Solar Charging Station Poster

The threats posed by anthropogenic climate change include higher temperatures, rising sea levels, and changes in precipitation patterns. Consequently, droughts will become more frequent and longer in duration, and hurricanes will increase in severity. Likewise, there is a dire need to shift energy production away from fossil fuels and towards renewable resources. This project is aimed at exploiting the power of the sun by creating a solar charging station at Gannon University. The free-to-use solar charging station will allow students, staff, and faculty to charge cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices, as it will provide 12 VDC and 110 VAC power. The solar charging station consists of six subsystems: the solar panel module, the charge converter, the battery module, the converter module, the locking mechanism, and the LED driver. The solar panel module, charge converter, and battery module will allow solar energy to be converted into electricity and stored. The converter module will convert the stored energy and distribute it. The locking mechanism will allow users to create a passcode and securely store their device while it is charging. The LED driver will display necessary information to the user. Each subsystem will be tested individually before being integrated with other subsystems. The system will be tested as a whole and placed on campus or in a local park.