Solar Powered Battery Chargers

For many people their very first experience with the benefits of solar energy may be in the form of a small photovoltaic battery charger for their cell phone or iPod.  Thanks to the improved efficiency of solar cells and the development of flexible thin-film solar panels, solar energy is something almost anyone can use to keep their portable electronics charged when they are on the run.  Solar battery chargers not only reduce your energy costs (you can spend a lot of money charging up all of those devices) but they allow users tremendous freedom in where they can use their portable electronics.  Portable solar battery chargers have been a major boon to outdoor photographers and outdoorsman. No longer do they need to pack in lots of spare batteries when shooting outdoors.  They just keep their batteries recharged using lightweight portal solar chargers.  Solar chargers have also proven to be of tremendous value to people in underdeveloped areas where no electric plugs are available. In places like India and Africa many small villages which have no power can still make use of cell phones and computers thanks to these small solar chargers.

Types of Solar Battery Chargers

There are many different types of solar power battery chargers available and most are targeted at specific types of batteries or devices. The most common types of solar power battery chargers are as follows:

• Automotive Solar Trickle Chargers: -  There are a number of solar chargers that are specifically designed for vehicles.  They come with a small solar panel hooked directly to a car cigarette lighter plug so they can charge your battery without ever having to open the hood.  In talking to people who have used these small trickle chargers we have found that they are particularly useful in those situations where your car battery is being slowly drained by a short or always-on features like a clock. The solar charger acts like a trickle charger which compensates for those constant losses by replenishing your battery at a maximum rate of 125mAmps per hour in full sunlight. Most of the chargers of this type do not have a big enough solar panel to completely charge a 12 volt car battery but they can keep you from slowly depleting your car battery. All of these types of devices are equipped with a built-in diode so that at night they won't in turn reverse the current and drain your battery.  Also, because they usually put out a small charge there is very little risk they can overcharge your battery. Most of the chargers of this type design the solar panels so they can conveniently sit on your dashboard.  This allows you to charge your battery while keeping your car locked.



• Clamshell Solar Chargers: - One of the more common types of chargers on the market are what might be called clamshell chargers. With these type of chargers the solar panel is put into a folding case which protects the solar cells and makes the charger easy to carry. These types of chargers come in a variety of sizes and voltages depending upon the application.  Most will come with a multiple plugs and adaptors so they can be used with many different portable electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, CD players and DVD players.  Some are designed to plug directly into the electronic device to charge its batteries.  Some others provide the option to charge batteries separately so you can swap them out.



• Folding Solar Chargers: - One of the real breakthroughs in the field of solar energy in the last few years has been the development of flexible thin-film solar cells.  These cells are now widely used in portable chargers.  They have a number of advantages.  They can be unfolded to allow a much greater surface area to be exposed to the sun while still being something that you can roll up for portability. They are less easily damaged than some types of solar chargers and they are very lightweight.  Most weigh less than a pound but can put out plenty of power when given good exposure to the sun. Many come with built in grommets or hooks so they can simply be hung up on the side of a wall or vehicle.  As with the clamshell chargers, most come with a variety of plugs and adapters so they can be used with many different portable electronic devices. 



• Solar Bags and Backpacks: - The new flexible thin-film solar cells are also being employed in to a wide variety of bags and backpacks.  This includes things like camera bags, bike bags, briefcases, tackle bags, backpacks and even soft-sided water coolers.  In most cases the bags are specifically designed to charge the very device that they are carrying. Sometimes they charge the devices directly and in others they are usually charging double-A or triple-A batteries in a built in charging pouch. Our goal is to enhance your personal electronics battery life by providing a convenient source of solar energy especially when no other traditional power source is available. Using a solar backpack or any solar charger can extend the use of your personal electronics and contribute to the protection of the environment. Bring renewable energy into your daily life with an eco-friendly Eclipse Solar Gear solar bag!

Tips on Selecting Solar Chargers

Solar battery chargers can be a real boon to the outdoorsman and to anyone who spends a lot of time on the road.  However, there are some things you should consider carefully when getting solar chargers:

• Plug Compatibility - Standardization has been something less than successful when it comes to portable electronics.  There are a lot of different kinds of power plugs for cell phones and portable electronic devices.  If you are just going to use the solar charger separately to charge batteries and then swap them then this is no big deal but if you plan to connect your device directly to the charger make sure you have a connector that fits.
• Charge Time - Most solar chargers have only one or two solar cells and so put out a relatively small amount of power in a short period of time. It is going to take some time in the sun to charge your device. The more solar cells the charger has the more watts of power it can generate and the faster it can charge your devices. When comparing chargers look for the charger with the most output in watts for its physical dimensions and price.
• Durability - If you are getting a clamshell type charger make sure that the charger has a good, durable case to protect the solar cells.  If you are getting a solar backpack or camera case durability is also an issue for your equipment you are carrying if not for the solar cells. 
• Dimensions - Pay attention to the dimensions of the solar panel that comes with the charger. A bigger panel usually (though not always) means more solar cells which is a good thing.
• Heat Tolerance - Solar chargers that are used with automobiles are often used with the solar panels inside the car.  If you are planning to do this make sure that the panel and its casing have good heat tolerance because the insides of cars can get incredibly hot.

So that's the basics.  Check out the chargers that are on the market and let us know what you liked or didn't like about them so we can keep our reviews up to date. Thanks!