Key Takeaways
1. Solar Power Integration: The Yoga Solar PC features a built-in solar panel that can charge the laptop both outdoors and indoors.
2. Energy Efficiency: The solar panel can provide approximately one hour of video playback from just 20 minutes of sunlight, with an efficiency of 24%.
3. Portable Charging Kit: Lenovo introduced a Yoga Solar PC kit that includes a thin, lightweight solar charging solution for any USB-C device.
4. Advanced Technology: The laptop uses Back Contact Cell technology and a Dynamic Solar Tracking system to optimize solar energy collection.
5. Sustainable Computing: This proof of concept represents a significant step toward eco-friendly technology, although pricing and availability are yet to be announced.
Lenovo made waves at MWC 2025 with a new and eco-friendly idea: the Yoga Solar PC Proof of Concept. This innovative laptop comes with a built-in solar panel, enabling users to power their devices outdoors without relying solely on standard chargers.
Power Potential
So, just how much energy can it capture? The solar panel can actually give your battery a boost. As stated by the company, it can soak up enough sunlight in just 20 minutes to provide around one hour of video playback. This Yoga Solar PC proof of concept is also capable of charging the laptop indoors. It operates on Intel’s “Lunar Lake” Core Ultra 200 platform, suggesting that a future consumer PC using a Snapdragon SoC could potentially achieve even longer runtimes with a similar solar feature.
Charging Kit for Everyone
Along with the laptop, Lenovo presented the Yoga Solar PC kit, a portable solar charging solution for any USB-C devices. The panel is impressively thin at 15 mm, and the total weight of the laptop is only 1.5 kg, making it easy to carry and use outdoors.
How It Functions
The Yoga Solar PC Proof of Concept employs a detachable solar panel that can charge the laptop while in use or when it’s not active. The solar panel uses Back Contact Cell technology, which shifts mounting brackets and grid lines to the rear of the solar cells, enhancing efficiency to 24%—which is higher than the 19-20% efficiency seen in most commercially available solar cells. Moreover, the Dynamic Solar Tracking system improves energy collection by adjusting the panel’s settings according to the sunlight intensity.
Even though most individuals don’t usually work outdoors under direct sunlight or leave their PC in such conditions, this proof of concept makes it possible to stay connected when the power grid is down or when you’re outside.
A Practical Option
For those who don’t own a solar-powered laptop, Lenovo’s Yoga Solar PC kit provides a convenient alternative. It consists of two solar panels and a USB-C power bank, allowing users to charge any USB-C-compatible device with solar energy.
Lenovo hasn’t revealed any pricing or availability details for the Yoga Solar PC Proof of Concept or its kit yet. Nevertheless, this marks a notable advancement towards sustainable computing.
