Green gadget chargers go massive

Advanced charging techs to top $34 billion in 2015

Markets for advanced charging technologies (including solar-powered handsets, solar chargers, wireless power units, fuel-cell battery charging products and public charging kiosks), worth about $1.5 billion in 2010, are forecast to grow at a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate of more than 86 percent to exceed $34 billion in 2015.

As people carry and use increasing numbers of portable electronic devices, they have a growing need to charge their batteries on the go.

Today's road warriors can tell you it's not always feasible to plug a mobile phone handset into a wall outlet or car adapter for a quick charge.

That is why a number of vendors are developing and commercializing advanced charging technologies that can top up batteries wirelessly or using solar or wind power, or which provide for a fast download of electricity while waiting for one's flight.

Research director Larry Fisher of NextGen, ABI Research's emerging technologies research incubator, says, "With developers about to release advanced charging products in late 2010 and the first half of 2011, the advanced charging revolution is about to take off.

"In addition, the Wireless Power Consortium's release of the Qi standard for interoperable wireless charging in 2010 has set the stage for portable electronics manufacturers and infrastructure producers such as Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, LG and Nokia to incorporate the technology into their products."

Some of these technologies are particularly applicable to users in developing countries.

Parts of the Middle East and Africa, for example, do not have access to stable power, and mobile phone users must travel many miles and pay to charge up.

Solar chargers and handsets could make a real difference to the lives of people in such circumstances, even though they're currently being marketed primarily to the eco-conscious in the developed world.

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More about: LG, NextGen, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung
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Comments

Gerry Hiles

1

Hey I love my PC as much as anyone and, though I have no use for a mobile phone and other gadgetry, I can understand why others do love their stuff.

But please don't let any of us imagine that any of it is "Green", nor can be turned "Green" with solar power.

The production of solar panels requires large consumption of 'conventional energy' from the coal, gas, or nuclear powered generation of electricity, e.g. to smelt the aluminium (or whatever, such as plastics) for holding frames AND to process the silicon. (Similar considerations apply to wind power - and don't get me started on ethanol.)

And then there is the consideration that solar panels, of course including a myriad tiny ones in hand-held devices, have a 'shelf-life' of about twenty years ... and then will go to land-fill (or whatever) replete with a toxic coctail of heavy metals, etc..

Hey let's enjoy the party whilst it lasts - I intend to - but please don't imagine we are "going Green".

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