portable / while riding solar charging , looking for feedback and guidance

[twistydave]

What do ya'll think?

Say about $300 for kit, hopefully less. I think from my very limited knowledge base will give ~1+amps for charging.

A Rockpal 100w foldable case is 14x20x2 inches , 9.5 lbs and uses durable and 23%effecent Sunpower solar cells.https://www.rockpals.com/products/rockpower-100watt-solar-panel
A controller which is yet to be chosen can be just a few ounces. 

So, lets just say ,10lbs of solar charging could get 1amp.  I suppose it would take 2 days to fully charge the battery since in the US we get about 5 hrs of full sun a day. 

My thoughts are to increase my range for day rides and overnight off grid fun.   A specific example is  there are a few great fishing /cool spots that are about 8-15 miles off any motorized road.  These paths are gravel or single track.  When I get to the destination of fishing, etc... set up the panels and get an extra bit of charge.

What do you think?

Also, I'm not sure if I could open just one of the panels and put on the back rack to get a 25 watt panel collecting while riding?   I have read something about if part of a panel is shaded the entire panel drops to the shaded (lowest producing) level of energy production.  I not sure if that is all panels or just a type.  Does anyone know?

[twistydave]

I just bought an Allpowers folding 100watt folding panel and a Elejoy Meterk 400W Step-up MPPT Real-time Tracking Function LED Display Solar Power Supplys Battery Recharging Controller 24~85.  Hope it works.

[RadJohn]

Does that "Battery Recharging Controller" have a CC/CV profile specifically for charging lithium-ion batteries (it kinda looks like a typical solar installation lead acid-charger)? Could be a problem if it doesn't.

[twistydave]

I hope I didn't buy  the wrong one.   It's on it way from Walmart.  I'll post up when it arrives.   

[DickB]

Looking at the specs, there doesn't appear to be a way to specify maximum current. It does have a current output readout - I wouldn't use it if it goes much over 2A, which is the Rad charger limit.

[Ewoodrick]

A little late to the thread, how do you expect to get the solar panel up to the voltage needed to charge the battery? Pretty sure that 5V USB won't work.

[JillGat]

At some point, someone is going to develop a solar charger for ebikes that is smaller, lighter weight and works better.  That is going to be huge, because then you could actually do some distance touring without depending on charging stops!

[JimInPT]

At some point, someone is going to develop a solar charger for ebikes that is smaller, lighter weight and works better.  That is going to be huge, because then you could actually do some distance touring without depending on charging stops!

Don't hold your breath.  Might be worth spending a few minutes with an electrical engineer, or at least somebody who understands the basics of electric-vehicle power requirements, and the power-generation capabilities of solar panels, to understand that your scenario is quite far in the future, if at all.  I wouldn't be surprised in the least if micro-sized backpack nuclear-power generators arrive before that.

[angelaharris]

I bought foldable solar panels from Solar Pads and Panels website at a very affordable price. ALLPOWERS 18V foldable solar panel is easy to carry while travelling and these portable solar panels charge smartphones, tablets, and other USB devices at 5V.

[handlebar]

https://amzn.to/47X9hPH

This item weighs 18 pounds. It has 538 watt hours, which is about what I use to recharge my 672 watt-hour Radrunner battery, which weighs 7 pounds. A Radpower charger uses about 110 watts, and this will supply 600. With good sunlight, it will charge in 2.5 hours.

[Naranja_CT5+]

I bought foldable solar panels from Solar Pads and Panels website at a very affordable price. ALLPOWERS 18V foldable solar panel is easy to carry while travelling and these portable solar panels charge smartphones, tablets, and other USB devices at 5V.

I think the original poster was looking for a solar panel that can charge his e-bike battery. At this present date, there are power stations available that meets his criteria.

I believe the one you bought is incapable of charging an e-bike battery. Solar panels does not save power therefore I suggest putting a power bank between your solar panel and your smart devices. This way you are not just charging your smart devices but you are also saving power when the sun is out.

I think I will get one of this Power Bank.
https://www.amazon.ca/LHIABNN-Battery-Charger-Plastic-Flashlight/dp/B087ZX3GJF/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2KK5ANPHG9U27&keywords=18650%2Bbattery%2Bbox%2Bcase%2Bdiy%2Bpower%2Bbank%2Bcharger&qid=1695651524&sprefix=18650%2BBattery%2BCase%2Caps%2C240&sr=8-5&th=1

[handlebar]

I found a flaw in the Growatt power station, too. The weight might be feasible to travel off the grid, but I don't know how big the folded panel is.

Actually, envisioned it as an uninterruptible power supply with a much larger capacity and much longer service life than a consumer lead-acid UPS. The advertising says it switches on in 20ms after the mains power fails. What they don't say is that its outlets are dead until it switches on. Until the power failed, I'd have to plug my stuff into a wall outlet.

Still, a device like this could be useful in a power failure.

[Naranja_CT5+]

Still, a device like this could be useful in a power failure.

Doing a quick Google search.
I found this https://www.goalzero.com/collections/portable-power

[Radio Runner]

Your far better off packing a fully charged 2nd or 3rd battery than amending 1 battery with the pack weight, set up and unpredictable efficiency of a solar panel and charge controller.

[handlebar]

Still, a device like this could be useful in a power failure.

Doing a quick Google search.
I found this https://www.goalzero.com/collections/portable-power

The Growatt has a LiFEPO4 battery, for a much longer service life and safer operation. The 200 W panel will charge it in 2.5 hours of full sun. I might get 2.5 hours even on a day when the sun kept going behind clouds. In the middle of day, an overcast sky is sometimes bright. I don't know if a solar panel could provide some charging under a bright overcast sky.

Twenty years ago, I was without electricity for a week. However, as it was just my neighborhood, I could have recharged at somebody's house. Solar charging wouldn't have helped ten years ago, when the neighborhood was out from 6 PM to 10 AM. A unit like this would have given me 16 watts for a fan, 7 watts for a light bulb, 10 watts for my modem, and 30 watts for my computer and monitor (which drops to 1 watt if the computer is idle for a few minutes).

My refrigerator compressor uses 110 watts. The defroster uses 325. Years ago I measured the watt-hours per day, but I can't find my record of it. I'm remeasuring. If I run out of food that doesn't need cooking, my 3-quart Instant Pot will cook efficiently or heat water for coffee. Still, if I want to cook and refrigerate during an outage that lasts more than 4 hours, I should buy a bigger unit.

The week-long outage was in freezing weather. The blower on my furnace takes 600 watts. With a duty cycle of about 30% in the coldest weather, it's way oversized. Blower wattage increases as the cube of the volume blown. If I got a furnace with 25% less capacity, blower wattage would drop about 60%. If I want to stay comfortable in a winter outage, I should get a smaller furnace.