How To Choose Solar Power Kits?

Are you thinking about buying a solar power kit but not sure how to choose? With all the companies that offer solar systems for consumers it can be a bit overwhelming, especially when they don’t supply you with the answers you want before you purchase. In this article, we will list the factors to consider before buying a solar kit.

Factors When Buying

1) The first factor to consider when purchasing your solar power kit is the actual need you have. Some consumers have purchased for many reasons from camping trips to emergency backup units to other outdoor adventures. There are a lot of different uses a solar kit can bring from just one unit alone. Consumers enjoy taking their portable solar kit with them while camping and then when there finished with their camping trips, they simply charge it one last time and store it until they camp again or if an emergency happens. While there are other consumers who prefer using their solar power kit as their backup unit for their entire family and will purchase a big solar unit. And their decision also is to purchase many solar kits. They will purchase a solar generator and then purchase other smaller solar kits for when they are on vacation or during work travels as well as camping trips for certain families. Remember your needs when purchasing a solar power kit.

2) The second factor to consider is understanding your power capacity needs. If your planning a camping trip and only need power for laptops and hotplates, then of course a 1800 watt solar generator might be too much unless you bring an RV and want power for that as well. However, you certainly will need more than 10 watts of power like some chargers claim that can do it all. Most camping consumers will purchase a 120 watt solar kit if they want to charge cell phones, cameras, laptops and hot plates. Some customers are even purchasing a 150 watt solar kit for their sleep apnea machines. Be sure you know how much power you need and for what items before your out in the wilderness or wherever you end up without a power source.

3) The third factor to consider when purchasing a portable solar kit is portability. If you’re looking for a survival kit for on the go type of power, then making sure that you can lift and carry a solar kit is something that you should remember before you purchase. Now for those looking for a portable kit that provides lots of power like 1500 watts or more, then make sure you have someone who can lift it, because the more power you require, usually the heavier the units become. Most solar kits are portable already however the weight might make it seem like its not meant to be moved, this is not true just a misunderstanding.

4) The fourth factor to consider when buying is making sure that its waterproof. This is mostly for the outdoor adventurer consumers. Knowing that the gear you purchase can withstand cold, heat, rain and even snow are serious factors that should not be overlooked. It would be very upsetting to know that you purchased a solar system only to find out that it can withstand a little sprinkle or extreme heat. This of course means that you are not to submerge your electronics into water, because that would be foolish. You have to remember that solar power should be treated like your mobile cell phone. You don’t drop your iphone into water however if it’s raining and your going to your vehicle and are on the phone, once your inside your vehicle, you usually dry your iphone with your shirt or cloth. That is the same thing with solar kits, you can let them be in the rain, but taking care of them will results in better future uses.

5) The fifth factor to consider when purchasing a solar kit is the warranty thats offered. Make sure that the manufacturer offers some kind of warranty. Most manufacturers offer a 1 year or even 2 year warranty to ensure that customers will be taken care of it their solar panel or solar system is not charging correctly.

6) The sixth factor to consider when purchasing a solar power kit is if it included a battery bank. You will find many solar chargers that are cheap and can truly charge your device. However, they might not include a battery bank to store your power. They usually will hook directly into your device and charge it, but once the sun goes down and your device is dead. You are back to square one which is with no power. Be sure that your solar system has some kind of battery system in place to store that extra energy once your device is powered up so when the sun goes down or your device is dead, you can power from the battery system and not wait up to 8 hours for more power.

Charge Times

When you're thinking about charge times, you must remember that you are using solar energy directly from the sun, so the charge times will be longer. However, as the demand increases so does the manufacturers who create these solar systems, because they come with newer inventions and technologies. Another key point to remember is the size of the solar panel. The bigger the solar panel, the faster the charge time. If charging a cell phone that is completely dead and you don't have a battery bank hooked up or the battery bank is dead as well then the charge time will be shorter but if you just want some power to make an emergency call, then your charge time should be no longer than 2 hours in direct sunlight. But remember that charge time will be able to get your phone power and make a call, however if your trying to charge a cell phone to full battery, it could take up to 8 hours max. Most of LivEcoFriendly's solar power kits have a charge time for cell phones and laptops in the 2-11 hour range, it really depends on what your looking to charge.

Can I Charge Anything?

The simple answer to this is, yes! You can honestly charge anything you want with a solar power kit. It is exactly like electricity, but be sure you purchase something with an inverter for quick plug and play action. Also, if you don't purchase something with an inverter, make sure it has a somewhat easy assembly. You don't want to connect plugs here and there and then blow a fuse or blow a circuit in your device or the solar system. The hard part that people are realizing is the charge times and watts and such. In order to determine what you can charge with certain solar kits, you have to read on your device what the wattage is. The number of watts are the indication of how much power is needed to power your device at best performance. It is best practice to purchase more power than what your device requires however you can of course have a smaller solar kit that sends power to your laptop or other device, but remember that the charge time will increase and that is one of the reasons that our customers purchase a bigger system. Also because they realize they can use it in emergencies and charge more items as time goes on.

These are the basic key points for purchasing any solar power kit, knowing this will help you be more educated for future solar purchases. Most consumers don't know about this, so now you will be ahead of your friends and family when they are thinking about buying a solar kit. Just be sure to recommend LivEcoFriendly.com for their purchasing location. View our solar power systems by clicking on one of the options below:

Powersource 1800 Solar Generator

Sherpa 120 Explorer Kit

Compact & Powerful Pocket Sized Solar Charger

Let’s review real quick:

1)Needs- What do you need this solar kit for?
2)Power Capacity-Know how much power you need.
3)Portability-Will you require a lot of moving around?
4)Waterproof-Make sure your solar kit can withstand all conditions
5)Warranty-Be sure that there is a warranty from the manufacturer.
6)Battery Bank-Check to see if your solar kit includes a battery system.