Recently people have are embracing solar technology. This comes from its reliability, and efficiency. You can collect sunlight energy and store it in the battery for when need arise. Among the new electronic that embraces solar technology is a solar battery bank.
A solar battery bank is a tiny device that collects solar energy and stores in form of charge on the device’s battery. To use the stored charge to recharge your phone or lamp, insert a charging cable in the port on the side of the solar battery bank. This device’s panels are inbuilt and placed on the face of the device. You can therefore recharge it if the gets drained.
In this article, you will know more about solar battery banks. You will also learn how to use them and how to improve their efficiency.
Are solar battery banks worth it?
A Solar battery bank is one of the devices I would recommend you to have. If you are a person who is always engaged on your phone all the time, your phone battery might get drained fast. Sometimes the main solar panel at home did not collect any sunlight energy during the day. In these cases, a solar battery bank will be useful when you are lighting by up your home at night.
There are various type of solar battery banks in the market. They come in capacities ranging between 1000-50,000mAh. You can find a tiny bank same size as your phone. And, another big enough to be placed on a permanent position.
One unique feature about solar banks is the inbuilt solar panel. The solar panel is placed on the face of the bank. It detects even the slightest sunlight energy and starts to recharge. So, yes. A solar battery is worth it.
Do solar battery packs actually work?
Having a device that can store charge for when need arise is such a great life hack. A solar battery bank does not only collect energy from the sun, it also stores charge. You will never have to face the horror of your phone dying when you are away from power sources.
Once this solar storage packs detects sunlight energy, they are recharged. This are reasons you should get a solar battery bank.
- Standby charge
You can harvest sunlight energy using your solar bank to charge your devices when need arise. A good example is during cloudy days, a solar bank will detect tiniest amount of solar energy and recharge the battery.
The charge stored during the day can be used to light up your residence during the night.
- Saves you some coins
If the capacity of the solar bank is large, you can use it to light up your residence.
Your phone will not die up on you during blackouts or when travelling. You can still take care of your businesses.
- Environmental Friendly
Solar energy is free and readily available. It is one of the cleanest form of energy available. You only set a solar panel on the path of the sun. The panel then charges the solar battery. The excess stored power can be used to light up our homes.
How solar banks work?
Using a solar battery bank is straightforward.
- Like the other batteries a solar bank can get damaged if not charged properly. Charge the battery for 24hours before you start using the bank. This however depends on the capacity of the battery.
Large capacity banks require more time to charge than small capacity banks.
- Solar banks have three ports that acts as a link between the bank and the device you are charging. For example, you can insert your phones charging cable on the USB port to charge your phone. You can also power devices that use AC or DC ports.
- When you connect the charger, if the solar battery bank has enough charge, it detects your phone. Your phone then starts to charge.
- A solar bank has an inbuilt solar panel that detects sunlight and draws it to charge the battery.
- If your solar bank is not working as expected, you should check the rechargeable batteries.
- Solar battery banks are tiny enough. They can fit on your bag or purse.
A solar bank can recharge a dead phone for 8 hours. You can still use the solar bank to maintain the charge in the battery.
What can I charge with a solar power bank?
Depending on the capacity of your solar bank you can charge a number of devices.
The solar bank has DC, AC, and USB ports. You can therefore charge any device that is compatible with the ports. Some of this devices include;
- Phones
- Laptop
- IPad
- Television
- Lamps
- Radios, etc.
You can charge multiple devices even with the small solar banks. For example you can light up your battery and charge your phone without draining the solar bank.
What is the average solar bank lifespan?
Most solar batteries last on between 5-30 years. This is according to the average of the warranty given by solar batteries manufacturers.
How long your solar bank last depends on the care you give to your battery. If the solar battery becomes defective the first few months or years, you might have bought a defective solar bank.
Check for the authenticity of the solar battery banks. Low quality solar banks are dangerous. They can explode.
How long will a solar battery bank last?
The capacity of the solar bank depends on its capacity. You can find a solar bank with 1000-50,000mAh. The more the capacity of the bank, the longer it last. Most banks have rechargeable batteries.
A standard solar battery bank can last up to 5days. This however is affected by factors such as capacity and the quality of the battery. It also depends on the charge drawn from them by the device you are charging.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it worth buying cheap solar battery banks?
Cheap products will always cost you more money. A cheap solar bank become defective very fast.
You should invest on high quality solar banks. A solar bank in a good condition will between 5-25 years without becoming defective.
Can as solar battery bank power a refrigerator?
Refrigerators require less more power to run all day all night. This kind of power cannot be generated by a solar bank.
Most solar banks have a capacity ranging between 1000-50,000mAh. A refrigerator will drain a solar bank very fast.
How long does it take for a solar battery bank to charge a phone?
It depends with the voltage required to fully charge your phone.
The average duration used to charge a phone is about 4-8 hours.
How long does it take to charge a solar battery bank?
If the bank is in a good condition and there is adequate sunlight, the bank can take around 5-10 hours to charge the battery. It will take more hours to charge a fully drained solar bank.
Conclusion
Having devices that can store excess sunlight for use when need arise, will save you a lot of frustrations. A solar battery bank does not only collect sunlight energy, it also stores excess charge for emergencies. You can charge your phone using a USB cable while it is still collecting sunlight energy.
One unique feature of solar banks, is that the bank is tiny enough to fit in your bag. You can remove the bank, place it on the path of the sun and use it when it’s charging.
Check if the solar bank you want to buy is worthy by reading other customers reviews.
Eng. Matthew Joseph Nandirio is the Founder of walkingsolar.
After graduating from the University of Houston in 2002, matt started working as a Solar Electrical Engineer for several multi-national solar energy companies.
He has a wide range of experiences including solar system requirement analysis, planning, maintaining, debugging and even solar device development through research.
He now shares his 20 years of expertise through his articles on the walkingsolar website.
Further, he is also the author of two books on Solar Technology, “Solar Power for Villages” and “DIY Solar System for Dummies”.
