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April 22, 2009

Fujitsu shows first 'wind-powered laptop'

FMV Loox systems use green energy credits

Martyn Williams

Fujitsu has started selling a laptop that runs on wind power - well, almost. The company is purchasing wind power "green energy credits" for each of the FMV Loox laptops sold that are equivalent to the amount of electricity estimated to be used by the machine over a four year lifespan.

The move is a first in the Japanese market and seeks to tap into a growing eco-conciousness among Japanese consumers.

Fujitsu's calculations are based on an assumption that the computer will be used for 4.5 hours each day, left on-charge for a further 4.5 hours and switched off for 15 hours for each of 240 days each year over four years. The resulting amount of electricity is 45.55 kilowatt hours and that's equivalent to 18kg of CO2 emissions.

Click on the image below to watch the FMX Loox in action on PC Advisor TV

Fujitsu wind powered laptop

So, for each machine sold Fujitsu will purchase the equivalent amount of wind-power credits from the Japan Natural Energy, which has been established by power generation companies to encourage such good deeds of corporate citizenship.

The result is a PC that in theory at least is powered by wind energy.

Of course none of this comes free. The green PC will cost ¥113,800 (£800) compared to ¥76,800 for a similar PC that doesn't include the green energy credits. That's a premium of ¥37,000 for the green energy version.

In addition the computer complies with current EnergyStar standards and the new standards that come into effect in July.

The computer, which will be available through Fujitsu's website and not through shops, is among the company's smallest models and features a 5.6in screen that can swivel around and fold back on itself into a tablet PC-like form factor. While not positioned as a netbook it runs the Intel Atom processor that is common in most other machines of the same size. Other features include 1GB of memory, up to a 120GB hard disk drive and built-in cellular modem card in some models.

Launch details for markets outside of Japan were not announced.

See also:

Fujitsu shows zero-watt PC

Fujitsu launches zero-watt monitor

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Comments received


Sandeep Amin said on Thursday, 23 April 2009

Why do they even bother. How many of us will buy a laptop which is so small and how are they so sure that we will not use the laptop more in the world of social networking and some people keeping the power connected to the laptop even if the battery is fully charged up

charlie gate said on Friday, 24 April 2009

it would simply be cheaper to buy all your electricity from a renewables provider such as Good Energy Ltd, who only supply electricity from wind, solar and small hydro sources!

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