Dell shows off Concept Luna, its vision for a more sustainable laptop

The world is in the middle of a climate crisis, and, for better or worse, major companies are the ones with most influence over the sustainability of our planet. Dell is greeting that challenge with the Concept Luna, a laptop prototype designed to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of production.

Glen Robson, Dell’s CTO of client solutions, said in a press release that the concept was the first prototype in Dell’s efforts to accelerate “circular design.” However, that same press release noted that Luna “was created to test what would be possible, not to be manufactured and sold,” so it’s best to take it with a grain of salt. Still, if something like Concept Luna ever makes it to production, it looks promising — at least from a sustainability standpoint.

Concept Luna targets two areas of sustainability: a lower carbon footprint and more reusable parts. By using a smaller motherboard and relocating it to a cooler part of the laptop, Luna minimizes power consumption. And by using materials processed with hydro power, the design also wastes less energy and scrap. 

Perhaps more notably, Concept Luna is designed to be easy to repair and reassemble, minimizing the amount of parts wasted due to broken or outdated pieces. Concept Luna uses just four screws and components designed for easy separation and replacement. 

“This concept, and future iterations and others that follow, are how we will … examine, re-examine and reconsider every step of the product lifestyle, to deliver even more sustainable products in the future,” Robson said.