Whether you live remotely and need access to power off the grid or you just want a good safe source of backup power should things go wrong in the event of a natural disaster having some sort of solar power for generating power for your devices seems like a good plan. Right?
Well solar panels made for portability have been around for a few years and some are even being sewn into backpacks and the like for ultimate portability. Take your solar with you. Now a company called Renogy has come out with a beefier alternative to a small panel or phone charger.
The Phoenix Portable Generator All-in-one Solar Kit
From the company:
The Phoenix is ideal for powering several on-the-go appliances during a weekend trip, or to keep for back-up power in case of an emergency. The Phoenix is an all-in-one portable solar power system specifically designed for mobile, off-grid applications, and is ideal for emergencies. This compact, lightweight back-up system combines two highly efficient Renogy 10W Monocrystalline Solar Panels and is capable of expanding up to 120 watts. The included 16Ah Li-ion(NMC) battery is replaceable giving the capability of limitless power. The Phoenix is ideal for powering several on-the-go appliances during a weekend trip, or even in an emergency situation.
Now granted this type of portable solar power briefcase may be overkill for many folks who just want to charge their phone or camera on the go, but for those who need some real power for charging multiple devices while in the backcountry or after a storm rolls through and knocks out the power in your area this could be a real beneficial product to have on hand.
The Phoenix features state of the art charging technology with a Pure Sine Wave Inverter to take your free solar power to dc power ready to be used for running your devices. You can see the charging times for devices in the chart below as well as the number of times you could charge that device using the battery supply.
Let’s go over the good and the bad of this device.
Pros:
- powerful enough to charge multiple devices
- portable
- can charge from sun, car, or from AC
- has a replaceable battery pack
Cons:
- weight at 12 lbs it is not light.
- another thing to carry around
- it is not cheap
Summary: I could easily see having one of these generators for my home in case of emergency but more important to my lifestyle would be having this power supply with me when I venture out to the great outdoors for camping and hiking fun. I also shoot lots of video and photos with my various digital gear and having the ability to charge up my gear while out and about and never fear running out of juice would be a great thing. I use small hand held chargers for topping off my devices but they can only go so far and frankly none of them come with any reliable readout of how much juice is left in them. This solar power generator gives you accurate readouts of its plentiful power available.
Check out this video of the Phoenix Generator in action. Solar power on the go.
Charging Chart for the Solar Power Briefcase
