We all need power. But where does it come from? What are we connecting to and supporting when we plug into the wall? What is the true cost of our power and our dependence to it?
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[dropcap1]L[/dropcap1]iving in the Northern Philippines, I was deeply dismayed to learn about the attempts of power companies to tap the rivers, earth and wind of the ancestral domain of the Igorot peoples to generate power.
At first glance these ‘green power’ initiatives seems positive—micro-hydro, geothermal and turbine technologies. But then, when we learned that all the power is sent away to the cities and other countries, communities began to question the initiatives.
I thought to myself that there must be be a better way. Afterall, the actual technologies of power generation are relatively simple, and hardly require a big company to implement. Could we not do it with trash?
The answer, after a year of R&D is yes! We have carefully crafted a Personal Energy Device, that anyone anywhere can build from globally available trash to take charge of their own power and light. The currently humble OpenCharger is designed to be improved—collaboratively. In April 2014 the OpenSource v1.o Maker’s Manual will be released. It will set the parameters for collaborative improvement and energy generation that can fit inside a coke bottle.
Our first OpenCharger Kickstarter raised 160% of our budget. New solar panels and circuit kits will soon be released to allow anyone to upgrade their core OpenCharger. Custom crafted OpenChargers will also be available for sale
Charge!
See www.OpenCharger.org
