Running out of battery with your mobile while you're on the street or on your laptop while you're working outside is one of the situations that despair and nobody wants. You've probably heard of it, or you'll be using external batteries to give it that power boost that electronics so badly need. These external batteries must be pre-charged and do not fully recharge. That's why today we're bringing a revolutionary invention. It is a solar charger.
Because very few people know the efficiency of these chargers and there is very little availability in stores. We are going to analyze in-depth the solar charger to make you see the advantages it has over other devices. Do you want to know everything about the solar charger? Read on and you'll find
General
Not taking into account the advanced technology of this type of charger is an error. Its use, although limited to areas where there is plenty of suns, may be essential in camping overnight, for example, during holidays and in other regions where there is high-density forestry and fewer power sources.
A solar charger is nothing more than an electrical appliance that plays a fairly important role in the charging of any electrical appliance. It is essential to supply energy when there is no electricity or when solar panels do not work.
Users' doubts about this type of technology include:
- What is a solar charger?
- How does it work?
- Advantages of its use
- Disadvantages
- How to choose one
Therefore, we will work one by one all the doubts to clear them.
What is a solar charger?
The chargers are accessories completely different from what we are used to with external batteries. Although they may seem to belong to the same category of products, since their function is similar, it is not. Solar chargers consist of a series of solar panels connected to each other by a fabric and plastic structure. This device does not accumulate energy and they need to be connected to a smartphone or an energy bank in order to work properly.
In contrast, external batteries have a single solar panel, which is integrated as an additional energy source. These solar chargers are ideally designed for people who want to use the sun as the main source of recharge. Although an accumulator is missing, the solar charger has many panels that can cover a much larger surface area and therefore convert more sunlight into electricity.
How does it work?
The solar charger is equipped with several photovoltaic sensors. Its main function is to transform light into electricity. These chargers are shaped like slate and are composed of photovoltaic cells. They are made of a semiconductor material (mostly silicon). This material achieves optimum input and efficiency compared to other semiconductor materials.
Once the light particles from the sun come into contact with the silicon, the energy is transmitted. Silicon releases electrons and all that is left is to channel them into electricity. The amount of energy generated is proportional to the amount of light received. The energy supplied by the solar charger can be used immediately or stored in a battery.
Advantages of the solar charger
This type of electronic device has many advantages. The first is that it is completely environmentally friendly since it uses renewable energy in its use. There are portable solar chargers and can be placed wherever you want. The only condition that these chargers have is that there must be light from the Sun.
Depending on the model of the charger, energy can be stored for long periods of time. Some of them are able to store energy for a month and others up to a year.
In addition, the use of a solar charger eliminates the need for additional costs. All you have to do is buy one and get free solar electricity.
Main Disadvantages
Although it can be seen as a whole revolutionary device, it also has some disadvantages as in all products. Charging is slower than a conventional charger. It usually takes up to twice as long. It should also be borne in mind that to have a full charge, sunlight conditions must always be optimal. Otherwise, they will never be full.
On the other hand, although it is capable of charging a laptop, it is not really suitable for that. It can be used as a temporary resource. The main drawback, like all other solar-powered devices, is that in winter and periods of high rainfall, this technology becomes unusable.
The location and meteorology become two conditioning factors in the performance of solar chargers.
How to choose your solar charger
Today there is a wide range of these chargers. Therefore, the choice must be determined by the expectations you expect to achieve. When you choose one of these chargers is because you want to have an increase in your level of autonomy. This way, you won't have to worry excessively about your mobile battery, since you can charge it.
Therefore, if the solar charger is only used to charge a phone with a model 5Wes more than enough. The criteria to take into account are the power of the solar panel of the charger and the capacity of its battery. If the power is expressed in watts hour or watt and the second in milliampere-hours. There are other models with faster charge.
It is important to check if the voltage supplied by the charger is good for the appliance supplied. The voltage must be greater than or equal to that of the device we want to charge. If the voltage of the devices is higher than that of the charger, it is important to choose a solar charger with a higher battery voltage. In other words, it is important to check the compatibility between the charger and the devices to be charged before buying one.
I hope that with this information you will be able to decide well if you choose a solar charger for your trips.