Solid State Electric Power Plant For Your Bikes
 

At the risk of being chastised for posting a similar thread over in the electronics dept., I thought I would post this here for you to consider. The Marines are cutting down on the amount of batteries they're packing around for their electronics...

Solar Power Means Less Batteries and More Bullets for U.S. Marines
Published May 08, 2011
| The Wall Street Journal


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/08...#ixzz1LqpnYIKs

To run solar, there is one critical requirement -- sun, and plenty of it. And Murphy's Law comes into it. When the battery that runs a device is at its lowest and the need for it is highest, heavy cloud rolls in for the day. Or the ride is through a forest of trees with major overhang on the road. They're likely not issues in southern Afghanistan where the marines operated.

Personally, on a bicyle, I would rather the reliability of the power supply from a hub generator. It's already there, and is one fewer thing to worry about on the bike.

According to your link, the marines are using roll-up solar panels the size of placemats which are "a new package of portable, front-line solar gear developed by Navy scientists."

I like the solar idea. I have solar set up on my camper and have been able to boondock for weeks on end without worrying about power running low. I really wanted to make it work for me on tour. And I tried. But in the end, I just don't think it's ready for prime time touring, at least in a form that's acceptable for my use. I tried a Brunton Explorer foldable panel that was approximately 9" x 24" in size, and claims to put out one amp at 5 volts. I've read it works fine for charging AA batteries, but it wouldn't work with most of my devices, even aimed directly at the sun on a cloudless day. Maybe what the marines are using is much more efficient than what's available for the general public at this point. After all, money is no object for them.

A ten-watt rigid panel might meet my needs. But one has to deal with the 3+ pound weight and the inconvenient size of the thing, as well as other concerns such as shading, getting it stolen, etc. A dynamo sounds like a good solution for some, but they don't put out enough power for my needs. At this point, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack is about the only thing that could work for me, unless of course I reduce my power consumption, which I don't choose to do.

Fox News writing a favorable article on renewable energy? Wow. I guess if it means more bullets for "freedom fighting" I guess it's ok.

Yeah, Obama's DOD and White House have been sending in their freedom fighters for nearly 2-1/2 years now, in increasing numbers. Wow.

I'm thinking a rechargeable battery pack that I can keep float charged. Something that would provide the amps when needed but trickle charged and kept toped-off with a lightweight solar paned.

I had a bank of lead acid golf cart batteries and a couple inverters that were all trickle charged with roof mounted solar panels at a cabin in the backwoods in the Colorado mountains. Ran everything from flourescent lights and stereo, to the water well pump.