In addition to what was mentioned in the previous article, it is also important to ensure an endless supply of electricity and reasonable power storage.
Electric energy storage
Solar panels can’t generate electricity at night. If you don’t want to cut off the power, you should save electricity during the day. Backup batteries, charging treasure and camp lights are good power storage equipment.
Power storage devices can be used for multiple purposes – both rechargeable and powered devices can be used to store electricity. For example, you can only use the electricity charged into your mobile phone and can’t “take it out”. Therefore, the mobile phone can’t store electricity, but you can charge the battery and rechargeable treasure.
In order to lighten the weight, we should consider using one object for multiple purposes, such as a camp lamp, which can be used as lighting or charging treasure; More complicated, it can be completed by using a battery + smart charger.
25% power storage loss – about 25% ~ 30% of the power will be lost in the process of power storage and recharging. If your electric equipment is very single, only headlights and mobile phones, you can consider direct charging instead of power storage.
Compatible with various device charging interfaces – if you carry a variety of electrical devices, such as UAV, tablet, camera, laptop, etc., in addition to power storage, you also need to consider the charging interface.
This is not difficult. For UAVs, mobile phones, headlamp batteries, etc., multi-head cables (micro USB, type C) with USB sockets can be solved. For cameras or notebooks, the charger is a 220V socket, which can be solved with a transformer.
High power, team, long time
If there are high-power electrical appliances, long-time and large teams to travel, higher power generation boards and more capacity power storage equipment are required.
Large solar charging panel – a 10 person mountaineering team, equipped with high-power electrical appliances, needs electricity every day:
Individual: 257 watt hours wh (25.7 × 10）
Notebook: 120 Watt hours wh (60) × 2）
UAV: 68 watt hours wh (17) × 4）
Projector: 57 watt hours wh (17) × 3）
Total: 552wh. If the sun shines for 8 hours every day, considering the charging loss, it needs about 165 watts (495 ÷ 8 ÷ 50% ÷ 75%) of solar panels to load this 10 person team.
Outdoor power supply – 500 watt hour, the power bank is far from enough. It needs to use the outdoor power supply for storage and comes with various interfaces.
Power generation attention
1. When the solar panel is the most efficient, it forms a 90 ° angle with the sunlight;
2. Do not cover the solar panel with other shields. Although the glass and plastic film are transparent, it will greatly reduce the efficiency of the solar panel, which may be as high as 90%;
3. Most solar panels are not rainproof, especially the circuit interface part must be kept dry; However, a small amount of water droplets on the surface of the solar panel will not damage its work;
Plenty of electricity, more fun
There are some things that you may not find useful when you don’t have them, and you don’t want to leave when you’ve experienced them. Using solar panels to generate electricity belongs to this category. When you find that there can be enough electricity outdoors, you will find more outdoor fun.
For my own example, during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, I wanted to climb the mountain, but there was still some work to be completed, so I chose to take the solar panel + notebook to the mountain for a three-day trip, and I can work and climb the mountain without mistake.
There is enough electricity and more fun. I hope this method can let you find more fun in the mountains.
