Public Solar-Powered Cell Phone & Tablet Chargers In NYC — Street Change

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New York is one of the leading states in the country for solar power. But some New Yorkers are now looking to up NYC’s solar credentials a bit more. In partnership with AT&T, Goal Zero and Brooklyn-based design studio PENSA are installing 25 public solar-powered cell phone and tablet chargers to make charging easier and cleaner.

The initiative is called Street Charge. On the Goal Zero blog, the company writes, “We’ve come to terms with the phone booth extinction and now we’re bringing solar to the streets!”

Street Charge New York
Image Credit: Street Charge

“People will be able to conveniently charge their phones and tablets using built-in USB ports and charging tips. Solar panels collect the suns energy and lithium batteries store it, so there is always juice to charge up-day or night.”

Image Credit: Street Change
Image Credit: Street Charge
Image Credit: Goal Zero
Image Credit: Goal Zero

Going Solar In New York

Definitely, as we all become more and more addicted to cell phones and tablets, a low battery at an inopportune time becomes a nightmare. So, it’s nice to see these three groups teaming up to save some New Yorkers from that attack. However, the even cooler thing, imho, is that they are promoting the use of solar power and raising awareness about the viability and benefits of going solar.

Interestingly, according to some US-wide solar research, New York is one of the most attractive states for going solar. New York is one of five states where the average homeowner going solar will save over $40,000 over the course of 20 years. Pretty awesome.

Street Charge Goes Beyond Charging & Solar…

Getting back to Street Charge, however, it isn’t only about solar power and charging your mobile devices. Goal Zero writes, “Besides providing power, Street Charge will have the potential for lighting, WIFI, signage for ads, and way finding.”

The first Street Charge station was installed yesterday, June 18, at Fort Green Park. It is Goal Zero’s first commercial product. AT&T will be deploying the rest of the stations throughout the summer in pedestrian-rich places, such as like Brooklyn Bridge Park, Coney Island, Riverside Park, Rockaways, Summerstage in Central Park, Randall’s Island, Governor’s Island, Union Square, and Hudson River Park. If you’re in New York, keep your eyes peeled!


AT&T Greening Up

AT&T may not be the most eco-friendly company in the world, but it has certainly been greening up here and there over the years. In 2012, it unveiled eco ratings for mobile phones; it pulled its support from the Heartland Institute following revelations about the institute’s anti-science, anti–climate action stance; and it co-hosted (with BMW and Tendril) an electric vehicle hackathon. In 2010, it announced that it would be the first company to buy Ford’s Transit Connect Electric Vans and it introduced a “vampire (energy)–slaying” phone charger that shut down when the battery was done charging.

Goal Zero & PENSA

Goal Zero, as the name implies, is all about greening our technology addiction. On its website, it writes that it is “an innovator of portable solar power systems that power a variety of USB, AC and DC devices anywhere and at anytime.”

PENSA, meanwhile, is a Brooklyn-based strategic design consultancy. Of course, that means it’s hip, which means it loves being green and new cleantech as much as anyone… right?


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Zachary Shahan

Zach is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director, chief editor, and CEO. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao. Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA], NIO [NIO], Xpeng [XPEV], Ford [F], ChargePoint [CHPT], Amazon [AMZN], Piedmont Lithium [PLL], Lithium Americas [LAC], Albemarle Corporation [ALB], Nouveau Monde Graphite [NMGRF], Talon Metals [TLOFF], Arclight Clean Transition Corp [ACTC], and Starbucks [SBUX]. But he does not offer (explicitly or implicitly) investment advice of any sort.

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