CHENNAI: As part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 for affordable and clean energy, Minister for Environment and Climate Change Siva V Meyyanathan launched a solar-powered charger for smartphones and other devices on Friday.
Kannappan Chettiar, founder and CEO of Switching Battery Inc said that the Kinematic Charger KC5V, which is seeking approval of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), features advanced Flow Through Energy Storage System (FT-ESS) with its tiny semiconductor chip that enables efficient low-voltage solar charging.
He said by incorporating their semiconductor technology, smartphones with up to 3,000mAh battery can be charged in 45 minutes using compact solar panels. The KC5VL is priced at Rs 2,000, with optional solar panels starting at Rs 1,000. Cenobia Majella, CEO of Fizix Solar Innovations, said that they will provide the chargers to 10 villages in Tamil Nadu once BIS approval is received.
The company projects sales of 1,00,000 KC5V units by December 2024. “Achieving this milestone will allow us to shift our focus towards teaching and licensing our extensive patent portfolio to smartphone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung,” said Chettiar.