Nokia devices come with efficient chargers and Li-ion batteries. Battery is an energy storage (not an energy source). Conventionally the charger charges the battery from an electricity network, and the energy source of the network can be anything from windmills to nuclear power stations.

Energy Harvesting is the term used for technologies that collect energy from our environment rather than from the electricity network. The alternative source harvested can be movement, heat, wind, waves, or the sun. Some of these can be very powerful, while others work best in the micro scale – all, however, require an energy storage like a battery to be able to utilize the collected energy later. Fuel cells, on the other hand, use fuel as chemical energy storage, and the cell in operation then generates the power.

Nokia is actively researching new energy sources for many reasons. Conventional energy sources like oil are getting scarce, and finding new sources with lower carbon emissions could mitigate climate change. New sources are essential for geographies that simply don’t have electricity networks. And we must ensure that any new energy harvesting solutions are of high quality and effective enough to really extend usage and provide value for people. The energy generated or savings thereof must be significant and compensate for the added technology needed for harvesting that energy

Nokia was the first to introduce a solar powered mobile phone, the Nokia 1610 Plus, already in 1997. Today there are also several mobile device chargers readily available in the market already operate with solar power, cranks, or even wind mills. We at Nokia provide an Open Platform for developers to make use of these, by offering a charger specification for Special Chargers via Forum Nokia. In practice this means that Nokia devices and accessories with 2 mm charging plug have software that supports alternative charging, especially for solar chargers, and the open specification encourages innovative business development for alternative energy sources outside Nokia.

Even if you share our optimism about green power, we still need to consume less. We’ve put together a few hints to help you and your phone be energy efficient.