Portable solar panels are photovoltaic panels that have the same functionality as home solar panels, and are small and portable enough to help charge small loads while out camping. Although their power generation capacity is far less than that of home solar panels, they are less costly and can help users get on-the-go power in remote places in a low-cost, environmentally friendly way. However, it is worth noting that portable solar panels can only be used for temporary use, and you should only choose a professional solar panel system to power your home.

1. How to evaluate portable solar panels?

Evaluation of a portable solar panels are good or bad mainly from three aspects: power generation performance, portability and compatibility level.

1.1 Test the power generation of portable solar panels

Same as traditional home solar panels, the most important part of testing portable solar panels is their power generation performance. First of all, when we get a brand new solar panel, we can check the manual to get its peak power. Generally speaking, the peak power of portable solar panels on the market can only reach 100-200 watts. However, in actual use still need to take into account the prevailing sunshine conditions and other factors of interference, so in the actual use of the environment generally can only reach the ideal peak of two-thirds.

Second is the energy conversion efficiency of solar panels, generally speaking portable solar panels will be less efficient than traditional solar panels. According to the statistics of the most common types of portable solar panels on the market, their conversion efficiency can only reach a maximum of 24%, and most of them can only remain in the range of 20% -22%.

1.2 Compare the price of portable solar panels

The price of portable solar panels mainly depends on their power generation efficiency, generally speaking, the market price of a 100w solar panel is about 40 dollars. However, it is worth noting that this is only the price of a single PV panel, the entire system of other components still need to be purchased separately, the overall price will be around 60-80 U.S. dollars.

1.3 Testing the portability of portable solar panels

Since portable solar panels are usually not used in the same place for a long time, the device needs to be removed at any time. Therefore portability and portability are important when testing the functionality of portable solar panels, and the portability of a portable solar panel depends mainly on its physical size and weight.

1.3.1 Testing the weight of a solar panel

For portable solar panels, the lighter the weight, the easier it is to carry, but the weight of portable solar panels is most affected by their power generation, generally speaking, the weight of a 200w solar panel is between 7kg-9kg, while a 50w solar panel may only weigh 1kg-2kg. Therefore, in the weight of a solar panel, the specific need to judge its portable performance according to its power generation.

1.3.2 Testing the size of portable solar panels

In addition to weight, the physical size of the solar panel will also affect its portability. Solar panels with better portability performance can make the thickness of the photovoltaic panel to the millimeter size, which can largely improve its degree of portability. As for its length and width dimensions, most of them are still related to its power generation. Generally speaking, 20w-80w portable solar panels have an area of about 1 foot square, while large-wattage solar panels can be tens of times more than that.

1.4 Testing the compatibility rating of portable solar panels

Since solar panels require many supporting parts to work together when generating electricity, such as cables of various sizes, inverters, etc., it is important that they are compatible with all other components. So when testing a portable solar panel need to test its compatibility level. Generally it will be tested for load compatibility and port compatibility. For load compatibility, we need to check if its power generation is too big or too small for your load and for port compatibility, we need to check if the portable solar panel can be connected to the portable power station or battery that you are equipped with. If there is a mismatch when checking port compatibility, we can also try to make the two compatible by replacing the cables and port plugs with different sizes.

2. What can portable solar panels be used for? How should I choose different performance solar panels for different uses?

2.1 Camping

Camping is the most common use of portable solar panels, and for those who are off-grid for a long period of time, choosing portable solar panels can save more cost than traditional solar panels.

However, even if they are used for short-term camping, they can’t always be in the sunny daytime during the camping process, and the solar panels are unable to generate electricity on cloudy days or at night. So these portable solar panels need to meet the requirements of taking up less space and generating electricity with the highest efficiency.

2.2 Charging mobile devices

You may want a small solar panel to charge your cell phone or tablet. As these devices require charging power is not large, so when used for this purpose, smaller and lighter portable solar panels are a better choice, for example, we can choose 10w, weighing only 0.5kg micro solar panels, and in order to better meet the needs of the user, this solar panel can be equipped with a direct USB or Type-C output interface.

2.3 Small house

Although portable solar panels do not apply to the house power generation, but for some of the lower energy demand, non-year-old huts, the installation of portable solar panels may be able to save most of the upfront costs.

In this use, since the solar panels are not often moved, size and weight are less important, so we can choose the solar panel with the best power generation efficiency within our budget as a way to ensure energy supply in the hut.

It is worth noting that even if you choose portable solar panels, other cables and electrical components are essential, and the house can only be powered if the solar system is fully installed.

3. Other issues about portable solar panels

3.1 Are portable solar panels worth buying?

It mainly depends on what you are trying to power, if it is for solar lights or charging small appliances, portable solar panels are a better choice than traditional solar panels. However, if you are able to stay connected to the grid at all times or have a high demand for power, portable solar panels may not be a good choice.

3.2 How many portable solar panels do I need to buy for camping?

This depends on how much energy you need, and you can calculate the number of solar panels you need based on the wattage of the equipment you need to power. However, it is worth noting that space is also one of the main limiting factors for portable solar panels. So you also need to consider the space that can be reserved before making a design.