Solar power calculators were quite revolutionary when they came out in the 1970’s. Some old-timers speak fondly of them being their first renewably-powered devices. Their photovoltaic source was amorphous silicon. Because it was cheaper than the more powerful alternative, crystalline silicon.
Solar Power Calculators Become Education Tools
Log tables, slide rules, and manual multiplication and division soon flew out the classroom window. At first teachers were aghast.
But then they realized their pupils got results faster, and were able to apply their math knowledge sooner. Moreover, being solar power meant there were no batteries to run flat during the lesson.
Pocket calculators had only plus, minus, multiply, divide, percent, and equals buttons in those days,. Even memory was a later invention. Solar power calculators took off because these simple functions needed hardly any power at all. Moreover even artificial light was sufficient to keep them going.
How Battery Power Calculators Made a Comeback
During the 1990’s, early digital apps appeared on portable calculators. However, these were electrically demanding, and soon ran the solar power calculator batteries flat.
This brought renewed interest in battery-powered calculators. However, neither primary nor secondary batteries hold their charge forever, and their design life has limits too.
Photovoltaic Panels versus Batteries
The paradigm between solar and battery power is a microcosm of similar challenges solar panels face. As time passes, we are finding ways to build larger, and better battery arrays for solar farms. Dual solar power / battery-power calculators present a similar compromise.
Do you suppose pocket calculators will eventually vanish in favor of wearables and smartphones? It’s hard to believe we will abandon the delightfully simple gadgets, within such easy reach on our desks.
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Preview Image: Calculator with Fake Solar Screen
