Portable Solar Generators – When it comes to camping in the great outdoors, you can either go the minimalist route with no power or bring an RV. However, with some of the latest technology in solar electricity, we now have the option to power some of those ever so beloved electronics without the obnoxious noise pollution caused by the modern day gas-powered generator. The added benefit of one of these units is to use at home for power outages and other emergencies.
In the recent years, engineers in the field of solar power have developed a line of portable generators designed to produce electricity from sunlight and they have certainly caught the attention of a wide variety of camping enthusiasts. With many styles and sizes made available, consumers have a range of solar options to choose from. One of the smaller, more affordable models on the market today is a unit called the Yeti Escape 150 by Goal Zero. The Yeti generator is designed with a 150 watt hour battery that connects to a pv (photovoltaic) panel rated at 15 watts, well enough to charge most smaller electronics, such as an MP3 player, smartphone or tablet. This particular model may be a tad bulky and heavy for backpackers because it has a lead battery, but it certainly is a great powersource for a short haul. The Yeti may be suitable for some, but others may desire a model with the capability to power larger appliances and fortunately for them, there are a line of heavy duty solar power generators offered by Humless.
The Humless Sentinel generator is one of the latest models released by the solar power innovators and it comes with a grip of benefits. The Sentinel is a high efficiency, off grid solar panel unit rated at 1000 watts output, which can be packed neatly with its foldable setup. It’s lightweight, silent and has the most advanced technology for its size. Packed with a Lithium battery, it’s weight is up to 60% less than comparable models that utilize lead acid batteries and can be charged in less than 2.5 hours with current for days. This solar power generator converts light from the sun into energy that is the ultimate powersource, pulling current for devices such as stereos, microwaves and even portable refrigerators.
Both the Yeti 150 and the Humless Sentinel are excellent choices when it comes to a quality solar power generator, but these units do come at a cost. But can be worth the investment. That being said, there are options to build your own solar generator, and it’s easier than you’d think. By collecting damaged solar cells, which come at a fraction of the cost of new ones, a few small sheets of plywood and some plexiglass of the same size, you can manufacture your own homemade generator for much less money. The only other thing you’ll need is a twelve volt battery and before you know it, portable electricity is yours! Though I won’t go into thorough detail, but it can be quite simple if you are a handy person with a little time on your hands.
With a big push for solar to be used anywhere possible, I think we can all agree on the benefit of a portable solar generator. So when you need to keep the electricity flowing at the campsite, just remember there’s a solar power generator on the market, or off the market to keep you powered day and night.
2 comments
Would like to find out more. Very interested.
Nice write up – I recently picked up a small portable solar panel that charges a bank of AA batteries. I use it mainly for hiking and backpacking – I always have power for flashlights, cameras Ipods, etc. I lash it to the backpack for a few hours and its charged again! It seems that the cost is becoming more and more reasonable though I think the weight still may be an issue.