Friday,January 30, 2009
12-Volt Portable Solar Panels
One of the most popular types of portable solar panel systems is the 12 volt (12v) system. But just
how much energy does 12v give you? Not enough to heat your house, but enough to run some of your
portable devices, or recharge their rechargeable batteries.
These portable panels operate like large solar panels, but generate less electricity due to their
smaller size. Like their larger cousins, they operate best under direct full sun conditions. Most
of them will work on cloudy and rainy days, but it will take longer to generate the electricity to
charge your device. Most will not operate with indoor lighting, but there are solar panels being
developed that will be able to use indoor light. They're projected to reach the consumer market in
another 4 or 5 years.
Good portable panel systems have built-in regulators, meaning they'll automatically adjust the
amount of energy they produce to the amount that the device requires. So be sure that the portable
panels you buy have this feature, otherwise there's a danger of overcharging (or "frying") the
device that you're trying to recharge.
Most portable solar panels fold into sizes small enough to fit into a large pocket or purse. But
you can't fold the cells themselves. Think of a weight belt. It's foldable and flexible when
compared to a barbell. But it folds because small weights are sewn into a flexible fabric, not
because the weights are foldable. It's the same with the foldable solar panels: they fold because
the solar cells are small enough to be mounted on foldable fabric.
So even though portable solar panels are advertised to be durable and waterproof, you still need to
be careful when handling them. If you fold or crease the solar cell itself, you'll probably break
or disable it. So don't fold the cell, or put the portable panels in the washing machine, or poke
them with sharp objects. Your weight belt will survive that kind of treatment, but your portable
solar panel won't.
One more word of caution: the portable solar panel can't recharge regular batteries. It can only
charge rechargeable batteries. This may be obvious to you, but you'd be surprised how many people
try to recharge regular batteries.
You will need additional connector equipment in order to use the portable panels, so plan for the
additional expense. You'll need connectors that fit with the recharging plugs on your portable
devices. And if you plan to use your portable solar panels to trickle charge your car, boat or
snowmobile battery, you might need a set of battery clips.
"Trickle charging" can keep your vehicle's battery fully charged. Here's how it works: place the
portable solar panel on a surface where it receives the most sun; then plug it into the cigarette
lighter socket, or attach the clips to the vehicle's battery. This can be a great help in really
cold climates where temperatures drop below freezing, and you have to keep your car parked outside
all day.
Portable solar panels are still relatively expensive compared to using grid electricity at home or
in the office. But they make sense if you spend a lot of time camping, hiking or working from your
car. And they're great backup systems for times when the power goes out.
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