

Yes, but the amount of energy harvested by the panel will be greatly reduced, especially if the glass is tinted or has UV light-blocking properties. While performance varies from model to model, most models can last upward of three years, with some of the more premium designs claiming to last an impressive 25 years. They are also a great choice as they can be folded out to a greater surface area than a rigid model.

#Solarcell battery portable
Anyone with a campsite outhouse or an off-grid shed not connected to mains power can use relatively cheap solar panels to keep a portable power station ticking over too, meaning there should always be free juice in the tank when you need it. Solar chargers are most often seen when camping in remote spots, attending festivals and touring through the wilderness, but they’re also used to keep the batteries of cars, motorhomes and boats from going flat when they’re not being used. Many solar chargers come with battery packs for just this reason. Some solar chargers can be plugged directly into a phone to charge it, but because most panels don’t actually store any energy it’s best to connect solar chargers to a separate battery pack and charge your devices from that. So long as you’ve got enough sunlight, the best solar chargers can indefinitely extend the life of your phone, your headphones, and even your laptop. Chargers that were once too big to carry can now be folded down to fit inside a travel case or hang from the back of your pack while hiking.

That means it’s more essential than ever to carry a back-up solar charger or solar panel when camping, going off-grid, or travelling in the great outdoors with your favourite tech.Īdvances in technology mean today’s solar panels are smaller, lighter and more efficient than ever. Though battery technology keeps improving, our gadgets are becoming more power-hungry, meaning the battery life of the average phone lasts just a single day. While even the best portable solar panels and chargers aren’t powerful enough for heavy-duty jobs such as heating a water tank or running large appliances, they can easily keep phones, tablets and laptops charged up, using nothing but sunshine. With energy prices soaring, more of us are looking for all the free electricity we can get.
