DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF SOLAR-POWERED CELL PHONE CHARGING BOOTH

This project presents the design and implementation of a solar-powered cell phone charging booth aimed at addressing the challenge of unreliable electricity supply and the increasing demand for mobile phone charging in public and institutional environments. The booth was developed to provide a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional grid-dependent charging systems. The design incorporated a 220 W monocrystalline solar panel for energy harvesting, a 12 V, 65 Ah deep-cycle battery for storage, and a charge controller to regulate input and output power. Multiple charging ports were integrated into the system, with load conditions tested under half-load and full-load operations. Performance evaluations showed that under half-load conditions (five devices), the battery voltage declined gradually from 12.7 V to 11.4 V over 23 hours while supplying a steady current of about 1.6–1.8 A. In full-load testing (ten devices), the battery supported continuous charging for 13 hours, with voltage dropping from 12.8 V to 11.4 V and current draw averaging 3.6–3.9 A. Solar charging tests revealed that the system recharged from 11.4 V cutoff to full charge in approximately five hours under peak sunlight, with charging currents reaching up to 6.8 A. The booth also maintained stable operation when tested simultaneously with solar panel input and active device charging. The results confirm that the solar-powered booth can reliably support multiple devices charging with minimal voltage fluctuations. This solution demonstrates a practical approach to renewable energy application in everyday technology.