Dell Concept Luna: The sustainable laptop designed to 'recreate'

Dell Concept Luna
(Image credit: Dell)

Dell revealed its new Concept Luna, a proof-of-concept laptop that aims to reduce its impact on the environment with a focus on repairability, sustainability, and the goal to reduce its carbon footprint by an estimated 50%. "Use, reuse multiple times and then recycle" is this laptop's motto.

Designed to push the boundaries of what sustainable technology can be, Concept Luna makes repairing easy to prolong its lifecycle — simplifying disassembly. Instead of using hundreds of screws to fit different components, Dell has reduced the number of screws needed to access internal components to four. In fact, the company claims this reduces the time for reapair by around 1.5 hours. 

Everything from the keyboard to the display can be taken out without the need for tools, but this isn't the only major change the laptop introduces. It's fitted with a smaller, advanced deep-cycle cell battery with a long charge that can be maintained across many years and a motherboard with a 75% total area reduction that's estimated to reduce the laptop's carbon footprint by 50%. 

What's more, these smaller components let Dell change the layout under the hood, allowing for better passive heat distribution that "could totally eliminate the need for a fan." Dell also points out that adhesives aren't needed thanks to a new bio-based printed circuit board (PCB) with a flax fiber in the base and a water-soluble polymer that acts as glue. The latter can be dissolved, which makes separating components when repairing a lot easier.

"This concept, and future iterations and others that follow, are how we will build on the existing circular economy leadership you see across our product portfolio today to examine, re-examine and reconsider every step of the product lifecycle," Dell states.

A number of laptop manufacturers are making the shift towards an eco-friendly future, with the Acer Aspire Vero and Framework Laptop already offering flexibility, repairability, and upgradable performance. Dell's Concept Luna is still in its early stages for the consumer market, but it will already be up against fierce competition in the sustainable laptop department. While we wait for the new concept device, check out the best laptops on the market right now. 

Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.