History & Production of Solar Powered Laptop Chargers: Three Companies

When the laptop was introduced, people were able to immediately leave their homes and take along their connection to the Internet. The battery life of these personal computers, however, leaves a bit to be desired. Laptops can drain a battery with heavy use in just a few hours, leaving the user searching for an outlet to recharge the battery. With solar power laptop chargers, the sun is the electricity needed to keep that laptop running for hours longer.

The solar laptop charger was introduced at Consumer Electronics Show in January of 2008. The company, NRG Dock, offered two versions of the solar power laptop charger, a Home version and an Apartment version. The Home version was created with a 15 watt panel that collects enough electricity to run a standard laptop for a few hours. This is not to mention the charging ability if the laptop is plugged in without being used. It is a shame to add that the NRG Dock has yet to be released for sale but there are other competitors out there ready to take on the competition.

The UK company Sunshine Solar has created a solar powered charger that is powerful enough to run electric hand tools, laptop computers and GPS systems. The unit collects 13 Watts of power and costs about $115.00 USD. There are accessories including voltage adapters and charge regulators for long term use of the solar powered laptop charger.

Another option is the SolarRoll mat. The mat rolls out to a size of 12" by 57". With a total electricity output of 14 watts, there is enough power to fully charge a laptop in about 10 hours. The SolarRoll is a bit more expensive than the Sunshine Solar at $389.95 on sale with a regular price of more than $650.00.

The solar powered laptop charger is an eco-friendly option for charging a laptop. The solar powered laptop charger will effectively charge a laptop in about 10 hours but can also extend the life of your laptop battery while using the unit on charge.

There is a final option in solar powered chargers for your laptop. This unit, created by Voltaic, is a backpack with solar powered panels adhered to the outside of the pack. For more information on the Voltaic Solar Powered Backpack - read Power Up Your Laptop With the Sun.