As industries push toward sustainability targets, product designers are rethinking not just what technology does - but how it impacts the environment. Among the biggest power consumers in modern electronics is the display. Whether it’s on a handheld device, a digital poster, or a connected sensor, screens are often the largest energy draw.
But a quiet revolution is underway.
Emerging low-power and zero-power display technologies are transforming the way we approach design.
These displays can run for months - or even years - on battery power, and in some cases, operate entirely on solar energy. From smart retail to public infrastructure, they’re enabling intelligent, connected systems that consume only a fraction of the power used by traditional screens.
Until recently, efforts to reduce energy usage focused on processors and communication modules. Displays were seen as essential but unavoidable power drains.
That’s changing. Reflective and bistable display technologies - designed to consume little or no power when idle are gaining traction. These screens retain content without constant refresh and are viewable in bright daylight without a backlight, significantly reducing energy demands.
Here’s how key display technologies are helping to cut power consumption and improve sustainability in real-world applications:
E-paper, or electrophoretic display (EPD) technology, is a cornerstone of low-power innovation. These bistable displays use energy only when updating content, making them ideal for signage, labels, posters, and other applications where information changes infrequently.
E Ink Spectra 6:
A breakthrough in reflective colour, Spectra 6 can produce 60K colours from six colour pigments (without a colour filter array) to deliver rich, print-quality visuals at up to 200 PPI and a 22:1 contrast ratio.
With a 15-second refresh, it’s ideal for indoor promotions and signage where visual impact matters.
E Ink Kaleido 3 Colour:
Built on a standard B/W EPD, Kaleido 3 adds an RGB filter to deliver 4,096 colours. Operating in extreme temperatures (-15°C to 65°C), it’s designed for outdoor signage that needs colour, durability, and low power.
Refresh time is 1–2 seconds with a 7:1 contrast ratio. Sizes range from 2.8” to 25”, with 55” and 75” in development.
Colour Cholesteric LCDs CH-LCD:
These are bistable, reflective displays that hold images without power and refresh in under a second.
With full-colour capability and wide temperature tolerance, they’re ideal for digital posters and transport displays needs to update periodically but not continuously.
While not fully zero-power, the following technologies still deliver very low power consumption compared to conventional displays. They’re ideal when your application needs faster refresh rates or more frequent updates without sacrificing energy efficiency.
MIP LCDs use pixel-level memory to retain screen content with minimal refresh. Not bistable, but highly efficient, they’re a smart choice for compact, always-on devices like wearables, fitness trackers, and portable medical instruments.
Reflective TFTs offer full-colour, real-time updates using ambient light instead of a backlight—perfect for outdoor control panels, portable diagnostics equipment, or monitoring systems. While not zero-power, they significantly reduce consumption and pair well with solar power or energy-harvesting systems.
| Display Technology | Colours | Power Usage for Static Images | Refresh Rate | Operating Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPD (B/W) | 2 | 0 Watts | 1-2s | 0-50°C |
| EPD - Tri-Colour | 3 | 0 Watts | 22s | 0-50°C |
| EPD - Spectra 6 | 60k | 0 Watts | 15s | 0-50°C |
| EPD - Kaleidoscope | 4k | 0 Watts | 1-2s | -15-65°C |
| CH-LCD | 16.7M | 0 Watts | 200ms | -20-60°C |
| Memory in Pixel | 8 | 32-290µW (2.1" LCD) | 30ms | -20-70°C |
| Reflective TFT | 16.7M | 60mW (2.4" LCD) | 30ms | -20-70°C |
Whether you're developing passenger signage, retail displays, medical records, logistics tags, or digital posters, display technology is no longer a barrier to sustainability - it’s a key enabler.
Driving your Display
At Anders, we provide end-to-end support, including custom interface boards, single-board computers (SBCs), and IoT gateways, to accelerate your time to market.
Interactivity - Designed Around the User
We can design your display to include the right interactivity options from the start. Whether that means integrating responsive touchscreens, adding wireless control, or enabling connected features, we ensure your zero-power display is built around how your end users will actually engage with it.
Value-Added Services
We offer further enhancements to ensure our displays perform at their very best in real-world environments.
The Future of Display Technology in Sustainable Innovation
With zero-power and low-power display solutions, the future of sustainable product design is already here. By adopting energy-efficient display technologies, companies can reduce their environmental footprint while delivering smarter, more connected products.
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