Street Charge Explained

Street Charge
Developer:	NRG Energy, Inc.
Type:	Solar cell phone charger
Releasedate:	2013

Street Charge is a solar-powered phone charging station developed by NRG Energy, Inc., designed to grant free phone charging services to pedestrians and tourists.^[1] The charging stations can also be modified to emit Wi-Fi signals and display advertisements. The appliance was released in 2013, and the original prototype was tested in Brooklyn, New York.^[2]

Implementation and controversy

There is currently a collaboration between NRG Energy, Inc. and AT&T to implement Street Charge units throughout New York City, which will each offer six USB ports in total.^[3] This project will cost around $300,000-500,000.^[4] As of 2013 there was a controversy surrounding Street Charge appliances in that there were no plans implemented to protect appliances and users utilizing the device. The concern was that the wiring might be modified by malicious users to steal or wipe data from devices plugged into the device.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Street Charge solar charging stations for smartphones make New York debut. 26 June 2013 . Gizmag. 2015-07-10.
2. Web site: About Street Charge. NRG Energy, Inc.. 2015-07-10.
3. Web site: Battery charged: AT&T, Goal Zero, and a Brooklyn design firm bring solar recharge stations to NYC. 18 June 2013 . The Verge. 2015-07-10.
4. Web site: AT&T to Introduce Solar-Powered Charging Stations. The New York Times. 2015-07-10. 2013-06-17. Diane. Cardwell.
5. Web site: AT&T begs for security nightmare with Street Charge power stations. Geek. Russell. Holly. 2015-07-10. 2015-06-18. 2015-09-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924021311/http://www.geek.com/apple/att-begs-for-security-nightmare-with-street-charge-power-stations-1559311/. dead.