a short series reposted from @Marica on Gab. Part 1 here, 2 here.

If I had kids, I’d make a list of the electronics they regularly use that can be powered by power banks, figure out how much capacity each one needs to stay up and running for some definite period of time, make sure each kid had his/her own bank, and was responsible for keeping the bank charged. And do the same for adults, including the rechargeable lanterns and flashlights.

I say definite period b/c only you know how long a typical power outage in your area lasts. The point is to keep things charged without having to bother the generator, if you even have one. But what if the power stays out longer than what you’ve planned for? How are you going to recharge the power banks? Certainly one way is to use the usb port(s) in your vehicle. But that doesn’t strike me as an optimal solution.

My own solution was based on knowing what happens. Hurricane blows through, next day the sun is shining. I went with a 24W portable solar panel. (It’s the one on the right, only partially opened.) Mine has four panels, and three standard usb ports. On an overcast day, it charged a 6000mAh power bank from one light (of four) to 100% in three hours. (That’s enough to recharge an iPhone twice.) For comparison, on a sunny day it recharged an iPhone from 58% to 82% in 30 minutes.

One important thing to know about portable solar panels is that the angle of incidence (tilt) matters. In the summer, at my latitude, the optimal angle is ~6 degrees, so almost flat on the ground. In the winter, when the sun is low in the sky, it’s about 60 degrees.

The dates on which to change tilt angles–

to Summer: April 18
to Fall: August 22
to Winter: October 5
to Spring: March 5.