UtilityIncentivesWindows. DIY Home Repair & Home Improvement Guides: Learn How to Make Repairs and Improvements Around Your Home at ACME HOW TO.com. Ask This Old House | TV. Sitemap. Make A Cheap &Easy Solar USB Charger With An Altoids Tin : TreeHugger - StumbleUpon. Photos by Joshua Zimmerman The craftster behind the very popular $3 solar-powered emergency radio is back with a new awesome project: a cheap solar battery charger with a USB plug.
Zimmerman wrote, saying that he saw a lot of small solar powered chargers being talked about over Earth Day, but there was a big problem: "They're all quite nice, but also quite expensive. I don't think I've seen any for less than $60, and I've not seen one that really suits my style. " So, he came up with his own, using one of our favorite reusable items -- the ever wonderful Altoids tin. In looking for the cheapest way to accomplish the task, Zimmerman found that he could build a USB solar charger for under $30 (or $10 if be buys parts in bulk, though it's not likely you'll be buying bulk solar cells and DC-to-USB converter circuits). Zimmerman states, "The central brain of our project is a DC to USB converter circuit. DIY Solar Lamp: Make Your Own Eco-Friendly Sun Jars | Designs &Ideas on... - StumbleUpon. The principle is simple and seductively clever: solar lights that store energy during the day and release light at night.
These can be purchased ready-made in a variety of colors (yellow, blue and red) but they can also be built at home. A simple, less-technical approach involves buying a conventional solar-powered yard lamp and then essentially harvesting it for key pieces to put in a jar. This is simply a way of taking an existing solar lamp design and appropriating its parts to make something more attractive for display around a house or home. A more electronically-savvy individual can take the more complex route and built a solar lamp from the ground up using small solar panels – though the aesthetic result may not be as impressive. Whatever route you choose to go, these are fun and sustainable gadgets that make it easy to go green, automate the process of turning on lights at night and can add some color to your porch, patio, garden or windowsill.
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