BioLite SolarPanel 5+

I’ve been interested in sustainable energy for a few years now. While reports claim China has brought down the cost of solar panels tremendously, getting them installed here in SoCal is still rather expensive. I rent, so paying to install solar panels is not an attractive option for me. I’ve been paying attention to portable wind generators and solar panels, which are increasingly available, and finally decided to take the plunge on a BioLite SolarPanel 5+.

BioLite create products that are marketed as camping equipment in developed countries, and double as off-grid power supplies in developing countries, which is a great concept. The 5+ is a small, portable solar panel with a 2200mAh battery built in. Having used it for about a week now, I’m quite happy with it. It’s pretty easy to use, and seems to be working well enough that I’m still amped on sustainable energy. I ordered it directly from BioLite and it took about a month to arrive. It turns out that before using it, you need to charge it for 12hrs to warm the battery up (or something). It would be helpful if that info was listed anywhere in the instructions (it’s not). So my first few days attempting to use it were quite frustrating. Fortunately, I discovered that helpful tip after reading through some angry comments on the Amazon listing for the product. BioLite’s customer service is not exactly speedy either – I contacted them via 3 different routes and it took about a week for them to respond. When they finally did, it was to let me know about the 12hrs charging needed! BioLite claim that one fully charged SolarPanel 5+ will give you one full smartphone charge. So far, I’m finding it’s more like 50% or 60% charged. Fortunately, it’s almost always sunny here in Los Angeles, and when I work from home, I can get two full charges in one day, if I pay attention and adjust the positioning as the sun moves. Ultimately, I’m happy enough with it that I’m considering investing in more of the BioLite energy “ecosystem” which includes stoves & lights which you can power with the SolarPanel 5+.