What's the practicality of distributing devices like the JuiceBar (http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/travelpower/c5a7/) along with cell phones in resource-limited settings? Could these replace the car battery as the charging device of choice when traditional power isn't available?
These gadgets are certainly high-end, and in general, solar power is on the expensive end of the spectrum for energy generation (either that or the efficiency in the solar panels drops significantly). But the underlying idea is very worth exploring: providing alternative sources of energy to re-charge cellphones in resource-limited settings and save users from long trips to the nearest charging station.
Several people working on this front building on top of another very ubiquitous technology: bicycles. See for example this piece of news that appeared this summer on the BBC, about two Kenyan students working on a pedal-powered cellphone charger: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8166196.stm Yet, another similar initiative is a start-up in Arusha, Tanzania, that will start commercializing these devices in the first quarter of 2010 (personal communication): http://globalcyclesolutions.com
FrontlineSMS:Medic is using tough stuff solar panels as part of our mHealth programs in Malawi. Each panel is the size of a book, can charge a phone in a few hours, and costs surprisingly little. For some reason they aren't able to charge some phones (the motorola v195, for example), but they work well with many others (various low end Nokias, for example). Time will tell, but they do have a durable feel to them.
How long have you been using them and have you had any noticeable phone
battery life degradation, I just ordered a few on the advice of Josh, and
we're looking forward to trying them out in TZ. It is shockingly hard to
find the full battery specifications on many of our nokia phones. One issue
with the motorola could be that it requires a high AMP draw than the solar
charger is unable to provide. Did you notice this problem when going panel
-> phone or panel -> battery -> phone. Have you used the batteries with
much success? On a side note, we noticed on some phones that if you were to
try to power on the phone while its connected to the battery (this was
another device, not the toughstuff charger) that it would crash halfway
through booting and get stuck into a loop.
Measuring reduced battery life due to solar panels isn't feasible for us because other factors put a greater strain on the phone batters: low/no signal in parts of our catchment area drains batteries, some CHWs use phones until battery is completely dry (shortening battery life) and others do not, and we don't keep track of personal phone use (as long as they pay for the credits), so number of days per charge or # of SMS sent to hospital aren't good measures of battery life.
We've found that most phones need to be turned off in order to charge. The problem with the motorolas is that they automatically run on as soon as they receive electricity either form a ToughStuff panel or a ToughStuff battery that was chaged by a panel. These motorola v195s don't normally turn on like this when plugged into a wall socket. This may have something to do with high amp draw; I'm not sure.
The use of solar for these applications is certainly spreading. I run One Degree Solar, an organization created for bringing affordable solar tech in resource-limited areas. We've found a few great options for phone charging, some of which are part of tamper-resistant lighting systems designed for clinics.
I've read good things about ToughStuff products. It's difficult to tell how independent portable phone chargers will perform in certain settings, but to highlight Isaac's advice, I'd also suggest recharging the phone daily and not waiting until the battery is fully depleted. The same is usually true for solar battery chargers used for charging anything from AAA to car or GEL batteries.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like more input. I hope this is helpful!
One thing I have not seen enough of is resources where groups can express their functional needs for hardware and software.
If a substantial user group desires a certain set of features then producing it is more possible now than ever before.
The trick is gathering consensus and then promising enough sales to make production pay off.
Are there groups who focus on this?
In the consumer space, sites like quirky come close, but we could develop threads here addressing specific technological need.
Forming a bloc of users will have an impact, we can start that process for free, recruit end users for input and disseminate the result amongst our respective networks.
This gives industry a tangible goal and a set client base. That's all they need to move forward.
Om,
That sounds like a great idea. Several of us have been talking about the idea of having a repository of reviews of different systems and I could see how this would also fit very well into that idea. I would love to hear what others have to say about this.
Joaquin
___________________________________________________________________
NLM Fellow, Decision Systems Group, Brigham & Women's Hospital
Research Fellow, Partners In Health
Moderator, GHDOnline.org
That sounds like a great idea if you could reach out to them. Its possible that the intersections of projects that might use phones like the N900 and individual solar chargers might not be the common use case yet. My guess is that many groups who are using individual solar charges to power phones are not using phones that expensive and hence don't have the same power characteristics. But, if Nokia was interested in joining the discussion either with an eye towards the higher end models or lower end, that would be wonderful.
Thanks Jonathan, May I forward the individual to you when I get them?
My point regarding newer models was just that capabilities will only improve.
However, if a specific subset of needs can be identified, then it makes it all the more likely that they will consider refining designs to keep costs as low as possible, or even provide promotional pricing for specific fields with demonstrated need.
This is great to read. Om and Jonathan, please let us know how things develop. Any suggestions or experiences that you could share would be appreciated. Reducing the amount of money and time needed to keep a phone charged would certainly help rural community health workers and the referral system.
In Liberia, two of the most commonly used phones are the Nokia 1200 and Nokia 1112. Both use the 3.7V BL-5CA battery. I've had good experiences with a few solar phone chargers, but it'd be great to hear which solar chargers would work best for these (and other) phones.
Yes, please feel free cc me in to the discussion ().
Gaurav, I'd also love to hear about what you are working on in Liberia?
I'm interested in learning what phones are available and coverage maps for
the area. We are trying to work on a pilot there with some partners. Which
solar chargers did you have good experiences ...
Thanks for your messages. Our organization provides a range of solar solutions for health services in resource-limited areas. This includes easy-to-use, tamper-resistant equipment, and custom user manuals, training, and maintenance. In addition, we develop M&E tools so that partner organizations can document the impact of solar equipment. We began with a focus on Liberia we had previously spent several years working in the health sector there, and we actually started this initiative specifically to address the need for dependable and affordable energy in the health system.
We have been working with Tiyatien Health, an NGO in southeastern Liberia who has reported several benefits since its community health workers began using one of our portable solar lighting packages. Other organizations and agencies are exploring options with our Clinic Lighting Systems, and we look forward to project implementation in 2010. Training and maintenance are conducted by an experienced Liberian engineer based in Monrovia.
So far, we have focused on portable lighting packages for community health workers and fixed lighting systems for clinics. Since we source equipment directly from high-quality manufacturers, we're able to provide inexpensive 'build-to-order' systems for any specific energy needs.
Thanks for your messages. Our organization provides a range of solar solutions for health services in resource-limited areas. This includes easy-to-use, tamper-resistant equipment, and custom user manuals, training, and maintenance. In addition, we develop M&E tools so that partner organizations can document the impact of solar equipment. We began with a focus on Liberia we had previously spent several years working in the health sector there, and we actually started this initiative specifically to address the need for dependable and affordable energy in the health system.
We have been working with Tiyatien Health, an NGO in southeastern Liberia who has reported several benefits since its community health workers began using one of our portable solar lighting packages. Other organizations and agencies are exploring options with our Clinic Lighting Systems, and we look forward to project implementation in 2010. Training and maintenance are conducted by an experienced Liberian engineer based in Monrovia.
So far, we have focused on portable lighting packages for community health workers and fixed lighting systems for clinics. Since we source equipment directly from high-quality manufacturers, we're able to provide inexpensive 'build-to-order' systems for any specific energy needs.
I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to see our website or contact me for additional information.
One of the things we saw advertised on our trip to Uganda were mobile phones with built-in solar charging capabilities. I'm not sure how well these work or how widely used they are, but it is certainly an interesting concept.
Hi,
How about trying out solar charged phones with in built micro solar panels,they are available in Kenya with a provider known as 'safaricom' and since the people already own handsets that require constant charging ,then it would be better to aquire the solar ones and avoid the hustle of seeking nearest charging stations.
Thanks
Dear All, I have been in regular communication with Joaquin Blaya on the use of mobile devices and have had some links with the use of these with energy sources coming from solar power when I was involved in the early development of AMPATH in Kenya. As I come froma "sunburnt country" I think of soalr as an energy source for mobile devices. In recent years I have noted the emergence of affordable soalr chargers for phones. This would seemt o eliminate the need for dependency upon power supplies and decrease waste from discarded batteries. I am attaching to web links that may assist with this discussion that indicate that these solar devices are samll and affordable. Terry Hannan
http://www.oo.com.au/mbeat_Solar_Power_Charger_for__P36521C1093.cfm?AFID=35&c... http://www.nextag.com.au/solar-phone-chargers/search-html?nxtg=159ba0a1c0d06-...
Having experimented with a variety of solar chargers for use on the IPAQ (handheld device from from HP) for mobile GIS apps, all of the solar charger solutions were woefully inadequate because of the dismal efficiency of these chargers. It was more reliable to rig up a cigarette lighter plug in vehicles in India and charge the devices through them. Alternatively, I have used a DIY solution, the MintyBoost, and must say that at a pinch it works very well. http://www.instructables.com/id/MintyBoost!---Small-battery-powered-USB-charger/ - I say you should do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Thanks for your comments, Terry,
The problem I see with solar is that is is not consistent and never sufficient in the sizes we need for portable apps. One could use solar panels in a stationary position that charge batteries that then do the heavy lifting. There is a Solar-assist variant of the minty boost, refrenced here: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Mi...
I would love to see this solution commercialized and sold at Radio Shack.
The main problem I foresee for international work would be getting the hamster through customs and a potentially lengthy quarantine. Perhaps locally-raised hamsters could be rented along with the cell phones.
Victor Grau Serrat
These gadgets are certainly high-end, and in general, solar power is on the expensive end of the spectrum for energy generation (either that or the efficiency in the solar panels drops significantly). But the underlying idea is very worth exploring: providing alternative sources of energy to re-charge cellphones in resource-limited settings and save users from long trips to the nearest charging station.
Several people working on this front building on top of another very ubiquitous technology: bicycles. See for example this piece of news that appeared this summer on the BBC, about two Kenyan students working on a pedal-powered cellphone charger: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8166196.stm
Yet, another similar initiative is a start-up in Arusha, Tanzania, that will start commercializing these devices in the first quarter of 2010 (personal communication): http://globalcyclesolutions.com
12:13 PM, 12 Nov 2009 | Permalink
Isaac Holeman
FrontlineSMS:Medic is using tough stuff solar panels as part of our mHealth programs in Malawi. Each panel is the size of a book, can charge a phone in a few hours, and costs surprisingly little. For some reason they aren't able to charge some phones (the motorola v195, for example), but they work well with many others (various low end Nokias, for example). Time will tell, but they do have a durable feel to them.
http://www.toughstuffonline.org/solar-panel/
3:44 PM, 14 Nov 2009 | Permalink
Jonathan Jackson
Isaac -
How long have you been using them and have you had any noticeable phone
battery life degradation, I just ordered a few on the advice of Josh, and
we're looking forward to trying them out in TZ. It is shockingly hard to
find the full battery specifications on many of our nokia phones. One issue
with the motorola could be that it requires a high AMP draw than the solar
charger is unable to provide. Did you notice this problem when going panel
-> phone or panel -> battery -> phone. Have you used the batteries with
much success? On a side note, we noticed on some phones that if you were to
try to power on the phone while its connected to the battery (this was
another device, not the toughstuff charger) that it would crash halfway
through booting and get stuck into a loop.
thanks,
Jonathan
4:04 PM, 14 Nov 2009 | Permalink
Isaac Holeman
Hi Jonathan,
Measuring reduced battery life due to solar panels isn't feasible for us because other factors put a greater strain on the phone batters: low/no signal in parts of our catchment area drains batteries, some CHWs use phones until battery is completely dry (shortening battery life) and others do not, and we don't keep track of personal phone use (as long as they pay for the credits), so number of days per charge or # of SMS sent to hospital aren't good measures of battery life.
We've found that most phones need to be turned off in order to charge. The problem with the motorolas is that they automatically run on as soon as they receive electricity either form a ToughStuff panel or a ToughStuff battery that was chaged by a panel. These motorola v195s don't normally turn on like this when plugged into a wall socket. This may have something to do with high amp draw; I'm not sure.
cheers
Isaac
12:12 PM, 21 Nov 2009 | Permalink
Gaurav Manchanda
Hi everyone,
The use of solar for these applications is certainly spreading. I run One Degree Solar, an organization created for bringing affordable solar tech in resource-limited areas. We've found a few great options for phone charging, some of which are part of tamper-resistant lighting systems designed for clinics.
I've read good things about ToughStuff products. It's difficult to tell how independent portable phone chargers will perform in certain settings, but to highlight Isaac's advice, I'd also suggest recharging the phone daily and not waiting until the battery is fully depleted. The same is usually true for solar battery chargers used for charging anything from AAA to car or GEL batteries.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like more input. I hope this is helpful!
Cheers,
Gaurav
3:55 PM, 4 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Om Goeckermann
One thing I have not seen enough of is resources where groups can express their functional needs for hardware and software.
If a substantial user group desires a certain set of features then producing it is more possible now than ever before.
The trick is gathering consensus and then promising enough sales to make production pay off.
Are there groups who focus on this?
In the consumer space, sites like quirky come close, but we could develop threads here addressing specific technological need.
Forming a bloc of users will have an impact, we can start that process for free, recruit end users for input and disseminate the result amongst our respective networks.
This gives industry a tangible goal and a set client base. That's all they need to move forward.
Ideas?
4:32 PM, 4 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Joaquin Blaya, PhD
Om,
That sounds like a great idea. Several of us have been talking about the idea of having a repository of reviews of different systems and I could see how this would also fit very well into that idea. I would love to hear what others have to say about this.
Joaquin
___________________________________________________________________
NLM Fellow, Decision Systems Group, Brigham & Women's Hospital
Research Fellow, Partners In Health
Moderator, GHDOnline.org
6:07 PM, 4 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Om Goeckermann
Jonathan,
Nokia has a major facility in White Plains NY.
I'd be happy to try and organize a GHD Liaison that could provide tech specs
and best practices for this international need.
I'm also sure that they have been developing in ways that will
really accommodate this need with models like the Linux based N900
Om
“fluid intelligence” - The ability to find meaning in confusion and to solve
new problems, independent of acquired knowledge.
2:01 PM, 5 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Jonathan Jackson
Hi Om,
That sounds like a great idea if you could reach out to them. Its
possible that the intersections of projects that might use phones like
the N900 and individual solar chargers might not be the common use
case yet. My guess is that many groups who are using individual solar
charges to power phones are not using phones that expensive and hence
don't have the same power characteristics. But, if Nokia was
interested in joining the discussion either with an eye towards the
higher end models or lower end, that would be wonderful.
cheers,
Jonathan
2:09 PM, 5 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Om Goeckermann
Thanks Jonathan, May I forward the individual to you when I get them?
My point regarding newer models was just that capabilities will only
improve.
However, if a specific subset of needs can be identified, then it makes
it all the more likely that they will consider refining designs to keep
costs as low as possible, or even provide promotional pricing for
specific fields with demonstrated need.
Future's bright in any case.
Cheers,
Om
5:33 PM, 5 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Gaurav Manchanda
This is great to read. Om and Jonathan, please let us know how things
develop. Any suggestions or experiences that you could share would be
appreciated. Reducing the amount of money and time needed to keep a
phone charged would certainly help rural community health workers and
the referral system.
In Liberia, two of the most commonly used phones are the Nokia 1200
and Nokia 1112. Both use the 3.7V BL-5CA battery. I've had good
experiences with a few solar phone chargers, but it'd be great to hear
which solar chargers would work best for these (and other) phones.
All the best,
Gaurav
11:27 AM, 6 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Jonathan Jackson
Hi Om and Gaurav,
Yes, please feel free cc me in to the discussion ().
Gaurav, I'd also love to hear about what you are working on in Liberia?
I'm interested in learning what phones are available and coverage maps for
the area. We are trying to work on a pilot there with some partners. Which
solar chargers did you have good experiences ...
12:58 PM, 6 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Gaurav Manchanda
Dear Jonathan and all,
expand commentThanks for your messages. Our organization provides a range of solar
solutions for health services in resource-limited areas. This includes
easy-to-use, tamper-resistant equipment, and custom user manuals, training,
and maintenance. In addition, we develop M&E tools so that partner
organizations can document the impact of solar equipment. We began with a
focus on Liberia we had previously spent several years working in the health
sector there, and we actually started this initiative specifically to
address the need for dependable and affordable energy in the health system.
We have been working with Tiyatien Health, an NGO in southeastern Liberia
who has reported several benefits since its community health workers began
using one of our portable solar lighting packages. Other organizations and
agencies are exploring options with our Clinic Lighting Systems, and we look
forward to project implementation in 2010. Training and maintenance are
conducted by an experienced Liberian engineer based in Monrovia.
So far, we have focused on portable lighting packages for community health
workers and fixed lighting systems for clinics. Since we source equipment
directly from high-quality manufacturers, we're able to provide inexpensive
'build-to-order' systems for any specific energy needs.
I hope this is ...
1:28 PM, 7 Dec 2009 | Permalink
Jennifer Woodfin
One of the things we saw advertised on our trip to Uganda were mobile phones with built-in solar charging capabilities. I'm not sure how well these work or how widely used they are, but it is certainly an interesting concept.
Jennifer Woodfin
MIT Sloan
mitshipproject.wordpress.com
3:51 PM, 12 Feb 2010 | Permalink
Jessica Haberer, MD, MS
My colleagues in Mbarara Uganda tried them out and were not able to get a good charge.
Best,
Jessica
4:26 PM, 12 Feb 2010 | Permalink
JAMES SAKWA
Hi,
How about trying out solar charged phones with in built micro solar panels,they are available in Kenya with a provider known as 'safaricom' and since the people already own handsets that require constant charging ,then it would be better to aquire the solar ones and avoid the hustle of seeking nearest charging stations.
Thanks
JAMES R.WAKUNGWI SAKWA,DMLS,HND-MLS
7:13 AM, 15 Feb 2010 | Permalink
A/Prof. Terry HANNAN
Dear All, I have been in regular communication with Joaquin Blaya on the use of mobile devices and have had some links with the use of these with energy sources coming from solar power when I was involved in the early development of AMPATH in Kenya. As I come froma "sunburnt country" I think of soalr as an energy source for mobile devices. In recent years I have noted the emergence of affordable soalr chargers for phones. This would seemt o eliminate the need for dependency upon power supplies and decrease waste from discarded batteries. I am attaching to web links that may assist with this discussion that indicate that these solar devices are samll and affordable. Terry Hannan
http://www.oo.com.au/mbeat_Solar_Power_Charger_for__P36521C1093.cfm?AFID=35&c...
http://www.nextag.com.au/solar-phone-chargers/search-html?nxtg=159ba0a1c0d06-...
7:48 AM, 25 Nov 2010 | Permalink
jayanth devasundaram
Having experimented with a variety of solar chargers for use on the IPAQ (handheld device from from HP) for mobile GIS apps, all of the solar charger solutions were woefully inadequate because of the dismal efficiency of these chargers. It was more reliable to rig up a cigarette lighter plug in vehicles in India and charge the devices through them. Alternatively, I have used a DIY solution, the MintyBoost, and must say that at a pinch it works very well. http://www.instructables.com/id/MintyBoost!---Small-battery-powered-USB-charger/ - I say you should do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Jay
Checkout my photography on the web : http://community.webshots.com/user/jayanthd
9:50 AM, 25 Nov 2010 | Permalink
A/Prof. Terry HANNAN
Jay this truly emphasises the 'adaptability' of a good "informatics brain". Well done. Terry
Dr Terry J. Hannan MBBS;FRACP;FACHI;FACMI
Consultant Physician
Clinical Associate Professor School of Human Health Sciences,
University of Tasmania
Department of Medicine, Launceston General Hospital
Charles Street Launceston 7250
President Australasian College of Health Informatics(2007-9)
Visiting Professor Universita Degli Studi, Dr Modena e Reggio Emelia,
Italy. Sep-Nov 2010
Ph. +61 3 6348 7578
Mob. 0417 144 881
Fax + 61 3 6348 7577
Email
10:03 AM, 25 Nov 2010 | Permalink
jayanth devasundaram
Thanks for your comments, Terry,
The problem I see with solar is that is is not consistent and never sufficient in the sizes we need for portable apps. One could use solar panels in a stationary position that charge batteries that then do the heavy lifting. There is a Solar-assist variant of the minty boost, refrenced here: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-solar-iPodiPhone-charger-aka-Mi...
Jay
Checkout my photography on the web : http://community.webshots.com/user/jayanthd
10:54 AM, 25 Nov 2010 | Permalink
Mikhail Elias
This is my favorite eco-friendly approach -
http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/25/the-hamster-powered-cellphone-charger/
I would love to see this solution commercialized and sold at Radio Shack.
The main problem I foresee for international work would be getting the hamster through customs and a potentially lengthy quarantine. Perhaps locally-raised hamsters could be rented along with the cell phones.
3:40 AM, 26 Nov 2010 | Permalink
A/Prof. Terry HANNAN
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1100118?query=TOC
I am aware that Hamish and others have been associated with e-Health in
Haiti and this came in my NEJM alerts today so there may be those on
this list who are interested.
Dr Terry J. Hannan MBBS;FRACP;FACHI;FACMI
Consultant Physician
Clinical Associate Professor School of Human Health Sciences,
University of Tasmania
Department of Medicine, Launceston General Hospital
Charles Street Launceston 7250
President Australasian College of Health Informatics(2007-9)
Visiting Professor, Universita di Modena, e reggio emelia, Italy
(Sept-Nov 2010)
Ph. 61 3 6348 7578
Mob. 0417 144 881
Fax 61 3 6348 7577
8:01 PM, 26 Jan 2011 | Permalink
Sandeep Saluja
I too work in peripheral areas and apart from phones,I am looking at options to charge the laptop.Look forward to help.
Sandeep
8:36 PM, 26 Jan 2011 | Permalink