UNCA Solar Charging Station

Team Members:
Anastasia Loomis, Ariel Levy, Ellen Moles, Joe Zayatz, Ethan Wilmoth, On'esmas Mungai, Stephen Check, Rose Anderson

My senior design team and I are looking to raise money to complete our design project. We are creating an off grid solar charging station so that students can get outside to study. Mental health of students is the motivator behind this project. Help us change the way students study at universities. Help us get them outside into fresh air and sunlight, using sustainable energy.
UNC Asheville Charging Station
(Montañas del Sol)
Abstract
The workload that many students undertake prevents them from getting outside into the sunlight and fresh air. Laptops tether students to an electrical outlet because technology is required to complete most homework. This means studying outside is rare and short lived. In 2014, the American Psychological Association reported an approximated one half of college students suffered from anxiety and roughly one third from depression [2]. These percentages have risen steadily since 2010, as have the number of college students who have considered suicide. Stress and depression can decrease with an increase of fresh air and sunlight, thus increasing Vitamin D. Studies have shown that Vitamin D can help lessen the feeling of depression, and some suggest that sunlight can even increase cognitive thought [1]. Getting outside and into the sunlight is proving to be a real need for college students.
Taking all of this into consideration, we have designed and developed a solar-powered mobile charging station that creates a way for students to be productive outside while receiving the benefits of sunlight and fresh air. The project provides a power source for laptops and phones and combines design with engineering. Artistic form coupled with well-engineered function and sustainability provide a stress-reducing environment in which technology-bound students can work.
Proposal
Research into sustainable resources is key to providing a solution to allowing students to study outside. Our goal is to design an artistic mobile unit that utilizes solar energy; the unit would not only be a comfortable area for all students to study, but also a power source for devices. Special consideration would be made to ensure all students can enjoy this mobile unit. There are some products already on the market, but most of them are strictly for function and not for form or comfort; that can be changed.
Artistic form with engineered function is the perfect combination for providing a stress-free environment for students to work with increased cognitive thought. Connecting two solar panels together would provide enough energy to power a couple of devices, while providing shade. This is something that holds potential for not only universities, but corporations and businesses. The mobile unit design can be placed anywhere that has optimal sunlight and photo sensor tracking will be in place for better efficiency. A couple of students can have their devices plugged in and charging at the same time. It has been determined that, based on our budget and load calculations, two 205W solar panels will be used. The components most important to this project, outside of the solar panels, are: the inverter, the voltage regulator, gel lead acid batteries designed for off-grid solar, and linear motion systems.
The two most important parts of keeping this project on track are budgeting and a workable timeline. As of right now, these aspects have been completed with reasonable confidence. The need for sponsorship and donations is pertinent for a project such as this. Expenses for motors, sensors, motherboards, solar panels, and building supplies must be priced and purchased on both function and cost. A better understanding of the items and funding has allowed us to purchase the motor systems. This leaves some large components that will need more funding for the final product.
Given the research that was done, and the fact that education is so important, finding a way to increase health and productivity in students is essential [2]. Getting students outside, while providing ways of studying, will promote both things. The solar charging station for students that we are proposing will require research in both sustainability and community based research. It will also promote other sustainable projects on campus. It is a wonderful example of both engineering and the betterment of health for students. It also expresses the values of UNCA, by combining liberal arts with the sciences. Incorporating these values, the hope is to leave our environment better than before.
Works Cited
[1] Kent, Shia T., Leslie A. McClure, William A. Crosson, Donna K. Arnett, Virginia G. Wadley, and Nalini Sathiakumar. "Effect of Sunlight Exposure on Cognitive Function among Depressed and Non-depressed Participants: A REGARDS Cross-sectional Study." Evironmental Health (2009): n. pag.Environmental Health. BioMed Central Ltd. Web. 06 Sept. 2016.
http://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-069X-8-34
Journal article on the effects of sunlight on depression and cognitive function. Study done showed serotonin and melatonin regulation on groups of black and white persons 45 years and older. Increases sunlight led to an increase in cognitive function and a decrease in depression.
[2] Zivin, Kara, Daniel Eisenberg, Sarah E. Gollust, and Exra Golberstein. "Persistence of Mental Health Problems and Needs in a College Student Population." Journal of Affective Disorders 117.3 (2009): 180-85.ScienceDirect. Elsevier B.V. Web. 6 Sept. 2016.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032709000093
Psychiatric journal discussing mental health problems for college students. The study showed a rise in many mental health disorders, such as: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-injury and suicide. It also shows a lack of students obtaining or receiving help after two years had passed.