The text below is from my proposal which was sent to the MERL staff in early 2026.
Energy, the Environment: Battery Powered Air-Conditioner.
Jan 2026
What is it? A fully charged LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery (like those which can be used in solar panel systems), and a small fan being powered from the battery.
This portable 'air-conditioning' system could be temporarily placed alongside the other exhibits in the museum/gallery space to provide renewable 'air conditioning'.
Due to the size of battery and small power draw of the fan, the fan could be powered for many days/weeks/months.
How much time would pass until the battery ran out of energy? How long can we keep on using fossil fuels?
MERL Response I
Unfortunately the type of battery shown in the above proposal was rejected by the museum as being a potential health and safety risk. I then proposed using a different type of battery pack, like the one below:
This type of battery was acceptable to the musuem, however after some discussion I felt the type of battery compromised the message so I had a rethink about what could power the fan. I then realised probably every visitor to the museum carries a battery with them in their mobile phone, which, if the type of connecter to the phone was USB C, would be able to power a small fan:
MERL Response II
Thankfully the museum allowed using the batteries from visitors' mobile phones to power a small fan.
Below are photos from the installation in the MERL MA gallery space (1st floor). Details of the piece are:
Title: Mobile Phone Charged Airflow Machine for Museums
Medium: Portable Black Fan and USB type-C cable.
Date: 2026
Accompanying text: "The air in the MERL is constantly monitored/analysed and conditioned to protect the exhibits. This is a costly process. You can help by powering a fan using your phone’s battery."
A future project could be to join the power of mulitple phones together to power a larger fan (or other device)...
