Cheap Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Coming to a Backpack Near You

Among the many emerging solar technologies out there, dye-sensitized solar cells are perhaps the most interesting due to their incredibly low cost, coupled with their fairly high ~11% efficiency (at least among thin-film panels). According to Technology Review, backpacks coated with the cells for portable gadget recharging were recently unveiled at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair. The cells are based on the tech invented by a chemistry professor, Michael Grätzel, who mentions that they work well at wide light angles, are less susceptible to degradation in sunlight, and also work efficiently with indoor lighting.

As someone who’s always fretting about the battery life of their portable devices, I could definitely see the value in having recharging capabilities right out of my backpack–assuming it doesn’t cost a fortune. There’s little word on pricing for these backpacks, but as the first of their kind to market I don’t suspect they’ll be on the affordable end of the spectrum.