Here are the things you should look for when buying portable solar panels.
1. Efficiency
If space or weight is a problem, such as in backpacking, compare the efficiency of various solar panels. The efficiency of solar panels is measured by their ability to convert sunlight into electricity. The solar panel with an efficiency of more than 20% is a high-quality product.
More efficient solar panels require less space to generate the same power as larger, less efficient solar panels, but may cost more. If space or weight is not a problem, don’t waste money on efficient solar panels, because low-cost and inefficient solar panels can complete the work.
2. Buy what you need, not what you want
Know what you need and don’t buy more. You can use a simple energy calculator to calculate how much energy you need, which will tell you how many watts different appliances use. Check the voltage requirements of any small tools. For example, most laptops require a constant 19 volt power supply.
3. Understand your installation requirements
Watt is a unit of power. It measures the energy consumed or generated by the equipment at a certain time. You need a solar panel (or battery) that can produce 100 watts of power to light two 50 watt bulbs.
Wh is a measure of how much energy is used in an hour. If you want to keep two 50 watt bulbs lit for 10 hours, you need a solar panel (or more likely a battery) that can produce 1000 watt hours or 1 kilowatt hour (kWh).
4. Weight
Weight is not only a factor in the portability of solar panels, but also a factor in the power they may generate. If it is only for practical reasons, if you are willing, you are more likely to move around the lighter solar panels rather than the heavier ones, which follow the path of the sun all day long to generate more power.
5. Other precautions
Compared with most alternatives, portable solar panels are undoubtedly a cleaner power source, but to make them worth investing in, consider their financial value and convenience.
How often do you use it? Will it save money over alternatives? Given the size, capacity, and cost of all the different portable solar panels on the market today, you might find a good use case.
