Repsol YPF

Our everyday routine includes a new task. In addition to brushing our teeth and going shopping, we all try not to forget to charge our mobile telephones every night. The fact that this is an oft repeated action leads many people to leave their charger plugged in all day long. However, this habit or oversight does not come free, since chargers consume energy when they are plugged in, irrespective of whether they are charging a battery or not. They can be added to the phantom consumption by televisions, decoders and other appliances with a stand-by mode, the well-known red pilot light. According to an estimate produced by the WWF, the stand-by time adds 12% to a Spanish family’s electricity bill.

The main mobile telephone manufacturers have decided to raise their customers’ awareness by classifying chargers depending on their level of sustainability. The most efficient only consume 0.03 watts, but others exceed 0.5 watts. Whatever type you have, all companies will remind you that the most responsible solution is simple: you just have to unplug chargers when they are not in use.

Recharging using renewable energy sources

However, consumers can do more. Charging a mobile telephone or an Mp3 player using renewable energy sources is not science fiction. Nowadays, the most widely available option is chargers which use solar energy. They are appliances which look very similar to the conventional models which also have the advantage of being able to charge batteries anywhere (so long as it is sunny). The biggest disadvantage, according to users, is the charging time, as they usually take 40 hours to finish the job.

For those people who prefer the wind, there are various companies which sell wind-powered chargers. They look like a small fan and they work in a similar way to large wind turbines. Unlike with wind turbines, you do not have to wait for the wind to appear. The consumer can attach the device to their bicycle or tie it to their wrist in order to make use of the air stream that is generated on moving. Manufacturers say that half an hour’s worth of wind is sufficient to obtain the energy required to listen to music on a media player for 20 minutes.


 
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