Solar-powered Table at GWU

It’s been a while since I posted so hello again! I bumped into this gorgeous table on Friday, June 26. It’s hidden in George Washington University’s South Yard by Strong Hall (location).

There are 4 three-pronged plugs on the two long sides (8 total). “In all, the table can support the equivalent of eight cell phones for 85.40 days or one LCD projector for 14.66 days, according to Mr. [Ben, the motivation behind the project] Pryde” (GW Today, Student Ingenuity Fuels Sustainable Solar Table). Wow.

It’s a six-foot-long table made of plywood, aluminum, and a 280-watt solar panel covered with Plexiglas and braced by metal corners. There are six deep-cycle batteries that store energy. This thing can withstand some serious weather.

I have three recommendations:

• Include more information about the solar panel and batteries at the site;
• Put it in a less shaded area (in the middle of the brick patio in the background for instance);        
• And use it to power something (like a neon sign) near the table.

Other than that, this is a great display and I hope it gets people thinking and talking about solar.