Portable solar charger provides 8-W

The SLPD-01 Solar Pad is a high-efficiency Li-polymer solar charger suitable for charging smart phones, tablets, and multi-media players via a USB connection. It produces 5.2-V at 1.5 A, which is about 8-W. It measures 120 x 76 x 18-mm and weighs 300 g – about the size of a smart phone. The portable charger is equipped with 2 USB ports, one micro-USB port, and 4 white LEDs.

The solar charger ($69 ea) uses a 1-W solar cell and achieves 22% efficiency. The 600-mAh Li-polymer battery can also be charged through a USB input at the rate of 1.2 A at 5 V. A smart charging feature that uses an MCU protects the device from being over- charged or discharged.