Portable solar generators are a great solution if you’re considering a good power source for your outdoor activities. Many people plan to hike or camp but worry about running out of battery for their cell phone, electric car, laptop, or tool. They don’t know how to stay motivated when they’re out and about away from home.
Portable solar generators are a combination of portable power stations and solar panels. They can charge your devices and help keep you powered when you’re not connected to the grid. How can we use solar energy to enjoy the outdoors?
How do portable solar panels work?
Portable solar panels consist of photovoltaic cells that capture solar energy and convert it into electricity. These easily removable solar panels are connected together to form a panel that is connected to batteries to store the energy produced by the sun. You can then use the generated electricity to power electronic devices like laptops or mobile phones, just as you would with a battery alone.
You can use portable solar panels for camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities because they are relatively portable, lightweight, and easy to use. They come with an additional inverter so you don’t need any extra equipment – just plug your device into the inverter and it will charge as usual.
Outdoor Uses of Portable Solar Generators
Because of their portability, these solar panels are often used by hikers, campers, travelers, or anyone who needs a power supply when they don’t have access to the grid. However, since they come in a variety of sizes, there are many other uses!
- Camping
Hiking and camping are the most common outdoor uses for portable solar generators. You can put the panel on the roof. Compared to noisy and smelly gas or fuel generators, batteries charged by solar panels are quiet, clean and odorless. You can also place larger portable solar panels on your RV, tent or camper to keep your tent or vehicle in the shade.
If you’re going on a long hike in remote areas and want to charge your phone for a rainy day or use GPS, a small solar panel that fits in your backpack can help you stay connected. Larger panels can weigh 25 pounds or more. With a convenient power station, it is very suitable for camping trips.
- Rowing
By placing solar panels on the deck of the boat or other flat surfaces, you can use the energy stored in the batteries to power the electric motors. The panel can even be used as a canopy to protect you from the sun when you’re at sea.
When connected to solar cells, solar panels allow you to sail without the need for wind or the smell and noise of a gas engine. And as long as the sun continues to shine, you can sail uninterrupted without worrying about refueling.
- Outdoor media production
Portable solar generators are an excellent choice for outdoor media production. From remote broadcasts and live broadcasts to live coverage, it can be easily brought from one place to another without sacrificing energy.
You can use solar energy to keep your camera running all the time. This means you don’t need to worry about whether it will record when you need it. This is especially important if you are a wildlife photographer.
- Outdoor cooking
Did you know you can even cook with a portable solar generator? If you enjoy cooking outdoors and are interested in adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle or living off the grid, an electric stove or oven with a portable solar generator could be the perfect addition to your outdoor kitchen.
This green cooking option lets you make rice, bake potatoes, melt butter, toast bread, and pretty much everything else you would do in a normal kitchen without using gas or the grid.
Compared to grills that typically use fuels that pollute the environment and damage your family’s breathing, electric ovens powered by solar panels allow you to cook outdoors using only sunlight.
Obviously, that doesn’t mean you need to give up grilling meat or fresh corn on the cob when grilling. However, it will give you another outdoor cooking option for preparing a side dish or toasting bread to accompany your grilled food.
- Food Trucks
Food truck owners have a hard time finding reliable and affordable power. For example, if you’re selling ice cream at a music festival or hot dogs at a baseball game, you’ll need electricity to keep your food fresh and keep the cash registers running seamlessly. Portable solar panels offer these suppliers a perfect way to stay connected with customers while reducing electricity costs.
How to get the most out of solar panels in a portable solar generator in an outdoor setting
Here are some ways to get the most out of portable solar panels in outdoor situations.
- Place the panel in direct sunlight
Make sure trees or buildings don’t block sunlight. If you keep the portable panel shared, it will reduce the amount of energy the machine can produce.
Many people do this without getting the most out of portable solar panels.
- Clean your panels regularly
One of the easiest ways to get the most out of your portable solar panels is to make sure they’re clean. Dirt and dust can reduce the amount of light a panel can absorb. So your panel needs to work harder to generate the same amount of energy. Debris on solar panels can even prevent some panels from receiving direct sunlight. So if they were clean, they wouldn’t be able to generate as much electricity.
Outdoor activities like hiking or camping inevitably get the solar panels dirty. The best way to remove dirt is to use soap and water. You can remove dirt and grime from your solar panels with a mild cleaner. Remember that you should avoid harsh cleaners or chemicals on your solar panels as they reduce absorption efficiency.
It is also important to avoid using high-pressure hoses to clean the panels. The proper way to clean the panels is to use a soft brush or rag and a bucket of water. This will prevent damage to the solar panel cells.
- Use a reflector
Use reflectors to increase efficiency to get the most out of your portable solar panels. A reflector is basically a sheet of metal that reflects the sun’s rays on a solar panel, maximizing exposure to sunlight and producing more electricity.
The reflector can even be made of simple materials, such as aluminum plates or foils. You can even use mirrors instead of aluminum sheets. They work in the same way as reflectors made from aluminum sheets or foil but are more expensive than those materials. If you’re using larger reflectors, such as those designed for an RV or caravan, then you can mount them on a tripod so they don’t move around in windy conditions.
- Use the correct cable
If you have portable solar panels, you need to make sure they are connected to the correct connectors and cables. You can’t simply connect any connectors or cables to the panel – it won’t work. What you can do, however, is to use the right cable for your system.
For example, if you have a 12-volt battery and want to charge it with a solar panel, you’ll need a 12-volt cable. If you don’t have the right cable, it won’t charge your battery as efficiently as possible.
Things to Consider When Investing in Portable Solar Generators for Off-Grid Solar
Here are a few things you need to keep in mind when buying a portable solar generator for camping or other outdoor uses.
- Efficiency
If weight or space is an issue, you need to compare the efficiency of different portable solar panels and the power of portable power stations. The efficiency of a solar panel indicates its ability to convert sunlight into electricity. Solar panels with efficiencies higher than 20% are excellent products. A more efficient panel requires less space to generate the same amount of power as a larger, less efficient panel. The power of the portable power station represents the ability to store power. - Understand your requirements
Know what you need and don’t buy more. You can use the Basic Energy Calculator to determine how much energy you need. This calculator will tell you how many watts various appliances consume. You can also check the voltage requirements of any gadget. For example, most laptops require 19 volts of continuous power. - Consider watts and watt-hours
A watt is a unit of power. It represents the amount of energy that a device or device will generate or use at a single point in time. You will need a portable solar generator that produces 600 watts to power two 50 watt bulbs.
A watt-hour represents the amount of energy consumed in an hour. If you want to light two 50W light bulbs for 10 hours, you will need a solar generator that produces 1000Wh. Remember that there does not have to be a one-to-one correspondence between wattage and the watt-hours a device can output.
Wrap up
Portable solar generators, portable power stations plus solar panels allow you to enjoy the comfort and convenience of your home outdoors. You can take your generator with you to the beach, camping trips, and any other type of outdoor adventure.
At SOUOP, we carry a wide range of portable solar panels, portable generators and accessories. So what are you waiting for? Shop now for a portable solar generator to make your next outdoor adventure more fun.
Buy SOUOP for all your solar energy needs.