Solar power my laptop?

[FredTheBiped]

I'm going camping for the summer and want to be able to use my Toshiba Satellite L455D laptop at least every other day. I'm looking at the Sunforce 22005 and 22010 flexible panels, which give 1/2 to 1 amps. Will either do the job?

[russ]

You would probably have better luck getting a reply if you provided a link to the specification sheet.

Russ

[Sunking]

Well you will not like the answer, but NO it will not work by itself. The problem with laptops is they use unconventional battery voltages, and their built in chargers have specific requirements that have to be met. So what you have to end up doing is have a solar panel, charge controller, and conventional 12 volt battery. Then to charge your laptop you need either a inverter to plug your laptops power brick into, or buy an automotive brick charger made for the laptop. You end up spending several hundred dollars and a trunk-load of equipment to carry around.

Besides you are going camping and you do not need a laptop, cell phone, TV, or radio. After a week you will be relaxed and stress free. When you get back and plug in again you will becomes tense and stressed again and hopefully realize it is the laptop, cell phone TV, and radio that makes you stressed out.

[FredTheBiped]

Well you will not like the answer, but NO it will not work by itself. The problem with laptops is they use unconventional battery voltages, and their built in chargers have specific requirements that have to be met. So what you have to end up doing is have a solar panel, charge controller, and conventional 12 volt battery. Then to charge your laptop you need either a inverter to plug your laptops power brick into, or buy an automotive brick charger made for the laptop. You end up spending several hundred dollars and a trunk-load of equipment to carry around.

Besides you are going camping and you do not need a laptop, cell phone, TV, or radio. After a week you will be relaxed and stress free. When you get back and plug in again you will becomes tense and stressed again and hopefully realize it is the laptop, cell phone TV, and radio that makes you stressed out.

I appreciate your efforts but I'm spending the summer in the woods, writing my next book longhand, and would like to type it in to the laptop every few days. I thought the solar trickle trickle charge might work. However, I'm considering hauling in a new 550 cranking power car battery and inverter. I can't figure out how many times I can charge the laptop from the battery before I have to get the battery recharged.

[Sunking]

However, I'm considering hauling in a new 550 cranking power car battery and inverter.

Do not use a starter aka cranking battery. Get a true deep cycle battery. A typical 12 volt AGM deep cycle battery the size of a car battery is about 70 AH which works out to around 840 watt hours. A typical Laptop battery is rated around 50 watt hours. So if discharging to 50% DOD on th eAGM and taking into consideration the losses 5 to 7 times.

[FredTheBiped]

Yes, a deep cycle battery would be best. Thanks.

[solarpower112]

there are other options, the price is a little higher, but worth it for convenience

I'm going camping for the summer and want to be able to use my Toshiba Satellite L455D laptop at least every other day. I'm looking at the Sunforce 22005 and 22010 flexible panels, which give 1/2 to 1 amps. Will either do the job?

You could always buy the sherpa 120 explorer kit. It comes with the inverter, 120 battery pack and a 27watt foldable solar panel. It is probably going to be the most compact system you can find that you could honestly lug around in a backpack and everthing included and simple plug in play. The price is high then most solar kits but you get what you want. Sometimes you have to pay for it to avoid the headache and stress and since you plan on being in the woods already with a computer, stress is something you want to avoid especially when writing a book.

Also, depending on how long it takes you to type your book, I know my laptop will last about 1-2 hours if I am only typing and not having all my other programs running with a full charge and not plugged in. You can charge the battery pack during the day and have power for the night. So you would able to get about 4-5 hours total of off grid power during the night. about 1-2 hours without the battery and about 2-3 maybe more (just depends on what you are running while on the laptop) while on the battery pack. Then close down laptop when you are done and place the panels in the direction of the sun connect it to the battery and then go to sleep. Not sure how you work or sleep..but just thinking ahead.

But like sunking said, having an inverter is going to be needed for the best convenience because trying to plug laptops together with alligator clips and battery terminals can be a bit complicated.

here is the link sherpa 120 explorer kit

PS..I was doing the math and if you had a full battery pack, once your laptop starts getting low, plug into the inverter then the battery pack...then you would get power while you typing and once the battery is low from the sherpa, you would still get power from the battery from your laptop...so maybe more computer time.

[Mike90250]

a 27w panel will not do much power generation. Look for something in the 100W range to keep a 50-100ah battery charged, and use an automotive charger for your laptop.

[FredTheBiped]

You could always buy the sherpa 120 explorer kit. It comes with the inverter, 120 battery pack and a 27watt foldable solar panel. It is probably going to be the most compact system you can find that you could honestly lug around in a backpack and everthing included and simple plug in play. The price is high then most solar kits but you get what you want. Sometimes you have to pay for it to avoid the headache and stress and since you plan on being in the woods already with a computer, stress is something you want to avoid especially when writing a book.

Also, depending on how long it takes you to type your book, I know my laptop will last about 1-2 hours if I am only typing and not having all my other programs running with a full charge and not plugged in. You can charge the battery pack during the day and have power for the night. So you would able to get about 4-5 hours total of off grid power during the night. about 1-2 hours without the battery and about 2-3 maybe more (just depends on what you are running while on the laptop) while on the battery pack. Then close down laptop when you are done and place the panels in the direction of the sun connect it to the battery and then go to sleep. Not sure how you work or sleep..but just thinking ahead.

But like sunking said, having an inverter is going to be needed for the best convenience because trying to plug laptops together with alligator clips and battery terminals can be a bit complicated.

here is the link sherpa 120 explorer kit

PS..I was doing the math and if you had a full battery pack, once your laptop starts getting low, plug into the inverter then the battery pack...then you would get power while you typing and once the battery is low from the sherpa, you would still get power from the battery from your laptop...so maybe more computer time.

I appreciate the advice, but do not confuse camping with backpacking. I have no vehicle yet a friend is driving me within 150 yards of the site. As such, I can lug in a Sunforce 15 Watt 1 amp solar panel ($90), an Everstart deep cycle battery ($60) and an inverter ($30) (total $180) as compared to the Sherpa 120 ($560). Also, since I'm camping on a creek that's shooting down the mountain at about 10-15 knots, I looked into a water turbine. I found exactly what I wanted, in Australia, and contacted the inventor. Turns out it was a school design project and he hadn't built one yet.

[solarpower112]

Water Turbine?

I appreciate the advice, but do not confuse camping with backpacking. I have no vehicle yet a friend is driving me within 150 yards of the site. As such, I can lug in a Sunforce 15 Watt 1 amp solar panel ($90), an Everstart deep cycle battery ($60) and an inverter ($30) (total $180) as compared to the Sherpa 120 ($560). Also, since I'm camping on a creek that's shooting down the mountain at about 10-15 knots, I looked into a water turbine. I found exactly what I wanted, in Australia, and contacted the inventor. Turns out it was a school design project and he hadn't built one yet.

That stinks that it was only a class project, that would have been a great product if it produced enough power. Also, no problem about the suggestion. I know that it is high, but I don't know who you are or those other factors, for you case, then getting that system would be the smartest thing. I know there other people who need that assurance and don't know all that much about solar and wiring system, nor do they really want to, as it gives them a headache.

Good luck to you mate!

[tamz]

Human power

I know that this thread is old but i can help my self
I also know that this is about solar but im thinking ouside the solar box


How many watts can you pedal, run, punch, push or pull?

http://scienceshareware.com/bike_gen.htm

I think we can make a handy design version of this. you know the idea!

[russ]

How many watts can you pedal, run, punch, push or pull? I think we can make a handy design version of this. you know the idea!

Study it a bit more before you get all excited. The answer is available many places on the net. It isn't worth doing.

[tamz]

Oh well it is there in the link i have posted, would be enough to power a laptop. a laptop would around 40 to 60 watts...

[russ]

From Wiki - A trained cyclist can produce about 400 watts of mechanical power for an hour or more, but adults of good average fitness average between 50 and 150 watts for an hour of vigorous exercise. While some exercise equipment has been fitted with generators, A trained cyclist can produce about 400 watts of mechanical power for an hour or more, but adults of good average fitness average between 50 and 150 watts for an hour of vigorous exercise. While some exercise equipment has been fitted with generators, the amount of energy collected is of low value compared to the cost of the conversion equipment.^[1] A healthy well-fed laborer over the course of an 8-hour day can sustain an average output of about 75 watts

A healthy, well fed laborer has an output of 580 watts in an 8 hour day. Average people may manage half that or probably much less? The couch potato type probably couldn't manage 25% of that.

A very true statement - the amount of energy collected is of low value compared to the cost of the conversion equipment

This is one of the loony green things that go around from time to time.

[russ]

Low Tech has a post on cycle power and it's history.

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/05/pedal-powered-farms-and-factories.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fkrisdedecker%2Flowtechmagazineenglish+%28Low-tech+Magazine%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo