European researchers have built prototypes of a combination solar cell and ultra-thin flexible battery. This technology could lead to cell phones that don't need rechargers or clothes that gather light and provide power to a variety of hungry accessories.
We're gonna have to face it, we're addicted to power. A lot of EcoGeeks already suffer from both "charger clutter" and “I’m on my last bar so I have to hang up†syndrome. To solve these problems, a thin-film organic solar cell has been combined with a new type of polymer battery, which can recharge itself when exposed to light.
The “Solar Battery†is not only thin, but also flexible enough to integrate with a wide range of electronic devices, including flat, bendable objects like a smart card and, potentially, flexible mobile phones and e-readers. The results of the research, part of the three-year, five-country European Polymer Solar Battery project, were recently published online in the journal Solar Energy.
Prototypes of the solar battery weigh as little as two grams and are less than one millimeter thick. The organic solar cell used in the prototype is based on a mix of electrically conducting polymers and Fullerenes. The cells can be cut or produced in special shapes and can be printed on a roll-to-roll machine at low temperature, offering the potential of low-cost, high-volume production.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by PORK CHOP, May 07, 2007
-
- +0
-
-
written by PORK CHOP, May 08, 2007
-
- +0
-
-
written by Gordon Foat, June 27, 2007
-
- +0
-
-
written by battery laptop, October 20, 2007
-
- +0
-
-
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
APR 09
"Lenovo will not gurantee us that we have cells that are not defective...."
View all Comments