Your big questions: How energy efficient are Papercast® e-paper displays?

Welcome to the first in a series of blogs where we tackle the big questions that prospects have when they first meet with us. We start with energy efficiency.

How energy efficient are Papercast® e-paper displays? In a nutshell, they are extremely energy efficient. In fact, according to our analysis, they could be the most energy efficient display technology on the market.

We developed our own electronics which have been engineered to the limits to provide industry-leading power efficiency. Capable of operating on batteries longer than any other display technology, Papercast offers one of the most sustainable outdoor display solutions available on the market. Read on to find out how.

The power of e-paper

E-paper is widely regarded as one of the lowest power display technologies in the world.

Do you remember when Amazon launched the Kindle in 2011? Going head-to-head with Apple’s LED iPad, Amazon commenced a turf war that will continue for a lifetime. Their messages hinged around the fact that the Kindle is perfectly visible in direct sunlight and boasts an insanely long battery life.

The two unique characteristics that make e-paper technology so attractive in so many use cases.

The reality is that there is a place for both technologies in the world. But where energy efficiency is the priority, and let’s face it sustainability and power consumption are very much in the spotlight (a spotlight is only going to get bigger), e-paper is the perfect choice.

That is why energy consumption is has become one of the most common topics for discussion.

So how can we be so confident of our energy efficiency credentials? Well, we put our displays to the test and this is what we discovered.

Putting our industry leading power efficiency to the test

How does Papercast compare with alternative outdoor display technologies?

Papercast 13” e-paper displays have been tested to consume:

How does Papercast perform in different sunlight conditions?

Here are the test outcomes from profiling sites based on sunlight availability and analysing energy consumption.

How does Papercast achieve this?

Papercast displays have a unique system ensuring they predominantly operate in sleep mode, therefore saving huge amounts of power. On a typical 1 minute refresh cycle, the electronics are only powered for 4-5 seconds to update the display.

Having this ability ensures we can truly run the Papercast displays on stand-alone solar solutions in almost any environment all year round.

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Final thoughts…

We can safely conclude that Papercast e-paper displays can be solar powered on 20W or 40W panels in all climates and a wide range of sunlight conditions. This isn’t the case for all e-paper display technologies (remember we consume 3.3x less power that competing e-paper signage solutions.

Papercast provides a practical alternative to other digital display technologies that require large solar arrays, and an eco-friendly alternative to those needing a mains power source.

Feedback from our customers:

UK: “Experience has shown that solar displays need low power usage for reliability during the winter months, e-paper displays meet the criteria and Papercast offers the lowest power solution on the market.”

Finland: “In the Nordic countries, the coldness of winter and low sunlight create challenges for charging batteries with photovoltaics. However, the power consumption of Papercast e-paper displays is so low that we have now been able to overcome this hurdle for the very first time.”

Abu Dhabi: “The sunlight readable, solar powered e-paper displays from Papercast offered the most effective solution – without the need to pull power and data cables.”

Poland: “Not only do these e-paper displays save on energy costs, but also removes the significant expense of changing paper timetables. If there is a delay or disruption, we can notify passengers instantly. Not only does this lead to cost savings, but it is much better for the people using the services.”

France: “We selected Papercast due to the ultra-low energy consumption of e-paper technology and the fact that it is solar powered and completely autonomous – making it easier to install and much more sustainable than the high power alternatives.”

Read the next blog in the series, Your big questions: How do Papercast® e-paper displays perform in hot/cold climates?