DIY solar laptop charger. Enjoy All the Free Energy

Best Portable Solar Chargers of 2023

Electronics are a part of the adventurer’s quiver of tools more than ever before. Thanks to efficiency advances and cost decreases in solar cells, portable solar chargers are finally proving to be a viable means of providing electricity outdoors. A backcountry user might carry a smartphone, GoPros, headlamp, tablet, camera, headphones, and PLB or GPS devices. A family on an extended weekend trip will likely bring multiple smartphones, tablets, speakers, laptops, electric lanterns, and more. Rafters, climbers, bikepackers, and mountain bikers on a weekend mission might haul out even more high-powered lights and GoPros, radios, and other electronic equipment.

By harnessing the energy of the sun, anyone can charge their legion of devices rather than carrying physical batteries or draining the battery in their vehicle or camper. From portable solar chargers that can accommodate multiple devices during a family camping trip, to power banks that hold the biggest charge, to lightweight options for backcountry users that weigh under a pound, we reviewed top models to find the best portable solar chargers for most outdoor uses. Plus, we’ve got tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your portable solar panels, power banks and chargers.

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Portable Solar Chargers Comparison Table

We had three clones to evaluate, all of which performed similarly well, so it was hard to determine which of those to award. However, one did surpass the others, as various sites have mentioned. We also considered different use cases in making our final judgments. As such, some of our winners are in unique categories.

Overall Winner: Big Blue 28W USB Solar Charger

Weight: 1 pound, 5 ounces

Solar Cell Output Capacity: 10 watts

Power Output to Device: USB, 5V up to 2A (28W max)

Foldable: Yes

Integrated battery: No

Ports: 2, 2.4 Amp USB-A Ports

What we liked: simple, lightweight, provides more power than similar models, can charge multiple small devices, includes anmeter

What we didn’t like:

We concur with many review sites and consumer reviews that the 1 pound, 5 ounce Big Blue 28W USB Solar Charger was the best for most outdoor use. It’s a simple, lightweight, and powerful solar power charger that seems to provide a little more power than its competition. It will also provide enough power in direct sunlight to charge multiple small devices for one or two people.

The Big Blue unit we tested also included an ammeter, which displays the amount of electrical current the solar panel is generating, setting it apart from the competition. That allowed us to see that the device was working and how much energy it was producing.

COMPARE OF THE BIG BLUE SOLAR CHARGER

Other than that, we found that it was remarkably, if not eerily, similar to two other top-rated solar chargers we evaluated. All three (the Anker 21 Watt PowerPort Solar charger, the Nekteck 28 Watt solar charger, and the BigBlue 28W USB Solar Charger) use the same basic design with two USB-ports and a light to indicate that they’re getting a charge; the Big Blue’s light indicator is the ammeter.

The solar cells in these foldable units are encased in PET polymer and surrounded by polyester canvas. Each offers moderate IPX4 water resistance — although you don’t really want to use these devices in the rain anyhow. They’re so similar they even use the same solar cells — SunPower’s Maxeon solar cells — which are among the most efficient commercially available solar cells and can convert up to 25 percent of the sun’s energy.

Each of these solar chargers had metal grommets in the casing, which allows you to attach them to a rock, backpack, tent, or camp chair. Each has a pouch where you can store the devices being charged and cords for charging your devices. None had kickstands or means to orient them to the sun properly, so you’ll have to get a little more creative, like propping them up on a rock, attaching them to your tent, or attaching them to your backpack to orient them properly to get the most power out of them in camp.

The Big Blue did better than the competition in tests, producing just under 950 milliamp-hours (mAh) of energy in an hour. In relatively similar conditions, the Anker produced 733 mAh, and the Nekteck produced 834 mAh. Without a dedicated test facility and control environment, it is hard to offer a complete scientific evaluation of the differences between these three since clouds could have obscured the sun for part of the testing periods.

In our experience, the Big Blue (or other similar solar panels) will integrate best into your outdoor lifestyle with the help of an external battery, like the Anker. The solar panel charges the battery, and then the battery provides a steady charge to reliably and safely charge your phone. See our section below on batteries for more details.

The Big Blue offered the highest power output among these three, and its cost is essentially the same as the Nekteck, so The Big Blue edged out the Nekteck as the best solar charger. It’s easy to use, well-priced, and offers enough portable power to charge a backup battery. Best yet, it is rugged enough to last for years.

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Honorable Mentions

Both the Anker portable charger and Nekteck portable charger fell a little short of the Big Blue, our overall winner (see review above). Either offer a great value, but we think the Big Blue has the most to offer for the money.

Anker 21 Watt PowerPort Solar Charger

Weight: 14.7 ounces

Solar Cell Output Capacity: 21W

Power Output to Device: 21W to device via USB

Foldable: Yes

Integrated battery: No

Ports: 2, 2.4 Amp USB-A Ports

The now discontinued Anker 21 Watt PowerPort Solar Charger may no longer be available, but we think it’s worth putting on your radar for a few reasons. First, it’s a near-clone of the Big Blue (see review above), our overall winner, so it’s a good example of the similarities between solar panels on the market. Second, it is still widely available on sites such as ebay for folks interested in buying a used solar panel.

One difference is that it was slightly smaller and lighter (15 ounces) than the Big Blue. The Anker produced a little less power in a given time in similar conditions, as expected. Its charging pouch also had a hook-and-loop closure rather than a zippered closure like the other clones. It didn’t include an ammeter. Ultimately, even when the Anker was available, we found the Big Blue to be a better choice given the amount of power it generated.

Nekteck 28 Watt Solar Charger

Weight: 1.44 pounds

Solar Cell Output Capacity: 28W

Power Output to Device: 28W via USB

Foldable: Yes

Integrated battery: No

Ports: 2, 2.4 Amp USB-A Ports

Without the branding, from the outside, the Nekteck 28 Watt solar charger is essentially indistinguishable from the Big Blue. our overall winner (see review above). The specs are similar. Opened up, and without the ammeter, they look essentially identical, too.

However, in the end, it didn’t perform quite as well as the Big Blue — even though it uses the same solar cells and design. In relatively similar conditions, the Anker produced 733 mAh, and the Nekteck produced 834 mAh. It also has a claimed weight of 1 pound, 7 ounces — two ounces heavier than the Big Blue.

How to Build a Solar Charging Station Anywhere

One of the most amazing innovations in the last five years has not been a new invention as the perfection of existing technology. Solar panels, which were once the territory of only the very rich and very environmentally dedicated, have gotten smaller, more efficient, and more affordable, and you don’t even need to mount them on your roof. Many people still think that solar is in the realm of “Go Big or Go Home,” but we’re here to tell you that times have changed.

Building a Solar Charging Station

While you can start your adventures into solar power generation with a full rooftop-mounted and grid-connected installation, you can actually learn about solar and build yourself a disaster-ready power generation and charging station for less than 500 and a little elbow grease. With this simple and easy to connect contraption, you’ll be able to generate enough power to slowly charge an electric vehicle or keep several mobile devices powered for as long as the equipment lasts.

Building a solar charging station is surprisingly simple because the components are now very efficient. All you need is power generation, power conversion, power storage, and the cables in between. All the parts can be bought on Amazon from various manufacturers, so compare and amperage until you find the right combination for your budget and power generation needs.

• Portable Solar Panels
• You don’t need a professional to affix some weather-resistant solar panels to a sunny spot and draw power. You don’t even need a stable location. Portable solar panels can be mounted, unmounted, and moved at any time, wherever you happen to need solar power.
• Solar Cables – One Red, One Black
• These will connect the solar panels (which have matching leads) to the solar controller and inverter, which will regulate the energy from the solar panels and make them useful.
• Solar Controller
• The solar controller device is part of what makes solar power so much more accessible than it used to be. It’s essentially a specialized charge controller with a useful info display screen.
• Inverter
• The inverter is what turns the DC solar energy into AC device and appliance energy. They usually have at least one power socket and often have USB ports as well. Some inverters come with their own batteries.
• Batteries
• A deep supply of battery storage ensures that you don’t waste solar power and have plenty to last you through the night and on rainy days.
• Battery Cables – One Red, One Black Per Battery
• These will connect the batteries and the solar controller, allowing the controller to balance voltage between, serve power out of them, and prevent them from over-draining.

You can build your solar charging station on anything you want. For an electric car charge stop, you can put the panels on top of a carport and stow the rest of the equipment safely in a cabinet within. You can add them to a camp cabin or tent to power basic equipment like a camp stove or radio. With flexible panels, you can even stick them securely but temporarily to the top of your car, truck, or RV with 3-5lbs Command strips for convenient mobile device charging on road trips. The Command strips don’t damage the paint when removed, so you can experiment freely without having to make even semi-permanent alterations. Choose what you’ll mount the solar panels on and how you’ll protect the electrical equipment before getting started.

Step 1: Mount the Solar Panels

For a semi-permanent structural mount like on a shed or carport, use a metal frame and bolts to attach the solar panels to the roof of your structure. Make sure to use the right brackets and screws based on the type of roof you’re working with. Tents should rely on either foldable solar panels or those with holes so they can be tied to the top or sides. A car either permanently mounts them with a frame or temporarily mounts them with safe sticky strips.

Step 2: Emplace the Batteries

The batteries need to be in a safe, dry, moderately temperature-controlled, and stable position. Anywhere indoors is usually fine, but they need to be carefully secured in a vehicle and probably carried in a sealed box for camping.

Step 3: Place the Solar Controller

You’ll want the solar controller somewhere safe but easy to read, as it will tell you how much energy is being generated, how much is being drained, and approximately how full your collection of batteries is. Make sure it’s accessible before wiring and arrange your connections around where the solar controller needs to be.

Step 4: Connect Everything

Connect your solar panels and the solar controller with the solar power cables using parallel or serial wiring based on your amperage and voltage needs, then do the same for the batteries. If you need a converter from the batteries to the power ports you plan to use, connect this to the solar controller and its own cables.

Phase 3: Build the System

I designed this project to require a minimum number of parts and very few wiring connections. I selected a standard Group 31 RV/Marine battery which is designed for multiple deep charge/discharge cycles while still being reasonably priced. I also found an inexpensive plastic battery box, 10 amp in-line DC fuse, and female cigarette lighter receptacle (Here’s one with battery terminal attachments and fuse built in). I decided to use this type of power receptacle for this project since so many portable tools and electronic devices have charging adapters that fit this type of 12-volt DC receptacle. As shown in the photo, I mounted the cigarette lighter receptacle in the box cover and wired it through the fuse to the battery using #10 standard copper wire and crimp on ring terminals. The center post of the cigarette lighter receptacle is always connected the battery positive and the outer shell is always connected to the battery negative (-).

The Solar-Tech 85-watt solar module I selected for this project includes a full-size conduit box mounted on the back. (Note, we had trouble finding a model with attached conduit box, so you may have to improvise when attaching the charge controller. One option is to mount it inside the battery box, and purchase a cable that ends with male and female MC4 connectors (typical of most solar panels). Wire the bare end of the cable directly to the charge controller, and you can use a short, 2-conductor cable with ring terminal ends for quick connect and disconnect to the battery terminals using wing nuts. This also allows for quick disconnect near the panel.—Editor)

Also make sure the solar module is advertised for a nominal 12 volt charging voltage (17 volts peak), as manufacturers are increasing the physical size and wattage of their modules so fewer modules and wiring connections are needed for the same array total wattage. However, this increased module size also requires increasing the nominal voltage to 24 volts (35 volts peak) to keep current and wire size as small as possible, and this is too high for directly charging a 12-volt battery. While solar charge controllers are available to allow a mismatch between the solar array voltage and battery voltage so you could use a higher voltage solar module, these solar controllers tend to have a much higher cost and are too large to use in this very basic portable solar charging system.

I purchased a Morningstar SunKeeper-12 charge controller, which is designed to mount into the standard ½-inch knockout opening in the solar module’s conduit box and is suitable for mounting out in the weather. You can locate the solar charge controller on the conduit box attached to the back of the solar module, if you can find one with a conduit, (or follow the MC4 instructions detailed above).

Phase 4: Estimate Your Power Needs

Each tool charging cycle consumes an average of 7 amp-hours of battery capacity (7 amp charge rate for 1 hour). The Group 31 RV/Marine battery used for this project has 100 to 115 amp-hours of charge capacity, depending on price and brand. To avoid discharging this battery below 50% (which will help increase battery life), we will have approximately 50 amp-hours of useful charge capacity. This equals seven battery tool recharges (50 amp-hour/7 amp-hour) before the RV/Marine battery will need to be recharged. Of course, the actual number of tool recharges will depend on ambient temperature, battery age, and depth-of-discharge of the tool battery.

We estimated this Group 31 solar battery will require 50 amp-hours of solar charging to replace what the battery tool charging took away. Assuming we have an average of five hours of full sun per day, this will require a solar module capable of providing 5 amps of output to fully recharge this size battery in two days. (50 amp-hours/5 amps = 10 hours).

A typical 85-watt solar module designed to charge 12-volt batteries will typically have a peak output of 5.1 amps, so I selected an 85-watt module. This smaller wattage module is also fairly easy for one person to carry, while still large enough to provide a reasonable amount of solar power. Your solar module can be larger or smaller than my 85-watt module selection, which will reduce or increase the number of days it takes to fully recharge the RV/Marine battery.

I have also omitted solar and charging efficiency considerations to simplify our example calculation. I have also assumed a clear blue sky all day, no module shading, and proper module solar orientation. When these factors are taken into consideration, you will most likely only convert approximately 70% of any solar module’s nameplate output rating into useful battery charging. Do not be surprised if it actually takes a little longer to fully recharge the battery you select.

Phase 5: Put it to Work

It feels really rewarding to build something off-grid in a remote area with the convenience of labor-saving power tools without having to deal with a noisy generator. It’s also nice to have a portable solar-charging system instead of having to keep your truck running while using a DC to AC inverter to power your tools and tool chargers. When not needed to recharge power tools at a job site, this portable solar-charging system can be used for camping or during emergency power outages. This solar module with built-in solar charge controller can even be used to recharge your RV camper batteries when dry camping.

While most major manufacturers of battery-powered hand tools offer an “in-vehicle” charger, these are not easy to find in your local retail store. If you cannot find them locally, there are several Internet sites that sell in-vehicle chargers. Order the charger that matches your brand of battery-powered tools, and be sure the charger matches the voltage and chemistry of your battery packs.

DeWALT #DC9319 7.2-volt to 18-volt vehicle charger:

Makita #DC18SE 18-volt/Lithium-ion vehicle charger:

Bosch #BC006 7.2-volt to 24-volt vehicle charger:

Milwaukee #M12 12-volt Lithium-ion wall and vehicle charger:Milwaukee #M18 18-volt Lithium-ion wall and vehicle charger: This is one of the few that is also an A/C charger, so it’s double-your-value.

Ryobi One 18-volt dual chemistry in-vehicle charger:

About the Author: Jeff Yago is a licensed professional engineer and certified energy manager with more than 30 years of experience in the energy conservation field. He has extensive solar and emergency preparedness experience, and has authored numerous articles and texts.

Solar Powered Laptop: Can Solar Generator Run A Laptop

A solar-powered laptop is an innovative technology that makes its power independent of AC outlets. Powerful batteries are attached to the laptop and connected to solar panels. These solar panels receive sunshine and convert their energy into electricity. When this solar-powered laptop is equipped with a satellite link GPS or any other wireless internet access, it becomes a fully independent workstation you can take anywhere without any network or power issues.

Solar-powered laptops may work in different mechanisms with solar panels attached to the computer or detachable solar batteries that can be charged with solar panels. So, you need to choose the best option according to your requirements.

What is A Solar Powered Laptop

Like any other solar-powered device, a laptop comprises solar panels, an inverter, and batteries. Solar panels are the most critical component of a solar computer because they receive sunlight and convert it into electricity.

A futuristic solar-powered laptop design uses photovoltaic cells embedded on the top of the notebook. These cells obtain energy from the sunlight and use it to power the laptop battery. However, it is important to consider the charging hours of the battery and whether it offers pass-through charging. Pass-through charging means the battery is charged, and the computer uses the energy simultaneously. We also need a cooling mechanism for the laptop because placing it in direct sunlight may adversely affect the hardware.

Solar Powered Laptop VS. Solar Generator for Laptop

Solar Powered Laptop

No dependence on AC power outlets.

Use a laptop for a longer time without charging.

High temperatures may damage hardware and battery.

Using a laptop in direct sunlight is essential for solar-powered laptops, which is challenging.

Solar Generator for Laptop

You can power your laptop with solar energy.

Low maintenance and noise free.

Multiple ports for using many devices simultaneously.

High temperature can be an issue. However, Jackery has overcome this issue with ventilation for the main equipment and temperature sensors.

Solar-Powered Laptop

Solar-powered laptops are the latest technology that allows laptops to run directly with power harnessed from sunlight. ‘s power. The perspective behind this technology is to make an eco-friendly workstation that does not require plugging in and can be taken on the go. Though there have been many attempts, a lot remains to be desired in this regard.

Pros

• You do not have to rely on electrical outlets and you do not even need an expensive adapter to charge your laptop using the car plugins.
• It allows you to use your laptop for long stretches while using solar power while your laptop battery is also charging.

Cons

• Using a laptop in direct sunlight might be difficult because of the high temperature, and the screen is not clear and readable enough in bright sun.
• High temperatures can also harm your hardware. Lithium batteries are especially at risk.
• The weight of a laptop with solar panels can make it difficult to carry.

Solar Generator for Laptop

Solar-powered laptops have yet to prove very successful for the abovementioned reasons. The best alternative to these laptops is the solar generator, a broad-scope solution. You can use solar generators to power all your devices, including large appliances, refrigerator, TVs, air conditioners, etc.

A solar generator comprises portable solar panels, batteries, a charger, and an inverter. The solar panels receive the sunlight and convert it into electric power, which is saved in the batteries. So, you can use the power harnessed from the sun even when the sun is out. These generators are popular for camping, boating RVs, vans, and off-grid solutions.

Pros

• Solar generators are eco-friendly, noise-free, and very easy to use.
• No fossil fuel use.
• It is very economical as it does not need any fuel.
• Low maintenance because there are no moving parts.
• Solar power maximizes battery life as you can prevent repetitive deep discharges, which shorten the lifespan of lead-acid batteries.

Cons

• Very hot temperatures can expedite the degradation of batteries; however, the new technology used in quality brands like Jackery has made it possible to overcome this problem. Jackery uses better materials, cooling systems, and insulation to keep the batteries in good condition even after years of use.

How Many Watts Does A Laptop Use

Laptops use a varied amount of watts depending on the mode of function. When the laptop is in active working mode, it uses more watts, while sleep mode uses less. If we take the average wattage of a laptop, then it comes out to be approximately 65W.

On average, a typical laptop is used for 14.3 hours in Off mode, 0.3 hours in sleep mode, and 9.4 hours in Idle and high-performance modes. Then, we can summarize the usage below.

Watt hours used per day

Watts hours used per month

Watts hours used per year