Apple already has a number of solar power inventions to its name, but Thursday’s filing is one of the first to propose a solution that can be made viable in the near term. As noted in the patent, titled “Power management systems for accepting adapter and solar power in electronic devices,” Apple is not looking to invent a completely new solar power solution, as it has done in the past. Instead, the proposed method would take advantage of existing technologies and, more importantly, can be produced with currently available components. As electronics become more powerful with each successive generation, they in turn require more power, which for portables is limited by battery capacities. Apple notes these devices are therefore dependent on availability of mains electricity, or a wall outlet.