Top Five Cheap Solar Battery Chargers

Everyday it becomes more and more apparent that something needs to be done to help protect our environment.  The greenhouse gases produced by conventional electricity generation contribute to global warming and may one day make our planet uninhabitable.  Luckily you can help.

Buying a solar battery charger is not going to save the Earth by itself by any means, but it will help to take one less energy-sucking electronic off the grid.  Plus there's a convenience factor.  A solar battery charger will allow you to charge your devices anywhere, even if there's no outlet available!  So if you're camping in the backwoods and your iPod dies you won't have to go without it.  Just charge it while you're out hiking one day and you can return to your favorite tunes.

Here are my choices for the top five solar battery chargers based on their price and features.

1. The Sunforce 5 Watt Solar Battery Trickle Charger

Never worry about being stranded by a dead car battery again. This charger by Sunforce will charge most vehicle batteries, including automobiles, boats, and ATVs.

2. Sunforce 60 Watt Panels

These panels are definitely not portable enough to carry in a backpack, but when combined with an RV or even just outside your home they will provide 60 watts of clean, renewable power.

3. iceTECH Solar i-101

The iceTECH Solar i-101 can provide nearly a half hour of cell phone usage after just an hour in the sun. Plus it comes with adapters for a variety of cellphone models and mp3 players.

4.  Solio H-1000 Hybrid Charger

The Solio H-1000 is similar to the iceTECH i-101 in that it is intended to be used with portable electronics.  Though it may not charge devices as rapidly, it makes up for it with the built in battery.  This enables the charger to store energy during the day and provide an emergency charge at night.

5. Lenmar PPUS20 PowerPort

The Lenmar is another cheap solar charger with an integrated battery. It, however, does not charge quite as rapidly as the above products, but is still quite effective.

Remember, solar power is not restricted to merely charging batteries.  Though this clean, renewable energy we can also heat our homes and pools with solar heaters and light up our backyards with solar patio lights.