Phones to be solar powered in future?

A solar power company has said that mobile phones will be charged with energy from the sun in the future.

Cardiff-based G24 Innovations (G24i) is planning to sell simple mobile phones packaged with solar chargers in Africa, but in the future want to sell chargers for all kinds of phones, reports Reuters.

"Ultimately in a few years you'll be able to buy your mobile phone or Blackberry fully charged and you'll never have to plug it in," said Bob Hertzberg, G24i chairman.

G24i have avoided a global shortage in silicon - the material solar panels are usually made from - by using light-absorbing dyes on its panels.

However, G24i's technology is currently not very efficient, with only 3 per cent of light turning into electricity.

Silicon solar panels convert around 15 per cent.

But the dye-based technology has plenty advantages aside from getting around global silicon shortages - it is far more flexible than silicon and can work in low levels of light, including indoors.