New solar backpacks can charge your phone, camera on the go

Solar cell manufacturer G24 Innovations announced Monday that it is shipping a line of backpacks and other bags that sport flexible solar panels to charge your personal electronic devices on the go.

The U.K.-based company’s dye-sensitized solar cells, or DSSC, are thin-film photovoltaics that can be inexpensively manufactured in flexible rolls. The G24i photovoltaic panel can harvest energy both outdoors and indoors to charge mobile phones, e-book readers, cameras and portable LED lighting.

Owing to the panels’ light weight, the U.S. Air Force has said it plans to use DSSC panels for its unmanned aerial vehicles.

Hong Kong-based consumer bag manufacturer Mascotte Industrial Associates will provide the actual products on which the panels will be fitted, including backpacks, duffel bags, e-book reader covers, camera bags and messenger bags.

The company says the products could be available to consumers as soon as December. No price has been announced.