Product designers are rethinking not just what technology does, but how it impacts the environment. Displays are among the biggest power consumers in modern electronics - whether on handheld devices, digital posters, or connected sensors.
Emerging low-power and zero-power display technologies are reshaping that landscape.
Capable of running for months or even years on a single battery - and in some cases powered entirely by solar energy - these displays are enabling intelligent, connected systems that consume only a fraction of the energy of traditional screens.
Until recently, energy-saving efforts focused mainly on processors and communication modules, while displays remained unavoidable power drains. That perception is changing.
Reflective and bistable displays are gaining traction. Designed to consume little or no power when idle, they retain content without constant refresh and remain clearly visible in bright daylight - all without a backlight. The result is a dramatic reduction in energy demand, opening the door to more sustainable, efficient applications.
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.
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.
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 outdoor applications such as digital posters and transport displays which need 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 - Kaleido | 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
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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