Toronto’s 2013 ice storm which cut power to thousands of residents for several days was just another event that showed how we are all so dependent on energy. While the power was being restored, grocery stores, shopping malls, public venues, and coffee shops were flooded with people all wanting to use electrical outlets to charge their cell phones, tablets, and laptops.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto was one of those locations for those wanting to charge their mobile devices. However, instead of plugging into the wall, people were plugging into the sun.
In support of local innovation, entrepreneurship, and environmental leadership, PowerBarr was welcomed in to the Central YMCA location in December. PowerBarr is a portable unit that allows you to charge your mobile technology simply by using solar energy. Whether charging an iPad, Blackberry, or other mobile IT, PowerBarr is helping fight climate change by providing an alternative method for people to charge their technology. It emits less CO2 compared to using a conventional charger, and when fully charged, PowerBarr has the ability to power six mobile devices for seven straight days without any sun!
For about two weeks, PowerBarr was set up at the Central YMCA which allowed members, staff, and the general public to charge their mobile devices for free. Not only was this a great way to show the public the benefits and impact of solar energy, PowerBarr demonstrated how clean, renewable energy can empower a better and more equitable future for all. Using renewable resources for energy has the ability to keep costs low as there is a lesser risk of it becoming depleted compared to non-renewable resources. As PowerBarr co-founder John Wilson explains, “With non-renewable resources like fossil and nuclear energies, we get fuel sources that pollute our environments while posing grave economic problems as the limited resources available reach their peak availability of reserves. High fossil fuel prices reflect this change towards depletion which at the same time drives ever more damaging and costly projects to access the more difficult to extract reserves. By moving to local renewable energy, especially when applied in a decentralized manner, as is the case with PowerBarr, we can transition to a future that is driven by clean energy that is coming down in cost, while potentially delivering the economic benefits more equitably.”
The YMCA already supports alternative energy projects, and has solar panels heating the swimming pools at the Scarborough and Central YMCAs. These installations will each help reduce the Y’s carbon footprint by 55 tonnes per year, resulting in an estimated $60,000 in savings.
The YMCA believes a great future means a greener one, and PowerBarr is just one of the many ways we can get there. With the completion of their successful Kickstarter campaign, Powerbarr is now further developing the technology to be more scalable, and to serve its users more efficiently. To find out where you can locate a PowerBarr charging station click here.
