It’s the end of summer and it appears that load shedding has returned to plunge the country into darkness – just in time for winter! While dinners remained half cooked, study sessions are interrupted by darkness, weekend ‘to do’ lists remained unchanged on a Monday morning and sporting games are threatened, Sustainable.co.za has been gathering gadgets to help you take the power back. Say good bye to high electricity bills and unreliable power sources and hello to connectivity with these easy alternative power solutions:
SOLAR CELL PHONE (INTERNET)
While our routers may go down on the house electricity source, the mobile networks don’t go down. This means accessing the internet via your mobile directly or for your laptop will allow you to keep working online. The solar smartphone charger can charge 6 phones per day, is heat resistant, UV stable, shock drop safe and waterproof. Charge it up, plug your mobile in (with your official charger) and keep connected.
SOLAR LAPTOP CHARGER (WORK)
When the power goes down it’s a catch 22 – it seems the perfect time to knuckle down and get some work done yet it’s not always easy to do if your laptop is dead. The solar laptop charger, however, is able to recharge laptops and carry them in its 17” case. Charge it in the sun for 1 hour and get 70 minutes of laptop time.
STUDY LAMP (STUDYING)
This is the perfect study lamp as it combines a bright light and a cell phone charger. Use the lantern while studying so that you can clearly see your notes and charge your phone at the same time. Keeping in touch with your class mates about the material can be easy even with the lights off.
TABLET CHARGER (ENTERTAINMENT)
Everyone loves the convenience of a tablet, from reading off book apps, using maps while in the car or simply surfing the internet. It’s the perfect power down tool. Keep your tablets charged with the solar tablet charger, sit back, relax and enjoy surfing the internet while the power’s out.
SECURITY GATE SOLAR SYSTEM (SECURITY)
When load shedding initially started, safety and security were on the minds of everyone. With alarm systems down and security gates left open, many residents were left feeling exposed. Ensure your home’s safety by switching your gate backup battery with a solar power system battery to ensure your gates keep working. This system is available for home alarm systems as well.