Innovative solar energy harvester ICs even operates with indoor lighting

Saelig Company has released their patented Sol Chip Saturn802 Energy Harvester IC. This device is a unique photovoltaic cell which produces output voltage levels of 0.75V, 1.5V, 2.25V, 3V, 4.5V, and 9V, which existing solar cells cannot do. The highest power which can be collected in full daylight is around 10mW, or 55uW in office lighting, so the IC is targeted at low-power applications. The size of the die is only 1cm x 1cm, and the stable voltage levels are accessible from separate pins of the device. The IC can be used with or without a back-up battery. The device enables designers to create low-powered products that can recharge themselves. It only needs is a little window in the product design or a transparent cover to enable light to reach the surface-mounted chip. This excludes the need for a battery in low power products. Hence it removes maintenance and environmental waste issues. Including the device in product designs is ideal for hard-to-reach areas where battery use and routine replacement is inconvenient or prohibitively expensive.