A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about solar powered chargers, which you can find here.  In that post, I noted that any mobile electronics user worth their salt probably had chargers stored around the house, office, and car.  In such a scenario, a solar powered charger would be worth carrying around.  Recently, I [...]]]>

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about solar powered chargers, which you can find here.  In that post, I noted that any mobile electronics user worth their salt probably had chargers stored around the house, office, and car.  In such a scenario, a solar powered charger would be worth carrying around.  Recently, I got to test out this theory with Solio’s H1000 hybrid charger.

The H1000 is a hybrid charger, which means that the battery can be charged either through the solar panel or through the USB connection.  Once charged, it can be connected to a variety of electronics devices such as mobile phones, mp3 players, or GPS devices.  In my particular case, I needed a charger for my iPhone 3G, which I was constantly draining with my iPod playing, web-surfing, Google mapping ways.  The H1000 comes with several adapters, such as a Nokia tip and a mini-USB tip.  However iPhone 3G and iTouch 2G devices require an additional tip, which I duly acquired after a few weeks.  While I was waiting for my iPhone 3G tip to come in, I explored the charging functions of the device.  For those of you who are interested, the technical specifications of the H1000 are as follows:

• Nominal DC Output: 3V 1.2A
• Maximum Wattage: 3.6 Watts
• Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion 3.7V 1A cell
• DC Input: 5-6V 0.4Ah
• Dimensions (LxHxW): 7.8 x 0.71 x 2.6 in. (198 x 68 x 18 mm)

• Weight: 4.6 oz. (131g)
• Temperature Range: -4F to 131F (-20C to 55C)

The nice thing about the H1000 is that it is relatively small and easy to use.  There is a red LED that goes on when the unit is charging and a green LED to indicate the level of charge.  Simply press a button on the back, and the green LED will blink once for each 20% of charge.  For example, two green blinks means that the battery is 40% charged.  The H1000 charges best in direct sunlight.  According to the Solio website, the device is capable of charging on overcast days, but I wasn’t able get the red “charging” indicator in anything less than direct sunlight.  Additionally, the device is sensitive to the angle of the light.  Leaving the H1000 laying flat works fine when the sun is overhead and for a few hours before and after.  Anything more than that requires angling the charger.

One unexpected issue did arise, and that was getting sunlight.  I work indoors and my office does not have access to direct sunlight.  Even the windows in my building have tinting on them, making it impossible to charge the H1000.  I finally resorted to leaving the charger on the dashboard of my car, where it did actually get enough sunlight to start charging.  Unfortunately, once summer started the interior of my car got so hot that the charger overheated and would stop charging (according to the specs, the H1000 has a max temperature of 131F).  Once the device cooled down, everything worked normally again.  I could have left the charger outside, but I was concerned about loss and possible rain.  Please note that if you were to use the charger in inclement weather, you would need to wrap it in clear plastic to protect it.

Once the battery was charged, the H1000 again demonstrated ease of use.  I had to connect the H1000 to the adapter tip, which I then plugged my USB-to-iPhone cable into (note* this cable came with my iPhone), which was connected to my iPhone.  I then pressed the button on the back of the H1000 to initiate charging and let it go.  The Solio website states “A full Solio H1000 will charge a typical mobile phone once or give 10 hours of MP3 music – just 1 hour of sunshine = 15 minutes talk time or 40 minutes of MP3 music”, but it should be noted that this statistic is dependent on the quality of your sunshine.

The Solio H1000 isn’t a bad solar charger.  It is portable and easy to use.  The downside is that using the solar panel to charge the battery may not be convenient if you don’t spend a great deal of time outside.  In that case, the strength of this device is that it can also be charged via USB.  However, the limited capacity of the H1000 makes it impractical to be used as the solitary power supply for mobile electronics, which is why I believe it is best used as a backup charger.

If you are interested in seeing this and other solar chargers, you can view the selection on our site at the GreenTech shop.

While taking a moment to remember those Americans who have died in service to their country, I hope we are also enjoying food, friends, and family this weekend.  For those of use fortunate enough to have a day of sunshine, it is also a good time to start taking a look at photovoltaic [...]]]> Happy Memorial Day!

While taking a moment to remember those Americans who have died in service to their country, I hope we are also enjoying food, friends, and family this weekend.  For those of use fortunate enough to have a day of sunshine, it is also a good time to start taking a look at photovoltaic cells!

Photovoltaic (PV) cells , which you may also know as solar powered cells, convert light into electricity.  A basic explanation of the cells functioning lies in the semiconductor material used in the construction.  As photons from the sunlight hit the semiconductor material, electrons are knocked loose.  These electrons are forced to flow in a single direction by the material, which generates the electrical current.  And there you have it, power!

Actually, it isn’t quite that easy or simple and there are still some challenges to be overcome by PV cells, namely low conversion efficiencies and the rising cost of silicon (which is the primary semiconductor component used for PV cells).  So while it is still cost prohibitive for many of us to install solar panels in our homes, there are other ways that we can take advantage of PV cells that are more exciting than the old solar powered calculator, especially in this age of cell phones.

A major challenge for mobile electronics users is power.  Its amazing how one can browse through the web, check and send e-mail, listen to music, update our status, or write a blog entry from a phone.. amazing until the battery drops dead.  Which for some of us, has lead to the stashing of chargers in our cars, offices, and around our homes.  If you are one of these people, you may be interested in a portable solar charger.

Portable solar chargers generate power from sunlight and then store it in a battery so that you can charge something later, when you need it.  Due to the low efficiencies of PV cells, its not possible to rely on most of these chargers as a primary power source.  However, the mobility of a solar charger can not be beaten as they provide power when you are nowhere near an outlet.  The Green Tech Shop sells several different types, such as Solio hybrid chargers or Voltaics’ line of solar bags.  I hope to cover more of these in the upcoming weeks so please check back for more details.