[Yr7-10it] charging laptop off solar etc?

[Roland Gesthuizen]

If I can be permitted to cross post some links  from the IAEP  list about
charging laptops from solar power. Remember that the OLPC XO-1 is very, very
aggressive when it comes to energy consumption and a different beast to the
laptops (and some pretend netbooks) that some of you are using. Keep
cranking and peddling :-)

Regards Roland

---------- Forwarded message ----------

> From: Holt <holt at laptop.org>
> Date: 2 April 2010 17:13
> Subject: [IAEP] OLPC Talk: Hand Crank Tiring? It's a Solar Project! (Sunday
> April 4th, 4PM in Boston)
>
> (snip)
>
> Expert Discussion:
>
>    Powering OLPC's XO Laptops using Solar Electricity
>
> Please come in person this (Easter) Sunday April 4th, 4PM Boston Time,
> to Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, armed with your most
> thoughtful questions on Solar practicalities -- as they relate to OLPC
> deployment around our fragile planet's rural/developing expanses.
>
> A warm welcome to our guest speakers:
>
>  * Richard Smith, OLPC lead power engineer
>     http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Battery_and_power
>  * Robert Pilawa, MIT solar researcher
>     http://www.linkedin.com/pub/robert-pilawa/2/40/470
>  * Kim Quirk, NH solar engineer and vendor (attendance tentative)
>     http://EnergyEmp.com
>
> RICHARD SMITH: I'm going to give a summary of whats going on past and
> present with the XO-1 and XO-1.5 with respect to solar, and then mention
> what the current options are for the simple case of a XO and a [solar]
> panel.
>
> I'll talk about the 10 Watt panel and the voltage limiter option, and
> briefly
> mention a project in the works with RCAL [Arkansas/California Company]
> for a single charger that can be powered from solar panel or a 12V supply.
>
> ROBERT PILAWA: What I would like to talk about is a low-cost solar charger
> that we are designing for the developing world. It is compatible with the
> OLPC 10W panel (as well as a wide variety of other solar panels), and can
> be used to charge lead-acid batteries, cell-phones, and the XO. In
> particular, it uses maximum power point tracking (MPPT), which ensures
> that the full available power from the panel is used (the typical low-cost
> charge controllers used today can waste as much as 30% of the available
> panel power). The currently available commercial charge controllers with
> MPPT price out at close to $200. Thanks to some innovative new technology,
> as well as a focus on cost, we're targeting a final price of below $20 for
> our charge controller. I'll discuss some usage scenarios, as it pertains
> to the XO and off-grid locations.
>
> KIM QUIRK: If I can't attend [or call in] I would be happy to read the
> minutes or address any specific questions that might benefit from the
> perspective of a small renewable energy business in the US. There are a
> number of do-it-yourself sites to explain inexpensive ways to build solar
> modules and hook up to whatever batteries you can find. The solar
> charging mechanism is a little harder to just find in-house or build
> yourself... but it is important if you want to get the most life out of
> your
> batteries.
>
> If I do make it I would be happy to talk about the two projects I've
> been involved in recently relating to solar power in developing countries
> --
> specifically a local school here (New Hampshire) that is doing a solar
> powered refrigeration system for a town in Peru; and the discussions
> that Nancie [Severs] and I had for her trip to Vietnam:
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Projects/Vung_Vieng_Fishing_Vietnam#Power
>
> LOCATION
>
>    1 Cambridge Center (MEET 4PM SHARP)
>    Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
>    http://www.media.mit.edu/contact/directions/1cc
>
> TELEPHONE ACCESS
>
>    Requires Advance RSVP -- thanks!
>
> LIVE CHAT IF VOLUNTEER(S) HELP
>
>    http://forum.laptop.org/chat  (that's #olpc-help)
> _______________________________________________
> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>



-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead