Voltaic Systems to unveil new solar laptop bag

Voltaic Systems is today poised to debut the latest version of its solar-powered laptop bag at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

According to reports at environmental blog Treehugger.com, the Generator bag uses a single solar panel to generate up to 14.7w of power.

It replaces the first generation bag, which has proved popular with environmentally minded laptop users, but typically generated just four watts from three separate solar panels and took up to six hours to fully charge a mobile phone.

The new bag should deliver significantly shorter recharge times for electronic devices such as mobile phones and iPods. It is also made from fabrics made with recycled soda bottles that the company claims are tough, waterproof and UV resistant.

The bag is expected to be shipped in the spring and will be priced from $599.

Improvements in thin-film solar panels have prompted a race among firms such as Voltaic Systems and UK-based G24 Innovations to integrate extremely lightweight solar panels capable of powering personal electronic devices into clothing and bags.