Uses of solar generators
Solar generators come handy for many people when power outages occur. However, solar generators have several uses especially in remote areas or locations that lack an electrical outlet or grid. Many solar generators are portable and hence can be carried around to provide power to your phones and other devices such as lights, phones, tablets, laptops, DSLR Cameras, CPAP, TV, and Fridge.
How solar generators work
Solar generators consist of solar panels, a battery charger, solar batteries, and an inverter. A solar generator operates in the same principles as a PV power system, but solar generators are portable in most cases. Usually, solar generators are built for the voltage of the battery bank starting from 12V, 24V, and 48V, and an inverter helps to convert the DC power to AC power. Therefore, the work of an inverter is to step up the voltage from 12V, 24V, or 48V to the required voltage of either 110 volts or 240 volts.
There are different brands of solar generators in the market, including but not limited to Goal Zero, Be Prepared Solar, Renogy, and Anker; just to list a few of the brands. For more details about solar generators, please check out this solar generators article.
Solar Generators from Goal Zero.
Goal Zero was founded with the goal of providing energy solutions to people lacking the basic access to light in the developing countries. It designs products that are portable in nature to power devices in many situations, including but not limited to charging gear on a camping trip to running essential equipment in a natural disaster.
Goal Zero solar generators can be used by people without energy access in a developing country context and also provide energy solutions that can be used for outdoor activities such as camping.
Goal Zero solar solutions can power anything, anywhere, and whether it is a refrigerator or a cellphone being used at home or in a camp somewhere. With this concept, Goal Zero provides reliable renewable energy solutions for different groups of people and you can review more the history of the company here.
Goal Zero Solar Generator Models
Goal Zero has some of the most popular solar generators in the market, including but not limited to
These solar generators offer portable solar solutions and come with different sizes depending on their uses or the amount of power needed to power different devices or gadgets.
Below we are have reviewed some of the most popular Goal Zero solar generator models in the market today:
1. Goal Zero Yeti 400
The most important thing about solar generators is that they run quietly and without giving off fumes.
As such, this Goal Zero Yeti 400 can be used to power a wide range of USB, 12V and AC powered devices and can store huge amounts of power from wall outlets, carports or solar panels which is then used to recharge gadgets or run your household electronics such as laptops, tablets, lights, C-PAP machines, smartphones, camera, E-readers, MP3 players, TVs and many more.
For instance, when it comes to lighting, Goal Zero Yeti 400 can power 12V light for 100+ hours before a charge is exhausted and can provide up to 30+ recharges for a smartphone.
It can provide 5 recharges for a laptop and up to 3 hours of power for a TV. You can get Goal Zero Yeti 400 solar generator from Amazon for less than $500.
2. Goal Zero Yeti 150
This solar generator has the same features as Goal Zero Yeti 400, but of smaller battery capacity- 168Wh (12v, 14Ah) and hence best for your medium-sized power devices unlike the Goal Zero Yeti 400 which is good for large-sized power devices.
For instance, for lighting Goal Zero Yeti can power 12V light for 50 hours, 15 recharges for your smartphone, 6 recharges for your tablet and 2 recharges for your laptop.
Goal Zero Yeti 150 is built for indoor/outdoor use and use at home as an emergency power supply or you can take it anywhere with you for some portable power.
3. Goal Zero Yeti 1250
Goal Zero Yeti 1250 can be charged in three (3) different ways i.e. by the sun (by connecting to a compatible solar panel), or through a regular wall outlet in about 18 hrs, or by plugging into your vehicle’s 12V adapter in about 44 hours (this way you will need an 8.0mm to 12V Charger).
Goal Zero Yeti 1250 has a battery capacity of 1250Wh (12V, 100Ah) and hence has a bigger capacity compared to Goal Zero Yeti 150 which has a battery capacity of 168Wh (12v, 14Ah) and Goal Zero Yeti 400 has a battery capacity of 428Wh (10.8V, 39.6Ah).
As such, Goal Zero Yeti 1250 can power bigger home equipment such as a refrigerator. It is ideal for lights, phones, tablets, laptops, DSLR Cameras, CPAP, TV, and Fridge.
The Goal Zero Yet can power your fridges freezer, CPAP, Lights, your electronics, and more. It has a 1250 watt-hour (100Ah) capacity and a 2.1A USB output or 1200W AC/12V for charging/powering up to 10 devices at once. It is ideal for short power outages.
When it comes to other Goal Yeti solar generators i.e. Yeti 400 Lithium Portable Power Station, Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Lithium Portable Power Station, Goal Zero Yeti 1400 Lithium Portable Power Station & Goal Zero Yeti 3000 Lithium Portable Power Station; these have Lithium-ion batteries instead of Lead-acid (AGM) batteries. You can learn more solar generators here or visiting the Amazon.
Learn more about other models of portable solar generators from the following articles:
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