Nokia completes research on phone charging using harvested solar energy
Nokia began with developing a prototype phone for the project featuring a solar charging panel integrated in the back cover for harvesting solar energy. The phone was tested last summer by a team of five people in a range of different environments. Two of the phones were tested up north at the Arctic Circle, one in southern Sweden and one in Kenya, and the fifth member of the test team was sailing in the Baltic Sea.
The project was carried out openly and in real time and the project’s progress was reported on a blog – https://solarcharging.nokia.com . Along with the test reports, around ten technical articles on solar energy and its use were published on the blog. The idea was to boost people’s interest and expand their knowledge of the subject.
Nokia’s tests showed that charging a mobile phone by simply using a solar charging panel on the back cover is possible but challenging. When carefully positioned, the prototype phones were able, at best, to harvest enough energy to keep the phone on standby mode but with a very restricted amount of talk time. This means there’s still some way to go before a workable and care-free solution is achieved. The most substantial challenge is the limited size of a phone’s back cover, which restricts the extent to which the battery can be charged. What’s more, to ensure mobility, it is essential that the phone’s weather protection doesn’t cover the solar charging panel.
The amount of charge generated for use by the phone is not solely dependent on the weather conditions and the amount of sunlight. Factors such as lifestyles and the angle of light also have a significant impact on the amount of charge generated. The greatest amount of charge was generated in Kenya, as there was no shortage of sunlight and the phone tester, Amos, who works as a security guard, was often stationary. From the energy profile of his phone, Nokia could see that he’s an active phone user, listening to the radio and making a lot of calls.
On the Arctic Circle, by contrast, the amount of sunlight depends very much on the time of year. But even during the light summer months, the sun’s angle is relatively low, which means a lot of shadows. If the user is frequently on the move, the phone will receive a fairly low charge. Nevertheless, a test record was achieved at the Arctic Circle, as the tester, Ilkka, was able to move his phone from one side of the house to another to track the summer sun as he got on with his house-building work.
Reasonably good results were also obtained when the tester was able to carry the phone while moving around outdoors, for instance in a holder around his neck. However, this isn’t necessarily the most stylish or convenient arrangement, and another solution is needed.
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