Can you charge a laptop with solar power?

 

Yes, you can charge your laptop with solar power using a solar charger.

There are several alternative ways to do this, depending on your needs. There are various laptop solar chargers available in the market for various purposes. Most of the solar chargers available in the market are designed to fit laptops, phones, tablets, and various accessories.

 Some solar chargers are only designed to fit your laptop. Some chargers also come with a solar charger battery that you can use to charge your laptop even at night.

How to choose the most suitable solar charger for your laptop?

Even though there are different types of solar charges available in the market, you should choose a charger that suits your needs and your laptop.

Most laptops come with 19 volts so you need to choose a 19V solar charger to charge it. Also now there are new small laptops at around 12 volts. Then you need to choose a 12V Solar laptop charger. Also, some Solar Laptop Charger kits can be used to charge both 12V and 19V laptops and many other devices.

If your laptop receives less or more power than the required power supply, its battery may be damaged. So you have to be careful when choosing a solar-powered laptop charger.

Advantages of using a solar charger

Just like you use a solar laptop charger, you can also use solar power for other appliances that consume electricity in your daily life.

There are many benefits from using a renewable energy source. The use of solar energy brings us convenience and profit as well as benefits the environment.

1. Solar energy is a renewable, clean, and free energy source

Using this pure renewable energy source will have a beneficial effect on you as well as the environment. If you use power from the mains grid supply to use the laptop, it consumes a considerable percentage of the electricity.

As one of the major ways of producing electricity, electricity companies use sources like fossil fuels (coal, oil, and petroleum). These sources are excreted from the earth and they are not renewable.

This excreting process and the production of electricity using these sources require heavy industrial work. During these processes, many pollutants are released into the environment. Also, the heavy machinery used for this process makes so much noise.

So as we can see electricity generation using sources like fossil fuels, increases environmental pollution.

But electricity generation from solar energy does not harm the environment. Also, as we receive solar energy in the form of sunlight we do not have to use heavy machinery to obtain the energy source.

Also, solar is a free energy source. So we do not have to pay to get it.

2. Capability to use in a power outage or even in an area where there is no electricity

If you use this solar laptop charger, you can charge your laptop in the event of a power outage on the grid as well as in an area where there is no electricity. Whether you go on a picnic or camping in the jungle, you can charge your laptop.

3. Ease of maintenance

If you buy a solar charger, another major advantage is its low maintenance. And it can easily charge your laptop with a clean energy source. It does not require any additional maintenance. You only need to keep the solar panel clean.

4. Being a portable solar charger

This charger is not the same as your standard charger. This charger is designed to be easily carried anywhere.

You can easily charge your laptop with this charger while traveling or camping. Also, you can charge the laptop using a solar charger while you work freely in the garden.

5. Reliability

If you use a standard charger to charge your laptop, it converts alternative current (AC) into direct current (DC) to supply your laptop.

This is because your laptop has a DC battery. But if you use solar power to charge a laptop, it does not require converting that current.  Because solar panels always provide pure direct current.

Therefore, using a solar charger can prevent damage to your laptop.

What are the disadvantages of using a solar-powered laptop charger?

If you buy a solar laptop charger, it cost more than buying a standard laptop charger. Although this charger has a lot of benefits, people do not tend to buy these chargers because the price is relatively high here.

2. Solar-powered charger always depends on the weather

Another disadvantage here is that it is based solely on the weather. Sunlight is an essential factor for a solar charger to work. Therefore, it is difficult to use this solar charger on cloudy rainy days and in heavy winter. But the weather is not an issue for you when you use a standard charger. You can use it whenever you plug it into an electrical outlet.

3. It takes more time to charge

If you use a solar charger to charge your laptop, it may take more time to charge your device at some point. If you are in a low sun exposure area or you use a low-cost low-quality solar charger, it may take longer to charge your laptop. But if you are using a standard charger you will not face such a problem. Also if you use a high-quality solar charger you can avoid this issue.

Does a solar laptop charger need direct sunlight to charge?

It depends on the size and quality of the charger you buy.

If you buy a high-efficiency solar charger, it might be work in low sunlight. If you are buying a small low-quality charger it will fail to charge your devices in low sunlight.

Whichever laptop solar charger you use, it works max efficiency when exposed to full sunlight. Because it is designed for ease of carrying, it is designed using small solar panels. Then it will not be able to generate much electricity in low sunlight.

Solar laptop charger buying guide

There are a few main things to consider when you buy a solar charger. For ease of understanding, we will explain the points one by one.

1. Watt of the Solar Charger – As with standard solar panels, these solar laptop chargers come in a variety of watt sizes. We usually can buy 5-Watt to 30-Watt solar chargers in the market.

If you use a high Wattage (W) solar laptop charger, you will be able to charge your laptop fast. The larger the solar panel, the higher the wattage. But it is difficult to find a large watt solar charger as it is manufactured for ease of carrying a solar charger.

2. Output Volts – You need to analyze the number of volts in the charger you intend to buy. Laptops typically require 19 volts. If the amount of volts in the charger you buy is not equal to the amount your laptop requires, you cannot use that charger. Using it may damage your device.
3. Charging Time –  Another important factor to consider when buying a solar charger is the time it takes for your device to charge. Several factors contribute to this task. It is directly affected by the Wattage of the solar charger you are using and the weather.

If you use a high Watt solar charger you can charge your laptop fast. But if your solar charger has a low number of Watt it takes more time to charge.

It is also affected by the weather in the area where you use it. If the area where it is used has good sunlight, your device can be charged quickly. This is because solar panels work maximum efficiency in good sunlight.

Can you make a solar laptop charger by yourself?

Yes, you can set it up yourself. You can take a solar panel and connect it to your laptop via a voltage controller/regulator. But you should make sure that you do not damage your laptop by using appropriate components.

To set it up, you need to use a solar panel with the same voltage as your laptop required. If your laptop is 19 volts, the solar panel you are using should be equal to 19 volts. Most laptops are manufactured under 19 volts but you better watch it.

Even if you install the best solar panel that fits exactly, it is imperative to use a voltage controller or regulator. Because no matter what type of solar panel is used, the number of volts it receives can vary with sunlight. So using a voltage controller or regulator can protect your laptop battery.

If you do not have a good knowledge of solar technology we recommend it is better to buy a solar laptop charger than building a solar laptop charger. This is because any defect in your built circuit can damage your laptop.

| Conclusion |

If you are thinking of charging a laptop with solar power, that is a great idea. You can easily charge your laptop using a solar charger. If you do not have proper knowledge of solar technology then do not try to set up that system yourself. If you use solar technology to generate electricity, it will save your money as well as the environment.