LG Display Solar e-Book Reader Unveiled New LG Eco-Friendly e-Book with Solar Cell Offers A Dayโ€ s Reading Based on 4-5 Hours in Sunlight

What with e-Book readers being hot news right now, LG Display s
announcement that they have developed a solar powered e-Book reader
that, thanks to the integration of a solar cell measuring in at a mere
0.7 millimetres in thickness (less than a credit card) and weighing just
20 grams, can provide enough power within 4-5 hours of sunlight exposure
to power the book for an entire day s reading was sure to get especially
wide coverage.
According to LG Display s press release, their new solar cell, which
�is produced by placing electrodes onto a glass or plastic substrate
rather than utilising the traditional crystalline solar cells employing
silicon wafers is not just especially suited for use with devices such
as e-books but could also find applications in the cell phone market
thanks to their thin-film solar cells being particularly light weight in
nature (traditional solar cells, as you ll be aware, are pretty bulky
making them not especially suited for such devices as they add to weight
and impact on the product s overall design to an overly large extent).

LG Display s Press Release:

The thin-film solar cell featured in the e-book measures 10 centimeters
in width and length, it was developed to perfectly fit the 6-inch
display panel for e-book currently mass produced by LG Display. The
solar cell measures 0.7 millimeter in thickness and weighs a mere 20
grams, the less thickness of a credit card and the weight of a fountain pen.

The thin-film solar cell is produced by placing electrodes onto a glass
or plastic substrate. Contrary to widely adopted crystalline solar cells
that employ silicon wafers, the thin-film solar cell is generally
light-weight and easily adjustable in size and form for applications
such as e-books or mobile phones.

The current energy conversion efficiency rate of this product is
approximately 9.6 percent. Exposure to sunlight for about four to five
hours would extend the running time of the e-book s battery by a day
without the need for additional charging. This would allow longer
outdoor use of the e-book and lessens worries about battery discharging.

Mr. Ki Yong Kim, head of the Solar Cell Office at LG Display noted,
�E-books are attracting a lot of attention because they offer the
advantage of storing thousands of books worth of contents in an
easy-to-carry device. The idea of e-book combined with solar cell will
offer users the added benefit of longer usage. We will continue to
provide users with enhanced convenience and value to solidify our lead
in next-generation, environmentally friendly products. �

LG Display previously had announced plans to nurture its thin-film solar
cell business as a future growth driver. The company aims to raise the
energy conversion efficiency rate to 12% by 2010, and eventually achieve
efficiency rate of 14% in 2012 to prepare for commercialization.