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Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger | 
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| Brand: Sunforce
Category: Automotive Parts and Accessories
List Price: $129.99
Buy New: $79.99
as of 3/10/2010 01:39:35 EST details
You Save: $50.00 (38%)
New (7) Used (1) from $77.99
Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 5071
Media: Misc.
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 14.6
Dimensions (in): 41.5 x 15 x 2.3
MPN: 50032
Model: 50032
UPC: 834319000655
EAN: 0787769500322
ASIN: B0006JO0X8
Release Date: November 25, 2005
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | 15-watt solar charger plugs into your vehicle's 12-volt lighter socket | | • | Works with automobile, all terrain vehicle (ATV), personal water craft (PWC), and boat batteries | | • | Made of durable ABS plastic and amorphous solar cells | | • | Manufacturer recommends using a charge controller (not included) in tandem with this charger for optimal results | | • | Measures 15.5 x 2.5 x 41.5 inches (WxHxD) |
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Product Description
Solar Power Chargers for your 12V batteries and accessories. Power-up anywhere, affordably! These Solar Power devices grab free "juice" from the sun! They extend the life of your 12V batteries, maintain the charge and allow you to run various electronics (deer feeders, landscaping pumps, etc.) from your batteries. Clean, silent operation... with both cigarette lighter adapter and battery clamps. Thin-film silicon cells work in all light conditions and are maintenance free for years. Compact and efficient, with bright LED charge indicator, and built-in blocking diodes to prevent discharge at night. Get wired now! Order ONLINE Today! AVAILABLE SEPARATELY: 5W Solar Battery Trickle Charger, 1.8W Solar Battery Maintainer or 7-amp Charge Controller - word search in our Store for 'Solar Power Chargers'. 15W Solar Battery Charger Panel... Creates 15W / hour, for approx. 735W generated per week (15W x 7 hours x 7 days). Can be linked with up to 7 others easily, no tools. Completely weatherproof. Comes with extension wire and stainless steel mounting screws. 38 x 13 x 1/2", 10 4/5 lbs. Controller below recommended to regulate.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 34
 Works great July 29, 2007
M. Wagner (Bellevue, WA United States)
35 out of 37 found this review helpful
I put this on top of a metal storage container with 3 LED lights inside. I put in a controller and a 12 volt deep cyle battery, and I have lots of light.
Just for grins I put in a 400 watt inverter in case anyone wanted to run a battery charger for a DeWalt cordless drill. Great job site problem solver.
Solar power is expensive, so not sure it was worth it February 26, 2008
Thomas H. Lawler (Everett, Wa)
39 out of 42 found this review helpful
I got a set of 5 panels for $65 each when I saw them on sale. I've had no problems (with arriving broken or such) & I'm pretty sure they put out the energy I expect when the sun's on them. (Update 7-08, see my review under the northern tool panels for my performance test results of the panels I have).
But after I got these I ran some math on the cost for them and their output versus the utility power rate. With power billed in kiloWatt/hours (or 1,000 watts at a time) these panels can suposedly produce 15 watts (~1/60 of a kiloWatt). Assuming they give me the full 15 watts output for ~8 hours per day constantly, it'll take 15+ years for them to pay for themselves. Since cloudy days & such reduce the output & benefit, it will likely make it take a lot longer. Whether of not the plastic construction will hold up that long I wonder about too, so I'm not sure it was really worth it now. How to fully utilize the power I get & not just be keeping a battery fully charged is another thing I'm not sure of (I don't want to leave something running that drains the battery overnight, but not running anything means I get nothing out of it).
So if you want to power something in a remote location that can run off of minimal power or has a high draw but for only a minimal time, this may be the way to go. Just remember that the panels only give you power during sunshine and you need enough of them to be able to recharge the battery they feed during your daylight hours. The set of 4 panels & more for ~$300 sounds like a better deal than ~$100 each (unless you see these on sale). Also being able to use them with existing things (like in a RV that runs off of 12V power anyway) can make it easier to utilize them as well.
But if you are thinking buying these will help you save on your energy bill at home, you might want to think again. To produce 1 kilowatt of solar power will cost you ~$5,000 up front (and that's almost regardless of who's name brand you choose). To collect up the DC power they produce and convert that into household power requires a car size battery & a power inverter as additional costs. I saw a TV show where a guy in California made himself independent of utilities with a farm of panels & other equipment needed, but it cost him over $500,000 to put it all together. If you can afford such and like the comfort of being energy independent, go for it! Otherwise a utility bill as little as $0.10 for each kilowatt hour seems more cost effective to me.
Works as advertised August 26, 2007
David Milunic (New Jersey)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
It arrived quickly and in perfect condition. It produced the rated open circuit voltage and short circuit current in full sunshine per the specifications. It was a good buy, very good for maintaining a battery, but you must use a charge controller. You need several along with a charge controller if you intend to produce enough power for useful work. I use 5 (similar) together with a 100 amp/hour marine battery to power my laptop. I'd like to add a few more! Great for the hobbyist who wants to play with solar without a large expense, also useful for low power off grid applications. It has been outside during several large rainstorms and had no problems.
Very Nice Solar Panel. September 1, 2007
L. Leung
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
Got this panel for under $70 bucks. The panel came in a very securly packed package. It generate more than it advertised. I measured over 20 watts while it's in direct sun light. One thing that's should improve is that the core could be longer.
no regrets September 1, 2007
Brian W. Ewert (Placerville, Ca USA)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
The product came as promised. The same solar panel is sold in many other retail markets, this gave me confidence. I didn't save a bundle on amazon, but I saved a few dollars and like dealing with amazon anyway. Plenty of electrical wire for easy connections to my batteries.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 34
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