Solar power promises BlackBerrys that never need charging

Worrying that the battery in your mobile phone, iPod or BlackBerry will run out at an inconvenient moment could soon be a thing of the past, according to one of the UK's leading solar cell manufacturers.

Speaking to BusinessGreen.com, Bob Hertzberg, chairman and founder of G24 Innovations (G24i), said that improvements in battery life and lightweight thin film solar cells could combine to result in mobile devices that never need recharging being available within three years.

G24i has already launched a solar-powered mobile phone charger that is about the size of a table mat and can recharge a phone in about eight hours even under indoor lighting or overcast conditions.

However, Hertzberg, who is also founder of investment firm Renewable Capital and previously served as Speaker of the California State Assembly, is convinced the company could soon deliver a panel small enough to fit on the back of a BlackBerry-sized device that could generate enough power to ensure its battery never runs out.

He said with improvements in battery design meaning that devices will soon be able to last for up to a week without recharging, manufacturers could charge up the device once in the factory and then rely on an integrated solar cell to ensure that the battery is constantly topped up.

As well as delivering substantial energy and carbon savings, Hertzberg said the approach would also allow manufacturers to advertise products that never need recharging.

He added that the recent news that Apple has filed a patent for an iPod with a solar panel under the LCD screen underlined the fact that leading electronics manufacturers are already investigating ways to effectively integrate solar cells into their devices.

Hertzberg's comments come as G24i revealed plans to significantly ramp up its manufacturing capacity in the wake of securing a $20m investment from banking giant Morgan Stanley.

The company is planning to initially target its solar-powered mobile phone charger and LED lamp at markets in the developing world. However, it also has ambitions to develop a wide range of products based on its flexible dye-sensitised thin film solar cells, including back packs, laptop bags and, in the longer term, solar panels that could be integrated into buildings and generate power from both natural and indoor light.