Since solar itself is inconsistent, most consumer electronic devices will not charge directly from an unregulated solar panel. Alternatively, Voltaic batteries are designed to optimize solar energy potential and to accept a wide range of input voltage, which makes them a reliable power source for your devices. For this reason, we recommend using a Voltaic battery pack for charging consumer electronics.
If you are looking to charge a microcontroller or an IoT device, please visit our Solar for Arduino Guide or our Solar for IoT and Remote Sensors Guide.
Regulated Solar Panels
If you are looking to charge a USB device directly from a solar panel we recommend our Arc 10W, Arc 20W, or a USB 5V Regulator with one of our 6V solar panels. Our Arc series comes standard with a built-in smart USB port, which will regulated the power to your USB device and allow you to charge when the panel is in direct sunlight.
If you wish to use one of our rigid urethane panels, then you can modify your 6V panel to charge most USB devices directly using our USB 5V Regulator.
Contact Voltaic Tech Support