Pretty much every driver knows that a dead battery can be a huge hassle. In the best-case scenario, the car doesn’t start, but there’s somebody helpful and friendly enough to help jump-start it. In the worst-case scenario, there is nobody around, and you’re on a timeline where the dead battery has completely shattered. A dead battery can be an absolute disaster, and there is no reason that a driver should go without a backup plan in case the battery does fail at an inconvenient time. That’s why battery chargers are so useful.
A car solar battery charger can recharge your car battery by using the power of the sun. These batteries are becoming very popular since everyone has become concerned about the high cost of energy and finding ways to save the environment. Interest in solar energy power continues to grow because it is a renewable and clean source of energy.
What are the advantages of solar panels charging a car battery?
The advantage of a solar battery charger is that in most cases, you won’t be required to keep it charged. There are battery chargers that are actually batteries themselves, but with a solar battery charger, you’ll usually have the option to charge the battery directly from the solar panel. With an electric battery charger, you’ll need to regularly recharge the charger, but because solar energy is in infinite supply, you won’t have to worry about that. Finally, although the amount of power used to charge a battery is nearly negligible, a solar battery charge won’t cost anything in energy costs after you buy it, making the additional front price more palatable over time.
What are the disadvantages of solar panels charging a car battery?
When it comes to solar battery chargers, there are a number of advantages and disadvantages to consider. The disadvantages are mostly obvious and have to do with the nature of solar energy in general. A solar battery charger will initially be more expensive than a regular one because the solar panel it will need will be much more expensive than a simple electrical outlet, as is the case with most battery chargers. Also, a solar battery charger will only perform at its peak on sunny days. Unfortunately, batteries don’t fail on a specific day schedule, so you’re taking a risk when you buy an automotive solar battery charger – namely, it will only fail on sunny days.
Is it worth charging with the solar panel a car battery?
Whether a solar battery charger is worth it to you depends on your situation. If you never do anything damaging to your battery, like leaving your lights on or using the power when the engine is off, and you consistently have your battery changed ahead of schedule, then you probably don’t need a battery charger, to begin with. Batteries that are used correctly seldom fail ahead of time, and if you have jumper cables, you’re unlikely to get into enough bad battery-related situations that the price for a charger is worth it.
However, even if that is the case, a battery can fail for unrelated reasons (such as a damaged alternator), and if you do have a history of battery trouble, a battery charger is definitely worth buying, at least for the one bad day when everything goes wrong. As for solar battery chargers, they can be worthwhile, but their limitations make them a very specialized product. The main period of time when a driver might not be able to find somebody to help jumpstart their car is during nighttime or poor weather conditions – conditions in which a solar battery charger doesn’t even work.
Conclusion
A solar car battery charger is mostly useful if you have a lot of battery-powered applications, or if you intend on taking your vehicle somewhere where you may not be able to reach an electrical power source, like a camping trip in the wilderness. In either case, a solar battery charger might be much more worth its price. An automotive solar battery charger usually costs somewhere between $50 and $100, depending on how powerful it is. A powerful model should be able to charge a dead battery in about an hour.