Don’t forget that you’ll need to take charging cables with you in order to charge your phone from the solar panel! Integrated Batteriesįinally, you will want to consider whether or not you get integrated batteries with your charger. Some chargers will have multiple ports, letting you charge multiple devices. You’ll need to check out what kind of ports a charger has, though most come with a standard USB port. The higher wattage you get, the faster your devices will charge, but you’ll also be looking at a higher price tag. If you want to charge more power hungry devices like tablets then you’ll need even more. If you’re looking to charge a smartphone then you’ll need around 5 watts for an Android, but around 7 watts for an iPhone (7 watts will also be compatible with Androids!). You’ll also need to check out the wattage of a charger since different kinds of devices require different wattages to charge properly. Be sure to check the ports on the device you’re looking at to see what kind of amperage they get, and if there are multiple ports you’ll need to check the specs for all of them since often manufacturers put different amperage ports on a device. In general, a smartphone will need at least 1 amp to charge effectively, but the more amps you get the faster your phone will charge (up to around 3 amps or so). You’ll need to think about what you’re going to be charging with your charger since different devices need different amperage. Other than the technology used to make the solar panels themselves, you’ll need to think about a few other things before making your final decision: Output Power What Do I Need to Think About Before Buying? If this is the only option that fits your budget then go for it, but on the whole, the more efficient monocrystalline panels are going to be a better buy, even if they cost a little more. Pros: May be cheaper, relatively flexible and ruggedĬons: Less efficient than monocrystalline panelsīest For: Tough to say. Devices with polycrystalline panels can be slightly cheaper than monocrystalline ones. They also differ in efficiency, being less efficient than monocrystalline panels (around 18%). They differ in colour (polycrystalline panels are usually light blue, whilst monocrystalline panels are usually black). In basic terms, they’re very similar to monocrystalline panels, with the same advantages and disadvantages. Polycrystallineįinally, polycrystalline panels are another option that you can occasionally see on shelves. Pros: Widely available, relatively flexible, rugged, and efficient.īest For: Pretty much everyone, this is the most widely available tech for a reason, simply because it’s the best choice for a solar charger that you want to take outdoors. Most portable chargers you see will use monocrystalline panels. They’re also the most efficient tech, getting around 22% efficiency. They’re also heavier than CIGS panels though, but despite this, they can still be bent and formed into different shapes.
Monocrystalline solar panels are much more rugged than CIGS panels, so they’re much more suited to being outside. They’re also the least efficient of the three technologies, getting only around 16% efficiency.īest for: No one really, CIGS technology doesn’t make for great portable chargers since the panels are just too fragile to be outdoors for long. For this reason, you probably won’t find many options for phone chargers using CIGS tech. These kinds of solar panels are very flexible and light, however, they’re also easily damaged and fragile. The three available options are: CIGSĬIGS stands for copper, indium, gallium, and selenide, the materials used to make the panels. There are three basic kinds of solar chargers that all use different technology.
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