Lenovo Launches Solar-Powered Desktop

Among the many green touches on the ThinkCentre A61e, including an energy efficient power supply, processor and fan, the optional solar panel stands out as a first.

If buying a new desktop is anything like buying a new car, then Lenovo hopes you’ll look at their new desktop a bit like a Toyota Yaris. It’s humble, yes, but also affordable, energy efficient, and small enough to fit anywhere.

The  main focus with the ThinkCentre A61e seems to be its green image. Lenovo went above and beyond the EPA’s Energy Star 4.0 certification criteria with an 85 percent efficient power supply, and claims the AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor uses 50 percent of the electricity that previous models sucked down. The company also put thought into the materials used to build the new system, 90 percent of which are recyclable. And the same goes for the packaging. To top it all off, you can even run one of these things with an optional solar panel.

As side benefits to all the green posturing, the Lenovo supposedly runs “whisper quiet” thanks to a single low-speed fan and can soften your utility bill. Although, with estimated electricity savings of $20 a year, the average buyer won’t see much of a payout.

Fortunately, like with the Yaris, there isn’t much of a price premium for selecting a green system. The Lenovo ThinkCentre A61e will sell for $399 when it goes on sale in October.