How to Choose the Best Solar Panel Charger?

Portable Solar panels and chargers are a great solution to this problem but with so many different chargers on the market it can be a headache working out which is best for your needs and getting through all the jargon can be a challenge.

The modern outdoor enthusiast is a very different beast from the climbers, backpackers, kayakers, hunters, and anglers (etc.) of half a century ago. Even 10 years is plenty to have completely revolutionized the way we think about technology in the backcountry.

Amps, Watts, Voltage…. What does it all mean?

The technical jargon associated with solar devices can be confusing to say the least but once you understand the basics you’ll easily discover the product you’re looking for.

The three basic units of electricity are voltage (V), measured in volts, current (I), represented by a capital i is measured in amps and resistance (r), which is measured in ohms.

A simple analogy that’s often used when talking about electrical outputs is to imaging a plumbing system.

The voltage is the water pressure and the current is the flow rate or speed at which the voltage flows, then you have resistance, which represents the pipe size.

Amps
When considering a device for your needs be sure to check the output amps and match them to the device you want. If you need to charge a modern Smartphone then you will want a device that can output 2.1 amps. While a panel with a 1.3 amp output port may still charge a modern smart phone it would take significantly longer and in some cases it may not charge them at all.

Wattage

A 4 or 5 watt panel works great for small handheld devices, such as a simpler cell phone or mp3 player. However, many smart phones like the iPhone (especially the latest models) are extremely power hungry--nearly as much as an iPad or tablet. In general, you need at least a 7 watt panel to be sure you can charge most smart phones.

Another consideration to take into account is how many hours of sunny daylight you are expecting. If you live in Scotland or northern western Canada where you can expect it to be cloudy or overcast for a large portion of the day then you may want a larger more powerful panel to take advantage of the sun when it does. Alternatively if you live in Arizona or southern Europe where bright sunlight for several hours everyday is the norm then a smaller panel that can be left out for longer and that’s lighter to carry could be ideal.

Price Per Watt of a Solar Panel

The easiest way to determine value in a solar panel is the price per watt. Take the price of the panel and divide by the number of watts. For example, if your panel costs $70 and is 7 watts, that is $10 per watt. $10-15 per watt is a good value. Anything more than $20 a watt is too expensive unless the panel is also coming with valuable accessories, batteries, or inverters.