Opportunities of Zero-Emission Cholesteric LCD Technology

January 12, 2024
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Not only does the cholesteric liquid crystal technology have bistability but also transmissivity in light. When ambient light hits ChLCD, a portion gets reflected or absorbed according to Bragg's law, while the remaining light passes through the display. Hence an integrated solar module underneath ChLCD can generate solar electricity to power both the e-paper display and surrounding electronics.

IRIS Optronics trademarked Infinity DisplayTM in major markets in 2023, with the slogan of "where there is light, there is zero-emission display".

infinity display structure
The structure of Infinity Display.

A secret weapon to reaching ESG goals

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, are a standard measure of ESG achievements. Infinity Display excels in 3 SDGs:

  1. SDG 3 good health and well-being - as consumer electronics become ever so popular, myopia rates among developed countries have reached 66%, and beyond 70% in high school students. ChLCD reflective display does not emit blue light that harms the eyes, and can reduce tiredness during reading to protect eyes across all age groups.
  2. SDG 7 affordable and clean energy - Infinity Display combines ChLCD with solar modules to generate renewable energy from either indoor lighting or outdoor sunlight that passes through the display. This fully utilizes the clean energy from ambient light.
  3. SDG 9 industry, innovation, and infrastructure - Infinity Display is a screen that powers itself. It can plug and play in most locations that lack basic power infrastructure, leading to quicker installations and lower costs. In the event of a blackout, Infinity Displays can continue to operate, improving the resilience of public displays.

International Energy Agency's data in October 2021 shows energy generation accounts for 75% of total greenhouse gas emissions. So a global net-zero goal by 2050 depends heavily on innovation in power generation and consumption.

Infinity Display targets the weakness of high-consumption screens, and it is the secret weapon to reaching ESG targets for display applications.

Three circles represent the function of Infinity Display
The value proposition of Infinity Display.

Best low-consumption outdoor signage

Infinity Display has great potential in achieving zero-emission outdoor signage. The bigger the screen area, the more solar energy it generates. In a 55" outdoor signage that refreshes a digital poster every 5 minutes, the ChLCD only uses 1% energy of an LCD of similar size.

ChLCD vs signage consumption
Energy consumption between TFT-LCD and ChLCD.

The average window-facing sunlight intensity of 30,000 lux is used to calculate a self-supporting 55" Infinity Display's standard refresh rate in major cities around the world. If the refresh rate is lower, Infinity Display can even power the surrounding electronics to provide additional services.

infinity display refresh rate around the world
Standard refresh rates of self-powered Infinity Display across different major cities.

Net-zero displays a reality

More than half of the carbon emissions of a commercial display are created during operation. So Infinity Displays can help reduce the carbon footprint of the screens to the minimum, or even provide carbon credits to trade. By using a 55" FHD outdoor display as a reference (EU 296g CO2eq/kWh, ETS value of 85 euros/ton in 2023), an Infinity Display can earn an extra 35 euros in carbon credits. So Infinity Display can significantly reduce energy bills in operation, increase profits in a market of ever-increasing carbon taxes, and improve a company's ESG performance.

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