environmentally-friendly computer

[deleted-291856]

Hi,
I want to do a research project on making a computer out of environmentally-friendly materials and solar panels. Would I have to make another computer to compare the performance of the two computers, or do i not have to?

I am trying to reduce the environmental impact of the computer, but then I'd also have to prove that the performance of the computer is not drastically lower in quality than a normal one. Making a computer is costly, however, and I don't think my parents will let me spend the money to make 2 computers.

Please advise; I don't know what to do.

Thanks,
Alice

[bfinio]

Hi Alice,

I would suggest looking into a Raspberry Pi, which is a very small and cheap computer. Regular computers use a LOT of electricity, so it would take some pretty big (and expensive) solar panels to power them. However, the Raspberry Pi does not use as much power since it is so small, so it would make the project much cheaper. Normally it is powered by a cell phone charger like this:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12890

but there are many projects online that show them running on solar power:

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... berry%20pi

You would not necessarily need to buy two Raspberry Pis to do the project - you could buy one and do your tests one at a time, once with the regular charger and once with solar panels. Note that if you do not have any experience with electronics, you will probably need help from an adult to get the solar panels working. They are not something you "just plug in" like the phone charger is.

Here are some other resources that might help:

Official Raspberry Pi web page: https://www.raspberrypi.org/

YouTube channel with lots of videos about Raspberry Pi: https://www.youtube.com/user/GeekGurlDiaries

Sites where you can buy Raspberry Pis and accessories:

https://www.sparkfun.com/

https://www.adafruit.com/

https://www.element14.com/community/com ... spberry-pi

https://www.jameco.com

Also note that Science Buddies has a Raspberry Pi kit, but it comes with an older model of the Raspberry Pi and has a bunch of extra parts that you would not need to do your project:

https://store.sciencebuddies.org/SPF-60 ... s-kit.aspx

however, we have an FAQ that you may find helpful, especially the part about connecting your Raspberry Pi to a TV or computer monitor:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/raspberr ... #question1

Hope that helps!

Ben

[deleted-291856]

Hi Ben,
I was actually thinking of making the internal computer components more environmentally friendly too, e.g. the CPU fan blades or the external components such as the casing.

Thanks,
Alice

[bfinio]

Hi Alice,

Unless you are very experienced and have access to the right tools, I think it would be difficult to modify certain components like making your own CPU fan. You also need to be very careful when modifying any components inside a computer since you do not want to create a shock or fire hazard.

An environmentally friendly case, however, might be a good project. Again, the Raspberry Pi might be a good computer to use here, just because it is smaller and cheaper. You can buy many cases for it but most of them are plastic:

https://www.google.com/search?q=raspber ... ry+pi+case

I have one and it is not marked as recyclable, so probably not very environmentally friendly. I have seen lots of wooden cases for them though:

https://www.google.com/search?q=raspber ... MQ_AUIBygC

So that could make a good project. Hope that helps!

Ben