HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA.—According to the ConsumerAffairs Journal of Consumer Research, 98 percent of Americans own a mobile phone. More than nine out of 10 (91 percent) own a smartphone. Each day, Americans spend 4 hours and 30 minutes on their mobile phones and check their phones 144 times per day. Children, on average, get their first phones at 12 years old. By age 15, almost all children have a cellphone.
In the outdoor areas of your property, where guests go to relax, chat, or engage in recreational activities, where can they plug in to charge their phones, laptops, or other rechargeable mobile devices? Chances are their options are slim or none. At least one company, however, is determined to change that.
Pennsylvania-based Sunbolt offers solar charging workstations, solar carousels, solar charging umbrellas, and solar stand-up charging stations. They all use one power source: the sun, freeing them up for any location—except for heavily shaded areas, of course. The company says its products are designed and built with a quality and sustainability-first attitude, with each product made from architectural-grade, eco-friendly materials.
Multiple Charging Outlets
Sunbolt Solar Workstations are engineered with the highest solar power output, providing superior off-grid autonomy, and charging performance. Equipped with multiple charging outlets and high-capacity battery banks, these are ideal outdoor site amenities for charging cell phones, tablets, laptops, and other mobile devices.
There are three Solar Carousel designs with multiple seating configurations to choose from: Pavilion, Arbor, and Marquee. Each has a solar powered umbrella overhead that provides power to charge devices.
These table, seating, and parasol units have an integrated system for charging smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. They complement a wide range of landscapes and architectural designs and provide continuous electronic device charging even during extended power outages.
The Eclipse solar charging umbrella is offered in two canopy styles: aluminum or awning-grade fabric. These umbrellas work with tables that accept an umbrella with a standard 1 1/2-inch hole. The umbrellas can also be used by themselves.
Sunbolt Solar Stand-up Charging Stations are equipped with LED lighting, tabletops, and multiple charging ports to provide convenient outdoor phone, laptop, and mobile device charging for public trails, parks, outdoor dining areas, campuses, and much more.
Thanks to Hurricane Sandy
According to Vanessa Branco, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Sunbolt, it was Hurricane Sandy in 2012 that inspired the company’s founders to develop off-grid charging options.
“We pioneered the solar workstation market,” Branco says. “Our products are rated for high winds.”
Branco emphasized the use of eco-friendly materials in the charging stations’ design. “Everything is eco-friendly,” she says. “Recycled plastic lumber is the most popular material requested.”
Sunbolt has 1,100 units currently installed. “There is zero electrical work,” Branco adds. “They are stand-alone structures. They set it and forget it.”
Batteries that come with the units hold their charge for two to three days in the event of several days of cloudiness.
“We can powder coat any color,” Branco says. “We also have six fabric materials in stock for the collapsible umbrella. We can put graphics on everything except our collapsibles.”
Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
