Crystalline Solar
What is the lifespan of a portable solar charger?
I am looking into buying a portable solar charger for my laptop, but can’t find any information on how long these products are supposed to last. I know thin film panels usually only have warranties for 5-10 years in normal solar panels (versus longer lifespans with the crystalline panels). I don’t know how to translate that information into making a purchase, though.
Does anyone know of a clearinghouse of information on portable solar chargers?
Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Portable chargers are usually pretty useless because they don’t have enough output to do anything. You can count on getting about 2/3 the power they claim to put out. You’ll nedd at least a 20 watt array to get even a slow charge.
As for the lifespan, solar cells tend to degrade from how long they spend in the sun, not how old they are. So, a charger that was only in the sun occasionaly would last for decades.
You also need to have one with a controller. A 12 volt array can get up to 19 volts in an unregulated setup when you’re not drawing current from it, and that could fry a 12 volt computer.
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