Portable Solar Power System

A portable solar power system means that wherever you go in the world (except into caves) you can power your equipment and devices.

A portable solar system to some people means something that fits into a suit case and to others it is something that fits into a pocket. This page looks at both types of system in an effort to educate and guide you to making the right decision.

What is a portable solar power system?

As the name suggests, it is a solar power system which is portable meaning that rather than being attached to your roof it can be folded away, packed up and taken with you anywhere.

A solar system like this is generally made up of several key components which all work together to create endless clean power. The first are the solar panels themselves which vary in size and density depending on what they need to power. A battery is usually always needed, wiring is important to connect everything together and a charge controller which is there to stop the battery from over charging. This all packs away neatly into a bag or suitcase sized container.

Smaller systems for charging phone batteries and small devices come without a battery and very small panels which can easily fit into your pocket or handbag.

Uses of Portable solar power

The uses and advantages of portable solar power systems are really endless. The essence of any such system is to provide power when there is nowhere to plug anything in. This means that these systems are great for camping trips, miltary operartions and so on. Here is a list of common uses of portable solar power.

Medical missions

Search and rescue operations

Military operations

Camping

Communication

Safaris and travel to remote places

Scientific research

Mountaineering

Charging your phone

And the list goes on, I'm sure you can find your own uses for a portable solar power system.

How much power can it produce

Of course this question is not so straight forward as solar power systems vary in power output depending on how much sunlight there is, how efficient the panels are and of course their size. In STC (standard testing conditions) most solar power systems operate at an efficiency of about14% which means they turn 14% of the suns energy into power.

So in STC, a 144 watt solar system will produce about 120 watts of power which is enough energy to charge a standard battery in about 4 hours. Of course it will continue to charge the battery as the power in the battery is drained. This much power is enough to power a laptop or other medium sized electronis like camera, ipads/pods, radios and communication devices for about 3 hours. A system like this costs approximately $600 and may wiegh about 12lb or 5Kg.

Of course this is just one example and different systems come with different batteries and different wattages so power outputs do vary.

Choosing a system

As I previously mentioned before, choosing a portable solar power system can be a bit of a minefield but do not fear! We are here to guide you in your decision. Please feel free to contact me asking about portable system. Include, what you want to use it, what devices you intend to power, what climate you will be using it in and how long each day you will need power pus the time of day you will be using it.

If you already know what size and type of system you want then feel free to scroll down and have a look at the systems recommended by me.