One of the most popular types of portable solar panel systems is the 12 volt (12v) system.
How much energy does 12v give you? Not enough to heat up your home, but enough to work some of your portable devices, or recharge their rechargeable batteries.
These portable panels operate like large solar panels, but yield less electricity due to their smaller size. This type of solar panel works best under full sunlight. Most of them will work on cloudy and rainy days, but it will take longer to generate the electricity to charge your device. This type of panel does not work with indoor light, but newer advances in cell technology are making indoor light a possibility to charge a small panel. They’re projected to reach the consumer market in another 4 or 5 years.
Great portable panel systems have built-in regulators, meaning they’ll mechanically correct the amount of energy they make to the amount that the device requires. So be sure that the portable panels you buy have this feature, otherwise there’s a risk of overcharging (or “frying”) the contraption that you’re trying to recharge.
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 likely fracture or disable it. So don’t fold the cell, or put the portable panels in the washing machine, or prod them with knifelike objects. A weight belt can survive a fair amount of abuse, but your portable solar panel will be out of luck.
One more word of caution: the portable solar panel can’t reload regular batteries. It can only charge rechargeable batteries. This may be obvious to you, but you’d be surprised how many folks try to recharge ordinary batteries.
You will need extra 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 completely 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 comparatively 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.