So researchers have created a device -- called UrJar -- that uses re-usable Lithium Ion cells from discarded laptop battery packs to power low-energy DC devices. To understand the usability of this device in a real-world scenario, the researchers deployed it at five street-side shops in India, a country where a significant portion of the rural and urban poor sections of the population do not have access to electricity. UrJar offered backup power to help the shops meet their lighting requirements.
The researchers state that UrJar could channel e-waste toward the alleviation of energy poverty, ultimately providing a sustainable solution for both problems.
