It is very frustrating for your phone / MP3 / laptop battery die on you while traveling or walking around town. A Backpack is a great place to capture solar energy: Its surface can be constantly exposed to light, and integrated solar panels can easily generate enough power to keep your laptop, GPS, your mobile phone, MP3 player and other electrical devices charged.

To figure out how a solar-powered backpack works, you need to understand a little bit about the mechanics of the solar-powered backpack, or solar technology. It seems complicated, but actually it is pretty simple.

The photovoltaic cells are the keys of the mechanism. Indeed, grouped together as modules or panels, they collect light from the sun and convert it to usable electricity. The help of a semiconductor is however necessary to conduct electricity. In the case of solar cells, silicon is the semiconductor of choice.

When sunlight hits a solar panel, the silicon semiconductor absorbs a portion of the light and its energy. The movement of the electrons will create an electric current that can be harnessed by attaching metal contact points at the top and bottom of the PV cell.  Once the energy is collected, it can be used immediately as electricity or stored in a battery or series of batteries for later use.

For those very cloudy days, the packs also have an AC adapter that allows you to charge batteries using your car’s power.

Recently our buying office in China sourced this kind of products. Prices for these kind of items vary a lot from $20 to $250. It will depends of what kind of items you want to charge, number of cells, quality of the bag etc…

Solar backpacks can be easily customized into different colors, shapes and sizes. They can also be branded.   Please also have a look at more green products –  Promotional 6 in 1 Solar Toy, Emergency Mobile Phone Chargers, Outdoor Shower Bag etc….

 

What’s a solar backpack?

It’s a backpack with photovoltaic cells. A Backpack is a great place to capture solar energy: Its surface can be constantly exposed to light, and integrated solar panels can easily generate enough power to keep your laptop, GPS, your mobile phone, MP3 player and other electrical devices charged.

How does it work?

The photovoltaic cells are the keys of the mechanism. Indeed, grouped together as modules or panels, they collect light from the sun and convert it to usable electricity. The help of a semiconductor is however necessary to conduct electricity. In the case of solar cells, silicon is the semiconductor of choice. When sunlight hits a solar panel, the silicon semiconductor absorbs a portion of the light and its energy. The movement of the electrons will create an electric current that can be harnessed by attaching metal contact points at the top and bottom of the PV cell. Once the energy is collected, it can be used immediately as electricity or stored in a battery or series of batteries for later use.

How much does it cost?

Prices for these kind of items vary a lot from $20 to $250. It will depends of what kind of items you want to charge, number of cells, quality of the bag, etc.