I love solar-powered gadgets. I have a solar charger (similar to the one in these green gift ideas) to help extend the life of my Droid, iPod, and other small electronics. I have a solar-powered SteriPen for on-the-trail water purification. And I absolutely love strings of solar-powered Christmas lights.
Even though many of my small electronics reap the benefit of solar power, the main electronic of my life – my laptop – is still dependent on the electrical grid. But that may be changing with something along the lines of Industrial Designer Andrea Ponti‘s concept for the Luce Solar Panel Powered PC.
The computer has two solar panels: One on the back of the monitor and one underneath a touch keyboard. Ideally, the two panels would be able to power the computer continuously, though it’s unclear whether this has been successfully tested. Using a laptop in the sun is far more battery intensive than indoors since the screen brightness needs to be cranked up to compete with the sun’s bright light.
What do you think of Andrea's concept? Could this laptop really be powered by the sun alone? What happens to it at night? Can its solar panels also pull a charge from normal interior lights?
ContentWala
said on June 08, 2011