Can a car battery be charged by solar energy

In today’s automobile industry, there is heated controversy around solar energy, just like around any other innovative technology. While some drivers are looking for the best solar car battery charger, others stay skeptical.

Before joining any party, it is worth studying the operation principle, the key advantages and downsides of solar charging.

How do solar chargers work

Each unit of this kind has a solar panel with photovoltaic cells. After sun rays reach a relatively flat cover, their energy is transferred into electricity and directed to a battery through a single cable. Similar constructions, yet more powerful, supply energy to commercial and residual buildings.

It is reasonable to use solar units for trickle charging since their current is not sufficient to start a dead battery. Solar power is great for drivers who do not want their vehicles to die midway. Spare yourself from the pity of hearing the sound of a failed start and understanding that an engine stays passive. With a solar trickle device, you will always have an even charge and prevent unexpected situations.

Reasons to use a solar charger

The following arguments prove that it is a good idea to maintain a vehicle’s energy balance with solar power:

• You do not need a plugin. A power source is over your head, so you can just expose a charger to sunlight. The unit will work wherever you need and keep a battery ready to start. This degree of flexibility is unattainable for regular chargers
• Charging on the move. Since solar units can function smoothly even without an outlet, you do not need to stop, connect a power source and a battery with alligator clips, and wait until the charge is restored. It is much easier to connect a solar device to a lighter socket and place a panel on a dash so that sunlight reaches it. Charging will take place in motion, without any additional actions on your part
• No seasonality. A solar panel will work well with -40 – 175 F temperature or even more. So your battery will stay charged in both tough winter and sultry summer
• Average solar units weigh 4-5 pounds, so it is easy to carry them
• Multiple applications. Auto battery charging is only one of many ways to use a solar unit. A device equipped with alligator clips will come in handy if you need to replenish an energy balance of an ATV, a boat, or any mechanism having a 12-volt battery

Downsides

The disadvantages below are not to discourage you from buying a solar charger, just to warn you about challenges:

• Awkwardness. A solar panel is lightweight, but still, it is large – minimum one square foot. Such construction is conditioned by the need to absorb as much sunlight as possible. It may be uneasy to place a unit inside your car if space is limited
• A solar device will not start a dead battery, so do not pin exaggerated hopes on it