Keep Your Solar Power Battery Charger For A Rainy Day

Indeed, despite that bad pun, a solar power battery charger works in any kind of weather.  The main aim of solar power battery chargers is to convert the Sun's energy (or more specifically, the Sun's light energy) to electricity (direct current).  You could use the analogy of using a gas station to "recharge" your car. The solar power battery charger helps to recharge your essential personal gadgets or even those indulgences and toys that you like to play with.

Until fairly recently many people had been put off by solar energy because they felt the devices that collected the Sun's energy were either expensive or bulky and awkward to install. Although this may have been the case 20-30 years ago and applied to installing solar panels in the home, nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to a solar battery charger.

Portable solar powered battery chargers are the way to go for many people these days and they address two of the main stumbling blocks that put many people off solar power. They are small and easy to carry and they are reasonably priced for the job that they do.
Panels And Mats

Two such devices that are popular at the moment are the Solio solar charger. This is ideal for devices such as mobile or cell phones. It is also essential if you like to listen to an ipod or personal mp3 player. In fact, it was recently recognized as a must have piece of technology by the National Geographic. It was given the coveted 2008 "Best of Gear" award – reserved for items that no one should hit the trail without. Even if that trail is your daily commute to work each day or an expedition to the top of Kilimanjaro.

Another popular solar charger is the integrated solar backpack. Essentially it is a backpack that can be carried round like a normal pack but it has a solar panel or thin mat that fits to the outside of the pack. There are connections to the panel that allow it to act as a charger for your laptop or the standard things like your phone, digital camera or other device. 
 
In fact, the solar mat doesn't just have to be in a backpack. You can buy them separately and use then when you go camping, boating or RV. They are light and flexible such that they can be rolled up and packed away.
Exciting Potential

One of the criticisms against renewable energy, like solar power is that there isn’t a reliable means of solar power battery backup for when a rainy day really does arrive. But you may be already using solar-powered devices that have enough energy cells to store the energy needed for later.  These devices include wrist watches, pocket calculators and even little indoor wind chimes for your desk.  (Well, not all solar power battery chargers have to be practical).

It's light that can get these energy cells going, not just sunlight.  So, even though sunlight will produce the best results in terms of generating direct current, you can still get a solar powered calculator to work by just leaving it under your house lights for a few minutes.