Solar Charging Options Abound

By John Laposky -- TWICE, 3/8/2010

NEW YORK — As the green product wave continues to wash over the consumer electronics industry, sales of solar- powered device chargers are picking up steam.

A wide variety of options have become available in the fi rst quarter from Cableorganizer.com.

The JuiceBar Solar Charger is a pocket-sized multi-device charger for portable devices such as cellphones, portable A/V players and gaming systems. It immediately starts charging upon contact with light from the sun or indoor lighting. It can also be quickcharged with a USB connection.

A full charge of the device’s 1,500mAh battery provides up to 15 hours of MP3 playback. A charge is held for up to two months, making it good for emergency preparedness, the company said.

It comes with 12 commonly used adapters, including mini and micro USB, for use with Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and LG cellphones, as well as Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and iPod.

The charger is 0.5 inches by 3.75 inches 1.6 inches and weighs 2.5 ounces. It retails for $40.

Also new is the Powermonkey Explorer AC/solar device charger designed for travelers. The Explorer charges three ways: with its 20mAh solar cell, plugged into a wall in any of 150 countries thanks to four included AC adapter tips, or via PC with an included USB cable.

It holds 2,200 mAH of power, enough for 40 hours of iPod time or 96 hours of cellphone talktime.

It ships with 10 device adapter tips, four AC adapter tips and a carrying pouch.

It retails for about $120.

For using larger devices such as blenders and small TVs on the go, the XPower Solar portable power pack generator features a detachable 5-watt solar panel. It runs 120-volt AC or 12-volt DC products using a 10 amp hour AGM battery and built-in 400-watt inverter.

The sealed, non-spillable battery is encased in a rubberized shell with two 120-volt AC outlets, one 12-volt DC socket and a USB port. It has a three-digit display for battery-status monitoring.

The device is 15 by 4.5 by 10.25 inches, weighs 12.3 pounds and retails for about $200.

Cableorganizer.com is also offering a universal solar battery charger that accepts D, C, AA and AAA-size rechargeable batteries in pairs. Its needle meter displays the strength of the sunlight hitting the solar cell and gives an estimate of the charging time for different battery types. It also accepts prismatic batteries.

It retails for $22.