CHAPTER 3

3.1 OVERVIEW OF THE MOBILE CHARGER

Solar cell phone chargers use solar panels to charge cell phone batteries. They can be used when
no electricity supply is available either mains or, for example, a vehicle battery—and are
sometimes suggested as a way to charge phones without consuming mains electricity, unlike
electrical cell phone chargers. Some can also be used as a conventional charger by plugging into
an electrical outlet. Some chargers have an internal rechargeable battery which is charged in
sunlight and then used to charge a phone; others charge the phone directly.

There are also public solar chargers for mobile phones which can be installed permanently in
public places such as streets, park and squares. One such is the Strawberry Tree public solar
charger. One cell phone model was reported in 2010 to have a built in solar charger. Solar
chargers are commercially available for cell phones.

Solar cell phone chargers come in different shapes and configurations including folding (Goal
Zero, Endless Sun Solar) and types that unfold like petals (Solio).

They also come in the form of straps, with solar cells on the outer surface and a rechargeable
battery inside. Solar cell technology limits the effectiveness and practicality of phone solar
chargers for everyday use. Phone charge times vary depending on the solar panel size and
efficiency, or the battery capacity of models with batteries, further extending the charge times of
solar chargers. The fold-out design provides a larger solar panel, hence higher charge current,
and is compact when not in use.

Solar chargers can be used to charge other rechargeable devices with requirements similar to a
mobile phone, such as Bluetooth headsets and music players.

Solar chargers used to charge a phone directly, rather than by using an internal battery, can
damage a phone if the output is not well-controlled, for example by supplying excessive voltage
in bright sunlight. In less bright light, although there is electrical output it may be too low to
support charging, it will not just charge slower.
A solar charger is a charger that employs solar energy to supply electricity to devices or
batteries. They are generally portable.

Solar chargers can charge lead acid or Ni-Cd battery banks up to 48 V and hundreds of ampere-
hours (up to 4000 Ah) capacity. Such type of solar charger setups generally use an intelligent
charge controller. A series of solar cells are installed in a stationary location (ie: rooftops of
homes, base-station locations on the ground etc.) and can be connected to a battery bank to store
energy for off-peak usage. They can also be used in addition to mains-supply chargers for energy
saving during the daytime.

Most portable chargers can obtain energy from the sun only. Some, including the Kinesis K3,
and GeNNex Solar Cell 2 can work either way (recharged by the sun or plugged into a wall plug
to charge up). Examples of solar chargers in popular use include:

Small portable models designed to charge a range of different mobile phones, cell phones, iPods
or other portable audio equipment.

Fold out models designed to sit on the dashboard of an automobile and plug into the cigar/12v
lighter socket to keep the battery topped up while the vehicle is not in use.

Flashlights/torches, often combined with a secondary means of charging, such as a kinetic (hand
crank generator) charging system.

Public solar chargers permanently installed in public places, such as parks, squares and streets,
which anyone can use for free.

Portable solar chargers are used to charge cell phones and other small electronic devices on the
go. Chargers on the market today use various types of solar panels, ranging from thin film panels
with efficiencies from 7-15% (amorphous silicon around 7%, CIGS closer to 15%), to the
slightly more efficient polycrystalline panels which offer efficiencies up to 18%.

The other types of portable solar chargers are those with wheels which enable them to be
transported from one place to another and be used by a lot of people. They are semi-public,
considering the fact that are used publicly but not permanently installed.
A good example of this kind of portable solar charger is the Strawberry Mini device. The solar
charger industry has been plagued by companies mass-producing low efficiency solar chargers
that don't meet the consumer's expectations. This in turn has made it hard for new solar charger
companies to gain the trust of consumers. Solar companies are starting to offer high-efficiency
solar chargers. When it comes to permanently installed public solar chargers, Strawberry energy
Company from Serbia has invented and developed the first public solar charger for mobile
devices, Strawberry Tree. Due to a built in rechargeable battery which stores energy, it can
function without sunshine or at night. Other companies such as Voltaic Systems, Power add and
others have started to push better products onto the market as well.

Portable solar power is being utilized in developing countries to power lighting as opposed to
utilizing kerosene lamps which are responsible for respiratory infections, lung and throat cancers,
serious eye infections, cataracts as well as low birth weights. Solar power provides an
opportunity for rural areas to "leapfrog" traditional grid infrastructure and move directly to
distributed energy solutions.

Some solar chargers also have an on-board battery which is charged by the solar panel when not
charging anything else. This allows the user to be able to use the solar energy stored in the
battery to charge their electronic devices at night or when indoors. Solar chargers can also be
rollable or flexible and are manufactured using thin film PV technology. Rollable solar chargers
may include Li-ion batteries.

Currently, foldable solar panels are coming down in price to the point that almost anyone can
deploy one while at the beach, biking, hiking, or at any outdoor location and charge their
cellphone, tablet, computer etc. As advances in the technology continue to be made, new
products will be able to be expand into third world countries faster than ever before. Recently,
billionaire Elon Musk unveiled a new battery system that may allow off-grid systems that rely
solely on solar power to recharge them to be deployed anywhere on the planet, thus possibly
ending the need for strictly grid-based energy systems.
3.2 PROCESS OF CHARGING:

The Solar Module on your solar bag will transform sunlight to energy when exposed to the sun.
This happens through a so-called photovoltaic process. Energy is best harvested in bright
sunlight, but the technology in our solar panels also allows for charging under cloudy
circumstances and occasional shade that the module may be in.

A battery, specially designed for solar purposes, will store your generated sunlight as electricity
within your bag or next to your solar kit. It is essential to store your transformed sunlight in a
special battery before you use it for your phone or tablet, as it is safer for your device and more
fun for you to use.

The battery will filter any energy peaks or lows coming from the solar panel in changing
conditions. Also, it will act as a buffer for energy, making sure your devices get all the energy
they need in one single charge and at exactly the voltage they need. Some of our batteries even
count your energy production and will give you a feedback on your yield.

3.3 TYPES OF CHARGERS:

The Universal Charging Squid with 10 cables is the perfect charging solution for businesses
with little space or that don’t like the intrusiveness of a charging station. It fits perfectly on any
desktop or furniture piece while providing your guests with a convenient way to charge. It has
three Apple Lightning cables (iPhone 5 and newer devices), four Micro-USB cables (android
devices), one Apple 30 pin (iPhone 4 and older), one Type-C (newer devices), and one USB port
(to plug in any USB cable) to charge most phones and tablets on the market. It’s an easy-to-use
product that’s plug-and-play right out of the box like any other phone charger.The cable itself is
6 feet long to give easier access charging.