Frequently Asked Questions

The thin film photovoltaics material is CIGs (Copper Indium Gallium DiSelenide).

Encapsulated chargers range from 0.3″ (0.762mm) to .10″ (2.5mm) thick.

Encapsulated chargers range from 4 ounces (113 grams) to 6.2lbs. (2812 grams).

The cells average 14.5% as of 2015. The chargers range in output from 20w – 200w.

The products were designed for portable charging applications. A portable solar charger can be used daily in all types of weather conditions. However, the portable solar chargers were not designed to be left outside on a full-time basis, exposed 24x7x365. Leaving the solar charger outside on a full-time basis may degrade the performance and reduce the lifetime of the charger.

The products come with a one-year limited power warranty for consumer products and a two-year limited power warranty for military products. The warranty was written with an application of daily, repetitive use in mind for portable charging. The charger should produce a minimum amount of power according to the technical specifications and warranty if used in accordance with the operating instructions included with the product.

The product is suitable for a broad range of applications including; Consumer Electronics, Outdoor and Recreation, Mobile Professionals, Expeditionary, and Military activities to name a few.

The chargers are guaranteed to perform in normal atmospheric conditions. The optimal temperature is 25ºC ambient (outside air temperature) but the solar cells have been rated to operate in extremes from -40ºC to 176ºF. Note: For practically all solar technologies, power output drops with increasing temperature and needs to be considered when choosing a product to meet your charging needs.

Nominal voltages include: 5v (USB), 12v, & 24v. Other voltages are possible with the use of electronics to convert or limit the solar panels output voltage.

The solar charger when not connected to a battery or device is operating in open circuit and voltage will measure higher than normal operating voltage. Once the solar charger is connected to a battery or load the current will begin to flow and the voltage will decrease to nominal levels.

Four of the products, Sunlinq 1-4, have built-in regulators limiting the solar chargers output voltage which in most cases can be plugged directly into a device or battery charger. The Sunlinq 5-7 and P3 solar chargers are unregulated and you should take caution before plugging into a device that may not accept a wide range of input voltage. In most cases, the unregulated solar chargers will require a charge controller or regulator on the output of the solar charger to avoid overcharge or overvoltage to batteries and electronic devices. Please consult P3Solar website or one of our associates for a recommendation.

The solar chargers can be connected in parallel and P3Solar offers an SAE y-cable accessory to make this connection (see accessories section on this website). Connecting solar chargers in parallel effectively doubles (2x) the current (amps) and power, keeping the voltage of the individual solar chargers rating. We recommend you parallel connect chargers of equal power (a 25w & 25w) as this will provide the most efficient output from the connected chargers.

We do not recommend connecting the portable solar chargers in series, high voltage is dangerous, and do not provide cabling to support this configuration. If you require higher voltages, we offer a 24v version.

Charging times vary by location, time of year, and the device or battery being charged. We have tried to simply this by offering a solar charging chart listed on this web site with some average charging times for common devices.

The solar charger is an electronic device which is designed to withstand the outdoor environments elements including limited expose to rain/moisture. However, we do not recommend you leave the solar charger in standing water for long periods of time as this may degrade performance and reduce the lifetime of the charger. We do not test exposure to other liquids but if your solar charger is exposed to a foreign substance you should immediately wipe down with a clean damp cloth to remove the substance.  Important Note: The solar charger is not intended for use in salt water environments – exposure under such conditions accelerates corrosion and degradation of the charger and will void the product limited power warranty.

A solar charger by itself is not suitable to charge a laptop battery directly. All laptops require a specific voltage and current to charge and any fluctuations by the sun and solar charger due to low or no light will cause the laptop to operate from its internal battery. For this reason, we recommend a solar charger plus an auxiliary battery pack compatible with the solar charger and the make/model of laptop. This solution, enables you to capture and store the sun’s energy generated by the solar charger into the battery while operating your laptop.

The solar chargers will produce power down to approximately 20% of a full sun which is considered a gray sky, cloudy day. Below 20%, the voltage drops off significantly and the solar charger will not be able to maintain charging into a battery or device. Keep in mind that at 20% of sunlight the power generated by the solar charger will be approximately 20% of the solar chargers rating.