On an average, mobile phones today are replaced every two years, but the lithium-ion batteries inside them are still good for around five years of use. Researchers from Kyung Hee University in Seoul have discovered they’ve still got enough power left – more than enough to store power for LED solar lamps. That’s a big deal in remote regions and developing countries that have to rely on kerosene lamps for lighting, which release dangerous, toxic fumes, provide inconsistent light, and cause burns and start fires.
Lead researcher Boucar Diouf used a single lithium-ion battery from a mobile phone to run a 1 Watt solar lamp for just over three hours. With a 0.5 Watt bulb, the system lasted six hours. He took it further and built a 12-volt system out of three batteries, a 5 Watt bulb, and a solar panel. That provided enough power to light a room five hours a day for three years, without needing any maintenance. Once the battery dies, the user can just swap it for a new one.
Diouf estimates that if every family swapped five hours of candle use daily for a solar lamp system, it could save more than 32,658 tonnes of CO2 per day globally.
Picture Credit : Google