Eco-friendly energy alternatives are becoming more affordable all the time and solar cell phone chargers are among the least expensive.

One of the easiest ways to decrease your energy usage is to employ a charger that utilizes the renewable energy of the sun to recharge the battery on a mobile phone. These small, lightweight units come in a variety of sizes and power outputs to make recharging a breeze.

Alternative energy technology has come a long way over the last decade. Today, solar cell phone chargers are small enough to fit on a key chain and can connect to any phone or mobile device.

Units range in price from as little as $15 US to more than $100 US. Smaller, less expensive units will take far longer to recharge a dispensed battery which is one of the drawbacks to the technology.

Some Challenges of Using Solar Cell Phone Chargers

It can take anywhere from 10 to 12 hours to recharge one mobile device. Sunlight is required which means phones need to remained plugged in during daylight hours when they are normally in use.

One alternative is to purchase a second battery and keep that one hooked to the solar panel during the day. A second alternative would be to purchase a larger unit that produces more solar power.

The trouble is that even larger units will only work when the sun is hitting the panels directly and can still take as many as 8 hours to recharge.

Reliability of solar chargers varies quite a bit from brand to brand at the present time, so it is useful to purchase from solar professionals, or read customer reviews so you won’t be disappointed with their performance.

Keeping a second battery hooked up all day could work but the panels still need direct sunlight in most cases to work effectively. With the sun’s movement from one side of the home to another throughout the day, direct sunlight may only hit the solar cell for a few hours at a time.

Save Money With DIY Solar

Some people are choosing to create their own solar cell phone charger out of single cells. These units are far less expensive with one new cell retailing less than $15. However, electrical experience is required to connect the solar cell to a energy storage battery or to an inverter to change the power from DC output to AC output that the mobile device can use to recharge.

Types of Solar Cell Phone Chargers

There are three general looks for chargers. These are the flip panels, key chain panels and upright panels. Flip versions look similar to a flip cell phone with the solar cells housed inside a plastic protective case. Key chain versions are very small and offer no protection for the power collection cell. The upright model is often the most expensive and stands up like a picture frame. All versions can be found online for purchase.

What Does the Future Hold for Solar Chargers?

Alternative energy technology is growing by leaps and bounds. Eventually, all mobile devices will be recharged with the use of the sun’s rays, but until that day comes, current models provide a glimpse of what will surely be common in the near future.

Author Bio: M.S. Rochell is the owner of http://www.Go-Green-Solar-Energy.com which offers education and inspiration on the benefits of going green with solar energy, DIY solar power, and affordable solar energy solutions. Please visit for more solar cell phone charger information, and to receive our free Affordable Solar Panel eBooks.

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: solar cell phone charger,solar cell phone,solar powered mobile phone