Solar charger
Encyclopedia
Solar charger employs solar energy to supply electricity to devices or charge batteries. They are generally portable
.
Solar chargers can charge lead acid or Ni-Cd battery bank up to 48 V and hundreds of ampere-hours (up to 400 Ah) capacity. For such type of solar chargers, generally intelligent charge controllers are used. A series of solar cell
array plates are installed separately on roof top and can be connected to battery bank. Such arrangement can also be used in addition to mains supply chargers for energy saving during day times.
Most portable chargers can obtain energy from the sun only. Portable wind turbine
s are also sold. Some, including the Kinesis K3, can work either way. Examples of solar chargers in popular use include:
panels which offer efficiencies up to 19%.
The solar charger industry has been plagued by companies mass-producing low efficiency solar chargers that don't meet the consumer's expectations . This in turn has made it hard for new solar charger companies to gain the trust of consumers. Solar companies are finally starting to offer high-efficiency solar chargers, including a company out of California called SolarJOOS
which won the Consumer Electronics Association
Best of Innovations Award for 2010 for its solar charger, the JOOS Orange.
Some solar chargers also have an on-board battery which is charged by the solar panel when not charging anything else. This allows the user to be able to use the solar energy stored in the battery to charge their electronic devices at night or when indoors.
Solar chargers can also be rollable or flexible and are manufactured using thin film PV technology. Rollable solar chargers can include batteries (generally, Li-ion).
Portable
Portable may refer to:* Portable building, a manufactured structure that is built off site and moved in upon completion of site and utility work...
.
Solar chargers can charge lead acid or Ni-Cd battery bank up to 48 V and hundreds of ampere-hours (up to 400 Ah) capacity. For such type of solar chargers, generally intelligent charge controllers are used. A series of solar cell
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
array plates are installed separately on roof top and can be connected to battery bank. Such arrangement can also be used in addition to mains supply chargers for energy saving during day times.
Most portable chargers can obtain energy from the sun only. Portable wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s are also sold. Some, including the Kinesis K3, can work either way. Examples of solar chargers in popular use include:
- Small portable models designed to charge a range of different mobile phones, cell phones, ipods or other portable audio equipment.
- Fold out models designed to sit on the dashboard of an automobile and plug into the cigar lighter, to keep the battery topped up whilst not in use.
- Torches, often combined with a secondary means of charging, such as a kinetic charging system.
Solar chargers in the market
Portable solar chargers are used to charge cell phones and other small electronic devices on the go. Chargers on the market today use various types of solar panels, ranging from the inefficient thin film panels with 10% efficiency or less, to the much more efficient monocrystallineMonocrystalline silicon
Monocrystalline silicon or single-crystal Si, or mono-Si is the base material of the electronic industry. It consists of silicon in which the crystal lattice of the entire solid is continuous, unbroken to its edges. It can be prepared intrinsic, i.e...
panels which offer efficiencies up to 19%.
The solar charger industry has been plagued by companies mass-producing low efficiency solar chargers that don't meet the consumer's expectations . This in turn has made it hard for new solar charger companies to gain the trust of consumers. Solar companies are finally starting to offer high-efficiency solar chargers, including a company out of California called SolarJOOS
SolarJOOS
SolarJOOS is a solar power company founded in 2008. The company builds an efficient and rugged portable solar charger used to charge cell phones and other portable electronic devices...
which won the Consumer Electronics Association
Consumer Electronics Association
The Consumer Electronics Association is a standards and trade organization for the consumer electronics industry in the United States. The Consumer Electronics Association is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $173 billion U.S...
Best of Innovations Award for 2010 for its solar charger, the JOOS Orange.
Some solar chargers also have an on-board battery which is charged by the solar panel when not charging anything else. This allows the user to be able to use the solar energy stored in the battery to charge their electronic devices at night or when indoors.
Solar chargers can also be rollable or flexible and are manufactured using thin film PV technology. Rollable solar chargers can include batteries (generally, Li-ion).
See also
- Monocrystalline siliconMonocrystalline siliconMonocrystalline silicon or single-crystal Si, or mono-Si is the base material of the electronic industry. It consists of silicon in which the crystal lattice of the entire solid is continuous, unbroken to its edges. It can be prepared intrinsic, i.e...
- Battery chargerBattery chargerA battery charger is a device used to put energy into a secondary cell or rechargeable battery by forcing an electric current through it.The charge current depends upon the technology and capacity of the battery being charged...
- Energy harvestingEnergy harvestingEnergy harvesting is the process by which energy is derived from external sources , captured, and stored for small, wireless autonomous devices, like those used in wearable electronics and wireless sensor networks.Energy harvesters...