A Comprehensive Guide on Solar Battery Chargers

Do you want to charge up your electronic equipment even when you’re on the move? Well, it’s the 21st century and everything’s possible, so is charging your devices while you’re on the move. All you need are solar battery chargers!

Solar battery chargers are devices that extract energy from the sunlight to produce electricity for charging cell phones, car batteries, laptops, personal fans, and reading lights. 

The best part about these solar battery chargers is that they are portable. So, they can be used anywhere and anytime. 

Sometimes, a series of solar panel charging units are installed at a location. These can be linked to a battery bank for storing energy for off-peak usage. 

If you run out of battery, you can still charge your devices, provided there is sufficient sunlight. 

Another fun fact is that solar chargers come in all sizes. They can fit within a palm or be as big as a picnic table. Needless to say, these are quite convenient for daily use. 

Sounds interesting? Let’s dive into some more details on how solar battery chargers work and what are their advantages.

How does solar charging work?

Several steps are involved in the process of capturing energy from the solar panel for battery charging. Let’s explore them all!

• Sunlight has photons that carry enough energy to push the electrons in silicon out of their orbit. 

• An electric field is created in the silicon by adding impurities. The electric field pushes the electrons toward the front when photons strike the silicon, creating a negatively charged side. 

• When a connection is established between the two sides with the help of an indirect circuit (such as a solar battery charger), there is a flow of electrons into the load, and electricity is generated. 

• The solar battery chargers do not directly charge the lithium-ion battery in your iPad or cell phone. Rather, an internal rechargeable battery is usually used. 

• First, the solar modules are charged, whose charge is then redistributed to your gadget so that there is no requirement for an external electric source.

To summarise, if you want to charge your device with solar energy, you have to connect your equipment with the USB cable from the charger and flip the charger so that the solar panels are facing the sky. 

What Are the Benefits of Solar Battery Chargers? 

Let’s discuss some benefits of using solar battery chargers. 

• They incur no to very little maintenance expense.
• Unlike the non-rechargeable batteries, these come at a cost-effective range.
• The electricity produced is generated from a clean source of energy. 
• Even if there is no electricity, you can still charge the appliances through solar energy.
• The solar battery chargers are so portable that some of them can even slide inside the pockets and you won’t feel a thing.
• If you’re residing in isolated lands, rugged mountains, or any other remote location, you can still access electrical energy using these chargers.  

Limitations of solar battery chargers

Although solar battery chargers have lots of advantages, they have some drawbacks too. 

Firstly, there is no comparison between the power of a solar battery charger and that of a regular battery charger. As these batteries are not that powerful, it takes them a lot more time to get charged.

Secondly, a minimal current is given out by a solar battery charger. So, its use is mainly for maintaining the charge in a battery rather than charging a battery that is completely dead. 

Therefore, you can use these batteries as a supplement rather than completely relying on them.

Are The Solar Battery Chargers Worth Buying? 

If you’re wondering whether or not you should buy solar chargers, here are some factors that might help you in your decision-making.

• Power capacity – The better the power output from the solar panels, the better the battery charger’s performance. So, if a portable solar power unit provides more power (measured in watts), the battery will also deliver more power. 
• Compatibility – If the solar charger is not compatible with the equipment, it won’t be worth buying. Check the connection type and whether it suits the charger beforehand. 
• Weight – For backpackers, every ounce of weight is important. So, if a solar battery charger weighs more than a spare battery, it might not be worth buying. 
• Size – As discussed earlier, solar chargers come in different sizes. You should select the right size for your needs. For backpackers, small size is sufficient. Whereas, for car campers, the bigger, the better. 
• Design – Design is another important factor to consider. Depending on the design of the solar panel for battery charging, the power generation can get affected. 
• Cost – A high-quality solar battery charger will be more expensive than other options. That being said, find the right kind to make a purchase. 

Whether or not a solar charger is a worthy purchase will also depend on the power needs of the devices. Ensure to buy a charger that caters to the energy requirements of the equipment.

What Are Some Premium Solar Battery Chargers by Top Manufacturing Brands? 

Let’s look at a couple of solar chargers by the best manufacturing brands: 

1. Waaree 5000 mAh Waterproof Solar Power Bank – This solar charger has a shock, dust, and water-resistant body. It can charge two gadgets at the same time by solar as well as 5V DC USB. 

2. Panasonic SolarSmart Battery Charger for Mobile Devices – This solar charger has USB connectivity and comes in black and white packaging. It is portable and provides 60 hours of low light, 100 hours of emergency light, and 10 hours of LED light. 

Conclusion

Recently, the prevalence of energy catastrophe is forcing the world to find better alternatives for power generation like solar panel charging. 

People can easily adapt to this renewable energy due to its effectiveness and other benefits.

Similarly, the small solar panel charging energy devices are convenient to be used anywhere where the sun is shining. Besides, it generates power through a renewable and reliable energy source, which makes it safe to use. 

FAQs

Q. Can solar battery chargers be used to charge RV batteries?

Yes, solar battery chargers can be used to charge RV batteries. But first, you must calculate how much battery you used to decide how much you need to replace. 

Q. How to keep the RV battery charged while it is being stored?

If your vehicle is in storage for about a month and your starting battery is going dead, you must analyse how much drain you have and then make an estimation of your drain per day. 

You just need to select a solar panel charging system that produces the right amount of amps. 

Q. Is it safe to leave solar battery chargers on charge?

Yes, it is safe to leave solar battery chargers on charge. Since most commercial chargers have overcharging protection, keeping them on charge for long hours will not damage the device.