Energy Harvesting and the End of Disposable Batteries (Video)

September 28th, 2012 by Chelsea

Phasing out disposable batteries is on the horizon with super thin flexible solar panels harvesting ambient energy in your home — and we’re not talking about some home of the future with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, but normal windows with average amounts of light streaming in.

In this episode of Fully Charged above, solar panels that harvest enough ambient energy to power bluetooth keyboards or remote controls are highlighted as alternatives to batteries. These solar films can also provide energy while electronics are in stand-by mode — and we all know how costly vampire energy can be.

The video takes us inside a factory making rolls of thin, flexible solar films with easy-to-understand explanations about how the panels are made and the energy used to make them. Very interesting, indeed.

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Tags: flexible solar panels, fully charged, quickies, vampire energy

About the Author

Chelsea is a former newspaper reporter who has spent the past few years teaching English in Poland, Finland and Japan. When she wasn't teaching or writing, Chelsea was traveling Europe and Asia, sampling spicy street food along the way.