.
I use the Blackberry a lot, so I am not too hopeful, but perhaps I will be suprised!
Sam, thanks for pointing out the other options. I did look into the Brunton pads, but they were more than I wanted to spend. In the end, I might find that they’re a better solution, but I’ll give it a go with the $99 one for now. If it doesn’t work, I may need to pick one up. The other reason I shied away from the solar panel rolls is that they didn’t have an integrated battery to store power. I’m sure one can be rigged up though. Thanks!
I’ll be interested to hear if the charging rate slows as the solio battery gets lower and the iphone battery gets more charged. It seems like the progressive voltage drop could result in progressively slower energy transfer.
…and how many years will it be before you’ve saved $99 in electricity charging you iPhone?
PJE: did you skip the last paragraph of the post?
We’re also considering a grid-tie solar system on our roof for next year. Early estimates (before any tax credits) is in the $40k range. If I sell the house in < 10 years, I won't see all of that investment back. Does that mean it's a bad idea? Yes if you evaluate it solely from a financial perspective. Clearly, I'm not.
A stimulating project Kevin.
I did some analasys based on my solar-powered mobile PC project and I think you’ll have a big challenge but the main thing is that you’re doing great work to highlight the options and to stimulate discussion. I look forward to the results.
I have posted my thoughts at
http://www.solar-umpc.com/2008/12/taking-iphone-off-power-grid.html
Steve/Chippy.
Dumb Dumb Dumb
and $40k solar panels on your roof?! wtf are you smokin. you really aren’t making a difference. the second hundred years of industrialization will utterly erase the 2 pounds of coal you saved from being burned. maybe if you were deciding on long-term energy policy for China or India, but wasting money on solar panels for a house you don’t even plan to stay in is dumb. live your life.
MikeHoont-
If everybody makes these small changes, it will make a big difference. The right answer isn’t to say “I can’t make a difference, so f*** it.”
“According to EnergyStar—a program run by the Environmental Protection Agency—if each U.S. home replaced just one of its incandescent bulbs with a CFL, the electricity saved each year could light 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of 800,000 cars. And with a recent study for the U.S. government saying that a single 24-watt CFL’s lifetime energy savings add up to the gas equivalent of a coast-to-coast Prius road trip, it’s probably time to get moving on your energy footprint.”
Does that sound like not making a difference?
@Kevin, Oops! I missed the last bit.
I think there is a trade off between efficiency and environmental responsibility.
The Toyota Prius for example uses far more energy to be manufactured compared to a similarly sized small car (or large car for that matter) than it’ll save in it’s lifetime. It’s only of real use is cutting down on local pollution in large cities, and even then technologies such as stop-start engine tech can produce similar reductions.
I applaud you investigating these things, but pushing the netbook use over a larger laptop would probably have more effect on power usage, environmental impact, etc.
I look forward to mass produced solar panels using some of the newer high efficiency panels currently being developed, but I won’t be putting any money into them for a good few years living in Michigan!
“The Toyota Prius for example uses far more energy to be manufactured compared to a similarly sized small car…”
Is that because the technology is immature and the manufacturing efficiencies haven’t been discovered yet? If so, then keep buying hybrids.
Rafe…
The survey, (I believe from JD Powers), looked at the carbon costs of manufacture and also how recycleable the cars were after their life. The Prius was rated lower than a Range Rover Discovery.
The reason is largely because of the batteries…
Nickel is mined in Canada… shipped across the waters to somewhere in Europe for refining, then shipped again to China for making into battery bits, before being shipped to wherever the cars are manufactured.
After they die, the batteries then have a very dirty reclamation process to undergo.
All in all, the carbon cost for this is enormous… which is NOT offset by 10 years of city driving and the moderate consumption efficiencies of running the car during that time.
Hybrids are a good start in helping to change consumer attitudes to motoring and being more eco-aware, but they are ultimately harming the environment more than regular cars.
They should be seen as a stepping stone to better products, (Hydrogen cells, more efficient batteries etc), not the end answer.
Well, as much as I’d like to take part, I haven’t seen the sun for a few weeks and it’s not due to make an appearance here for a couple more months. I’ll pass, thanks, and plug my phone into the wall.
Off topic-ish. The battery in my wife’s car always struggles at this time of the year (she uses it for short journeys with everything switched on). Are electric cars really a good option when the temperature doesn’t rise above freezing for 6 months?
Good lord.
John in Norway, maybe your question should be “is living in a place incompatible with human life really a good idea?”
Nice and sunny day here in CA today
Solar fans or any attic fan might pull pollutants into your living space by negative air pressure. Not a solution for every home.
A phone charger supplies a max of 1A at 5v. You’d be better off unplugging your TV for 5 minutes.
Good for you Kevin!!!!
I have my whole home powered by Solar so I know what you’ll have to go through on cloudy days. I writing this on my Mac Book running it off an inverter along with everything else.
PS it might be good to try two batteries; be charging one as you use the other.
//bob
Still so dumb dumb dumb.
Solar power is a joke, wake me up when it is even remotely competitive. Till then it is nothing but an utter nightmare in practice.
And ALL hybrids suck, whether a Prius or a hybrid Escalade. The designers strip all the metal they can find out of the cars and replace it with high-density plastic. High-density plastic A) kills people in car wrecks because its PLASTIC and B) is terrible for the environment to produce. And C) everyone’s right, its old news that Prius’ are worse for the environment than SUV’s.
Keep trying, you lose.
Honestly, the idea of trying to save MILLIAMPS of power “for the environment” is a total crock. Do it to shave a few nickels off your energy bill, but then take a trip to your local power plant and ask me if they’re planning on reducing their power output or lowering the quantities of coal they purchase… methinks not, doesn’t matter how many self-righteous global warming true-believers charge their cell phones with the sun. I mean their heart is in the right place I guess, but its just so amateur. Global warming is merely another excuse to tax the productive.
Great idea Kevin. I’m with you. I have ordered a Powermonkey charger as suggested by Boca and will try to charge the Blackberry Storm and iPod touch with it. I also live in a rainy place but still I want to give it a chance.
How does it work? Can you charge directly on the solar panels, or do you recharge on the charged up built in battery? Can you charge an almost empty iPhone battery, or are there rules at which point the iPhone should be charged?
GearDiary review the Devotec solar charger here:
http://www.geardiary.com/2008/11/16/devotec-solar-charger-review/
1800mAh for $37 but it requires 12 hours of sunlight to charge (also support USB charging).
Steve, Bob,
On-grid residential photovoltaic solar electric power systems for homes are “dumb”?
Okay.
Let’s see…
1) You get an immediate “double” benefit in the reduction in what you’re paying for electricity, you buy less electricity and you pay a lower rate per KWhr — because, even if your system does not generate 100% of your usage, which most don’t, most people pay for electricity on a tiered system, the more electricity you buy the more you pay per KWhr, the less you buy the less you pay per KWhr.
2) Residential photovoltaic solar power system provide one of the best return on investments of any home improvement. So if you do choose to sell your home, you will typically receive the entire installation cost back due to the added value it gives to your home.
3) Depending on where you live in the United States, state and federal tax incentives may cover up to a third of the cost of the system, in some other countries even more.
4) Even if you finance the system, you’re likely to pay less per month for the cost of electricity and the loan payment for the system than you pay for electricity alone. And once the system is paid off the lower electricty cost is permanent.
Yeah, you’re right, it is pretty dumb, what was I thinking when I had my system installed. Dumb, dumb, dumb. That’s what I think every month when I open my electric bill and see that total charge for $5.18 (the minimum fee allowable in my state so that I can have my solar power system attached to the grid).
Willem…
The power monkey used the solar panels to charge the battery pack. You cannot directly charge gadgets by solar.
Jose…
My PowerMOnkey is quite old, and I had to recently send off to the company for a new tip to power the ipod Touch generation II, (since Apple changed the rules about how the new Touch’s and iPhones are charged).
I also needed a new tip for the Blackberry Flip, as RIM moved from a regular Mini USB to a Micro USB charger.
But both now work very well.
Just a heads-up, for if they ship with an older generation ipod tip.
heh, thankfully, most of norway is mountains and snow/rain.
only problem are those pesky tourists that come to nature, not hydroelectric plants…
as for shipping things all over the place, say hello to the effects of our requests for cheaper goods…
The main problem with going green is that it’s not cost effective. To get your 75 dollars back you will have to use your iPhone with that charger for more than 45 years! The same thing happens with Hybrid Cars, etc… They are so costly that are not effective at all.
Frank, you’re absolutely correct… if you only look at the explicit costs of power generation, which most people do. What about the implicit and future costs of pollution from coal-produced electricity, sickness caused by pollution, health care costs to treat that sickness, lost work time due to illness, etc…
As I said in the last paragraph, this experiment is not going to save me money. Saving money isn’t the goal here. Determining alternatives for power generation and being smarter about power consumption is.
I partially agree with you but them the main question is, are we really saving our planet? Lets take the saving energy lamps that we are asking people to use in their home. AFAIK one of the component of those lamps is mercury. Do you think that people who are replacing some of those broken lamps are disposing them properly? To dispose one of those lamps properly is virtually so inconvenient that you end trowing them in your trash. And there it goes the mercury polluting our planet. The same with the hybrid cards, the same with many other technologies that we claim will help to save our planet.
To play the game of saving the planet looks very romantic but until we don’t learn how to do it using really safe for our planet technology and at a price that is really cost effective this war is lost. And that’s what I see so far. You buy a hybrid and the price you pay for the hybrid makes it cost ineffective for the rest of the life of that car with you. No counting the energy that we are using in the making of that car, the materials that are not “green friendly” and on top of that the inconveniences and cost of getting then disposed correctly are just killing our planet instead of saving it.
THC, a 40000 loan at 6% for 15 years gives you a Monthly payment of about $337 dollars. Are you telling me that you are currently seen a monthly reduction in your electrical bill that is bigger than $337 dollars?
Hi, Kevin –
On the topic of the Solio vs. Brunton/Sunlinq panels, you’re right, not having a built-in battery for power storage/charging makes a pretty huge difference.
I forgot to mention that the folding panels output in 12V (car voltage), so the only devices that can charge directly from them are devices that support 12V cigarette lighter chargers (cell phones, gps modules, but certainly not the majority of gadgets.)
(Hence the battery… trickle charge at the solar panel’s output level, store it, then release it at the higher volts/amps that gadgets need for their dc charger inputs.)
You can supplement your solar charging with charging your phone in your “hybrid.” It’s “off the grid” and all it costs is a car charger, which you probably already have.
Note, I refer to your car as a “hyrbid” because it gets 1 more mpg on the highway. It’s funny.
So what happens to your $40k solar panels in a hail storm?
To Citanic,
Did he not say he got rebates. So he would not have to finance the whole 40k. Be an active reader and stop thinking about how you are going to respond.
Who: I actually did have to do just that today, which I’ll cover more in an update post. Actually what’s even funnier is that some folks think the hybrid benefit is only “1 mpg more on a highway”.
EPA estimates the non-hybrid version of my AWD vehicle at 16/22. It estimates my version at 31/27 and since I do the vast majority of my driving off the highway and use smart driving strategies, I see up to 33 mpg over the course of a full tank.
Start with $40K for the system, then subtract the California State rebate and the Federal Tax credit and you’re actually below $30K for the system.
As to seeing a $300 to $400 dollar reduction in monthly electric bill? Yes. A few years ago, at the prodding of the federal government California deregulated electric rates. Rates immediately skyrocketed. In Southern California sudden jumps to over a $1000 a month for electricity was not uncommon. The price of electricity ultimately went back down and stabilized, somewhat – after threats of legal action, people refusing to pay bills, criminal investigations, etc.. But monthly bills in the $300 to $400 range or more are still common.
Now, you might thing this is a “Stupid California Thing” but I would ask: Do you really honestly believe that electricity rates are going to stay low or even near where they are now, over the next 30 years (even adjusted for inflation)? In the United States we generally oppose nuclear power plants, we’re not building a lot more hydro-electric plants, we’ve found that the price of foreign oil and gas is unstable and can double or triple literally, almost over night, domestic sources of coal, oil, and gas aren’t unlimited and we don’t use or distribute them in any coherent manner, and a great many people think that alternate energy sources such as wind and solar are “dumb, dumb, dumb.”
If you think that your electricity bill 30 years from now is going to be exactly what it is today, great, good for you, just be happy and don’t worry about anything, but I think you’re very wrong. I do know mine will be the same. We have a residential solar system that supplies over 100% of our average annual usage, meaning we’re giving electricity back to the electric company. We pay nothing for electricity. The components of the systems are warranteed for parts and labor, by what I believe are reliable companies (Samsung and SMA America), for 20 years.
Hail storms – we occasionally have those but not really too often in Southern California, at least not like the rest of the country. However, all of the major, reliable manufacturers of solar panels take that into account in the design and manufacture of the panels. What makes a solar panel so heavy is the protective glass plate that covers the photovoltaic element. Actually, the real problem in Southern California is the lack of rain to periodically clean the panels. The dust and dirt build up over a year can significantly reduce the electric output of the panel.
I’m certainly not arguing that everyone should run out and get solar power systems. Actually, I would really question whether a system in the northern half of the country is going to get enough annual sunshine to really be cost effective. But, if you live in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, or any area that sees a significant amount of sun it is something to consider.
Get a recumbent bike or modified regular bike and hook a DC generator to the wheel. You will also get some exercise and charging external batteries as well as your internal battery.
As for CFL, a complete marketing scam, since LED is the far superior solution without the potential to unleash tons of MERCURY on us later. If I am not mistaken, Mercury is one of the most deadly chemicals to humans. I strongly suggest paying a little more and go with L.E.D. lighting.
The newer thin-film solar cells are the future. Instead of flat panel on your roof, you must go with TUBES !!! The long tubes will automatically capture light from ALL angles, while the traditional flat panel type must be rotated.
Thanks for the suggestions Andy. I started down that path with the purchase of a large capacity external battery but never hooked my cycle up to it: http://www.jkontherun.com/2007/11/creating-power.html
Great read! I’ll enjoy watching.
As a Ham Radio operator, power issues are always in the forefront. Every year Hams hold a ‘Field Day’ (actually a weekend), during June where we go and simulate a contest without using mains power. It is a great experience and everyone has a great time and learns what works and what doesn’t. We Hams look on smugly, as we watch newbies with their portable electronics and power problems.
By the way, who says it has to be cost effective to put solar panels on a house? How many of you with 53 inch high definition flat panels in your man/women cave, can justify that cost? Somethings are just fun, no matter the ROI.
33 MPG on your Hybrid? That is very good.
I average 31 with my Mini, which I thought was good.
To let you know that I am on Day 9 using only the solar Powermonkey to charge the Blackberry.
Got dicy last week with the snow storms, but just as the Monkey was about to die on me the sun is here.
That prevented me from setting up a bunch of my spotlights and put the Power Monkey on life support!
Great challenge, I’m in: http://critic.typepad.com/planetsab/2008/12/taking-the-phon.html
I have a PowerMonkey Explorer too and it DOES work. I live in Africa and I am often without power due to the local governments appalling planning- or lack there of to supply mains power. The power money charges the following iphone,iPod,P990i sony, HTC MDA PRO. The phones charge is between 120 to 180 mins ion full sunlight. It takes a while longer on the days its overcast – approximately double that. The iPod takes the longest along with the iPhone for some reason the P990i is the shortest to charge. The best thing is if there is not sun I can use the laptop connection to quickly charge the phone while dialling out so that I can use the power monkey for the iPhone or iPod (I cracked the screen of the MDA recently)