The Plug & Play Portable Solar Charger
Through the development of plug and play solar panels and the portable solar charger, solar energy is now within the grasp of everyone, regardless of whether you have a degree in electrical engineering.
In the past, deciding to harness solar energy for one's own use involved a lot of electrical know-how and virtually required that one was a certified electrician. Today many (but not all) solar panels and solar chargers are can be found as part of plug and play kits.
What do we mean by "plug and play kits"? Well, to be straightforward, all the needed parts for a solar panel set up are provided along with simple instructions, so that it is a matter of minutes or hours (depending on the size solar charger kit you get) to have it set up and running. The cabling and parts have been worked out in such a way so that all you have to do, is position the individual components and plug them into each other. That’s all there is to it. Really quite similar to plugging a mouse or USB stick into a computer.
What does a Plug and Play Solar Charger Kit Consist of?
A typical plug and play solar charger kit would consist of the following components:
- Solar panel or panels.
- Mounting brackets for the solar panel or panels.
- Ready made electrical cables to connect the solar panels to the charge controller. (a charge controller is an electronic device that will ensure that that electricity does not run from the batteries back to the solar panels and it will also prevent the batteries from being overcharged by the solar panels).
- Battery bank and cables from the charge controller to the battery bank.
- An inverter (optional) an inverter is used when you need to get A/C (alternating current) power. The inverter is used to change the electrical power from the battery bank into the same type of power you get from your household wall sockets. This allows you to simply plug your appliances into your solar panel set up.
Of course there are many different sizes and many different kits. But they all function on the same principles.
The smallest plug and play kits (which charge cell phones, iPods or MP3 players) fit into the palm of your hand. The larger plug and play solar power kits include enough solar panels to cover the roof of your house and provide enough solar energy for a small household. Though I would definitely consult a professional if I were getting solar charger kit that size.
Similarly one can find medium size plug and play solar kits ideally suited to a camper, RV or a boat.
Solar Power Store
Visit our solar power store to find a plug & play portable solar charger, solar power kit, as well as a large selection of solar power equipment for the home and outdoors.