It looks like e-book, but the tablet affixed to the bus stop at the corner of Como Avenue and 15th Avenue Southeast gives real-time transit information powered by the sun.

Metro Transit is testing four solar-powered signs at bus stops across Minneapolis, an effort that is cheaper and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

It only needs two hours of sunshine to get batteries charged up and comes at a fraction of the cost of other LCD monitors at other stops, which cost upwards of $20,000 compared to $3,500 to $5,000 per installation of the solar signs, said Jacob Brown, the assistant manager for transit information at Metro Transit. Federal grant money is funding the project.

“Anything we can do to lower energy consumption is great,” Brown said. “A much smaller cost, and provides the same benefit, too. Real-time information for our customers.”