- Portable solar panels, very landlord friendly. (Courtesy photo)
I’m often a little jealous when I look at my electric bill and then think about all of the sun we get in San Diego just going to waste. I’m a renter, so even if I wanted to throw some solar panels on my roof, I couldn’t.
But, even if you’re like me (or, just lack the tens-of-thousands it could take to upgrade your home), there are a few ways you can inject a little solar power into your life for a lot less money.
Here are a few gadgets to get you started.
Solargorilla - $250
This solar panel is small, compact and designed particularly to charge the batteries in all your personal tech — cell phones, laptops, ipods. Once catch, to to use it with your Macbook you’ll need a special adapter.
Powerenze solar-powered generators -$750 and up
Pricey but powerful.These flexible, light weight and very portable solar panels give can you three to four hours of power to anything with a plug thanks to their built-in generators. They’re most suited to hardcore campers, or maybe, just those of us looking to spend a day at the beach.
Voltaic Solar Backpack - $220
It might not be the most fashionable bag you can carry, but its 11 standard power adapters will charge your phone and MP3 player while you’re out and about. It even has a built-in battery to store energy for those days when the sun just isn’t shining. You can also try the messenger (http://www.earthtechproducts.com/solar-messenger-bag.html) or camera (http://www.earthtechproducts.com/p2537.html) bag versions.
Mood lighting - $10 - $50
Target has an array of solar lights to jazz up your patio, balcony, garden — you name it. Solar lights are generally not very bright but they require not batteries and no wiring. If you buy LED versions, they’ll probably never even require a bulb change. How’s that for maintenance free?
Veranda Solar - ?
- Justin McLachlan is SDNN’s personal technology columnist.
My personal favorite — These portable panels are designed to sit on porches and balconies and are equipped to work with your home’s existing power grid — at least they will be. The inventors, graduate students at Standford University, are still in the startup phase but say to look for these by early 2010. The best part? These panels are landlord friendly.
Want more? Take a look at this DIY Solar Power Blog.
Justin McLachlan is a freelance journalist and the personal technology columnist for SDNN.com.
Comment by: Your Solar Green Shop Posted: July 13, 2009, 7:09 pm
I love solar stuff, I will look into some of your suggestions.
Comment by: Howard Roth Posted: August 15, 2009, 4:13 am
I actually have the SolarGorilla and it worked great but I noticed I am in need of something I can use at night. The only place I saw selling it was http://ecogeekliving.com/mini-gorill…k-charger.html EcoGeekLiving.com - I got a $10 coupon when I signed up for their newsletter. Hope this was helpful!