A portable solar power system can be defined as a solar power system or generator that is not permanently fixed to one location. One example of a portable solar power supply is a solar power radio, but a portable solar power system does not necessarily have to be limited in size to something so small. As long as there are enough solar panels to collect the required amount of solar energy for the device’s needs, a mobile solar system can take on many faces.
Did you know that there are recreational vehicles that have RV solar panels affixed to their roof to produce on-the-go RV solar power ? This is a case of true mobile solar power, but probably not what “The Who” had in mind when they wrote their smash hit “Going Mobile”.
Since harnessing solar energy has been technologically perfected to the point where much smaller devices in the solar energy equation are needed to produce usable amounts of electricity, a mobile solar system is now only limited in size and mobility by the mind of the user. But while purchasing a full blown RV solar power kit may be out of most people’s budgets, a solar power backpack is affordable to most all budgets, and can be used to power an array of personal electronics.
If you are an outdoorsman, your hiking benefits you in several ways. You burn off calories which helps you stay healthy, you get to enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors, and the solar energy panel on your backpack soaks up the sun while you hike, storing replenishable energy. The nature lover or college student can pick up the aforementioned solar power backpack from vendors like CSDC who offer the V-dimension Helius Solar Powered Backpack for around $100 that comes equipped with adapters for most cell phones and mp3 players.
Demand for a portable solar power system is so high that several companies have been created just to fill the portable solar power supply niche. Opening their doors in 2006 in Atascadera, California, the aptly named “Mobile Solar Power” provides the perfect tow-behind portable solar power system for any need. Just need something for your remote vacations and out of the way get-togethers?
They offer a small mobile solar system, the MS-100, that can be towed by most 4 and 6 cylinder vehicles, and will only set you back about $12,000. And if you need an all-inclusive portable solar power supply that can power an entire home, get their MS-375 20 foot trailer that will cost you $50,000.
Marine solar power is available to those of you who really don’t like the idea of getting stranded in the middle of the ocean by a dead motor. Consisting of three parts, solar collecting panels, a solar charge controller that keeps batteries full but not overcharged, and your boat battery, you will never have to be concerned about losing power to your radio or other ship-bound electronics. And it is nice to know your boat’s engine will turn over every time when you are sunburned and ready to go home. These kits run from a very affordable $140 for a 10 watt version to 85 watt versions for about $480.
The solar power radio we mentioned earlier is readily available online, with hundreds of models to choose from. You can start off small with the basic Timex T065S Solar Powered Radio Controlled Atomic Alarm Clock for $15 that is never wrong since it is set by signals sent around the globe by the Atomic Clock and its many relay stations, or you can go full survival mode with the Etón American Red Cross ARCFR360R Solarlink Self-Powered Digital AM/FM/NOAA Radio with Solar Power, Flashlight and Cell Phone Charger (wow, that’s a mouthful!) for a very reasonable $50.
As you can see, the portable solar power system selection is as wide and particular as your lifestyle dictates. To harness rv solar power, purchase a solar power kit designed for just that need. Walking a lot? Grab an inexpensive solar power backpack. And even if you like inviting a couple of hundred of your closest friends to an out-of-the-way destination for some fun in the sun, go deeper into your pocket and get an all-inclusive portable solar power system. No matter which way you go, when you harness the portable solar technology available today, you will be going mobile in style.
