Flexible Solar Panels Power Many Types of Household Devices |
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By: Stephen Michael Posted: 2010-03-02 04:01:45 |
| Flexible solar panels are a new and welcome addition the growing application of solar power technology. These panels are lightweight, inexpensive and will supply a good deal of energy that can be used to power a number of portable devices. They are also durable enough to be incorporated into the design of these portable products and can provide hours of use from simple sunlight.Unlike conventional solar cells, these flexible solar cells are made by spraying a silicon solution onto a flexible substrate. The process actually "prints" the material with a pattern of this liquid that develops into a small solar array. Depending on the pattern used and the size of the substrate, a variety of output current and voltages can be attained. Because this type of solar panel can be made in any imaginable shape, they are easy to incorporate into the design of almost any product.A very common use of these flexible panels is in portable battery chargers that can be used to provide power for cell phones and laptops. These products usually consist of a large flexible solar panel that is unrolled or unfolded to capture a good amount of sunlight. When not in use, the panel can be folded back into a much smaller package, which makes it a very portable solution. This solar battery charger can be used to charge the batteries of the device it's connected to, or may even charge an internal set of batteries for later use.There are even several styles of clothing that use these flexible panels as part of their design. By building these panels into a hat or back pack you can take advantage of the power the sun provides when you wear these items. You can use the power they provide to charge a cell phone or other portable device in your pocket while you spend time outdoors.There are several backpack designs that actually include flexible panels on their top flap and a pocket to hold the device that the panel is charging. This type of product allows you to take advantage of the free energy the sun provides, which can power most portable devices for hours.These flexible panels are also being used in many different outdoor lighting products. The panels are placed in a sunny area and used to charge a battery. This battery can then power a set of garden or pathway lights at night with the free power collected during the day.While flexible solar panels hold great promise there use is mainly limited to powering small devices directly. If you are looking for ways to harness solar energy to power your home you may want to make your own solar panel from conventional silicon photovoltaic cells. |
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