Dell, Lenovo Adding Solar Option for PCs

An anonymous reader writes "Lenovo just announced a solar power option for PCs, and Dell is about to do the same, according to Advanced Energy Group. But the solar hardware weights 86 pounds and costs $1,300! Lenovo officials admit they had to do this to reach the 75% mark to gain EPEAT Gold status; Dell couldn't be reached for comment. Hopefully the technology will get smaller and more affordable."

All right!

[iknowcss]

Just what I need! Solar power for my desktop computer! This will go great right next to my windo-- wait. I don't have any windows. Oh, shit.

I can't wait...

[Donniedarkness]

...to get solar power for my laptop!

Maybe Dell could get a rep for being "pro-fitness", too, with that 86 lb. power supply.

What is that i hear?

[weirdcrashingnoises]

Hopefully the technology will get smaller and more affordable.

...and a resounding "DUH" was heard across the lands...

Re:How many trees...

[Dunbal]

could you plant for $1300? That's something many environmental types love to ignore.

      but if i plant trees then there will be too much shade to run my solar PC, you insensitive clod!

Bah

[antifoidulus]

just let me know when they provide a nuclear option

But...

[Epsillon]

...will it run Solaris?

Joking aside, this is something I have been toying with for the past few months. I have a couple of polycrystaline panels on the roof of the workshop and a small LV controller/wet battery arrangement. Getting LV PSUs for standard PC hardware is a pain, though. They are available, and the beauty of them is that you don't have to faff about with DC-AC inverters, but they're more than double the price of a high-end AC PSU.

There are also those small PSU modules for the likes of Via's EPIA mini-ITX boards that will supply the other voltages from a single 12V feed. The main problem with these is that they supply the board with 12V directly from the source. With Lead-acid and solar, you can bet that this will vary with load, time of day, weather and other factors. The best solution for off-grid solar is a 24V system with a real 24V DC-DC PSU that will regulate the 12V rails. As soon as I am comfortable remortgaging the house I may get one...

Re:All right!

[Anonymous Coward]

Just what I need! Solar power for my desktop computer! This will go great right next to my windo-- wait. I don't have any windows. Oh, shit.

Just buy some more light bulbs and mount them over the solar cells. Incandescent bulbs tend to work the best in my opinion. And if it gets too warm then you should turn on your AC.

Re:But...

[Chris Mattern]

...will it run Solaris?

Yes, but it doesn't support Eclipse.

Chris Mattern

Re:Wait for what?

[g0dsp33d]

Neither do most slashdotters :-p. Sorry Mods, couldn't resist.

Re:ACE OF BASS DIED FOR YOUR SINS

[mstahl]

Best AC comment EVER. Way to go as far off-topic as humanly possible (without, of course, meta-commenting on the hilarity of an AC comment).

Re:How many trees...

[Antony.Muss]

When you buy a plane ticket, you don't also thereby purchase therapists for the prostitutes whose lives you're ruining there, or make up (with medical coverage) for the STD pandemic you're helping to cause by entering the market for prostitutes there. If prostitution leads the women involved to up and die, be beaten by their johns and tricks, etc, etc, you're not paying for ANY of that, even though you're CAUSING IT.

I am a courteous John who never hurts his prostitute. I'm improving her live by outcompeting abusive Johns, like a bacterium that outcompetes penicillin-resistent bacteria, which incidentally she has.

Shade.

[statemachine]

Use the solar panel for shade. Problem solved.

Re:All right!

[geobeck]

getting a kick in the face from some wanker who has placed in trousers round his ankles.

That sounds like quite a trick.