Green Tech

Mascotte's messenger bag prototype

(Credit: Mascotte)

G24 Innovations has shipped its first flexible solar panels, which are destined for the outside of backpacks and other bags, the company said Wednesday.

The U.K. company's dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are thin-film photovoltaics that can be manufactured in flexible rolls relatively cheaply. It is a material the U.S. Air Force has been looking into for use in its unmanned aerial vehicles for longer endurance.

G24's DSSC cells, which are designed to create electricity from indoor light as well as outdoor sunlight, will be put into commercial use by the manufacturer Mascotte Industrial Associates.

Solar backpack, duffel

(Credit: G24 Innovations)

The Hong Kong-based company is integrating the DSSC panels into a line of backpacks, duffel bags, e-book covers, camera bags, and messenger bags that can then be tapped to recharge items like cell phones or cameras.

Mascotte plans to display its solar bags at this week's Hong Kong Electronics Fair, and the products could be available to consumers as soon as December, ... Read more

Solar technology in mobile computing devices is still impeded by performance and price issues and isn't likely to entirely replace batteries anytime soon, according to analysts.

James Hines, Gartner's research director for semiconductor, told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail interview that performance is the "primary inhibitor to the practical application of integrated solar cells" in today's mobile devices.

Solar-powered battery chargers for mobile phones and other devices are already available in the market. However, they are not only expensive, but their performance is also "poor," he had said in a recent research document.

Samsung's recently released Crest Solar can generate 5 to 10 minutes of talk time by charging for one hour in sunlight.

(Credit: Samsung)

According to Hines, consumer electronics manufacturers are considering integrating solar, or photovoltaic (PV), technologies into more mobile devices.

In June, Samsung launched the Crest Solar (also known as Solar Guru, depending on region), which the Korean mobile maker says has the capacity to provide 5 to 10 minutes of talk time by charging one ... Read more

Apple has taken a shine to using solar cells in its mobile devices.

A patent application, unearthered by MacRumors.com, describes technology to integrate solar cells into portable devices. The named inventors of the patent application are Apple employees, some of whom are iPod engineers.

Images from an Apple patent for solar cells in portable devices.

(Credit: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office)

Using small solar panels to charge portable devices is nothing new; there are several such products already available. Apple appears to be trying to innovate in the integration of the solar cells into a portable device.

Rather than make a separate charger, Apple engineers have sought to package solar cells right into the device in an unobtrusive way. Electricity-generating cells could be placed underneath the device's display. Specifically, the patent application details the use of a semitransparent display with a solar cell placed underneath it.

Sandwiched together, the device's cover would have "at least one glass layer coupled to the solar-cell layer; and a ... Read more

After Christmas gifts were exchanged this season, I set out to get what I really wanted from Santa: a solar panel kit that could power up my household electronics.

Options for buying these things are growing fast (see photo gallery below). Solar chargers can be had from several suppliers that juice up cameras, digital music players, phones, or game machines. And at the Consumer Electronics Show, a few companies showed off solar chargers, in tune with the "green theme" of the conference.

I originally set out for a single charger for gadgets and batteries. As I surfed from one alternative energy site to the other, my imagination wandered: would it be possible to use a solar charger for my laptop? Would a solar charger noticeably cut down on my electricity costs, or would it just be a cool science experiment?

Well, my Christmas gift quest has ended, short of a solar-powered laptop. Instead, I found a suitable toy for my phone, batteries, and maybe a few other devices.

Charging up a laptop with a small ... Read more

Jay LeBoff was sick of being left incommunicado when the power went out in his neighborhood in Westchester County, N.Y. So he set out to build a backup power supply that relies on the sun.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, his company, NRG Dock, showed off solar chargers that are designed to run a range of electronics, including cell phones, Blackberrys, gaming machines, and music players. A high-end version will power laptops.

The products have a couple of pieces. In the Home version, there is a weatherproof battery and a solar panel that charges up and connects to a docking station inside. With a 15-watt panel and battery, it has enough juice to run a laptop for several hours, Allan Wattenmaker, the company's chief operating officer, said Tuesday at CES.

The Apartment version has a smaller panel that can be attached to a window with a suction cup. That charger is designed for smaller devices, like iPods and cell phones, rather than laptops, Wattenmaker said.

NRG Dock plans to release its first products ... Read more