Portable Solar Powered Charging Station for AA AAA Batteries

I was tired of buying new batteries for my TV remotes and devices that require AA and AAA batteries. They never seemed to last long enough. I hated the fact that after each use I had to throw them away. It was not economical and bad for the environment. I decided I wanted to find an energy-efficient and sustainable way to reuse batteries. The solution to my problem was pairing my portable solar panel with a USB battery charging station. I am able to recharge batteries using the free power of the sun and created a solar-powered charging station. It is a perfect fit.

Solar Powered Charging Station

Powerowl USB Charger

I had a USB solar panel lying around that I use when I go backpacking to charge my phone. I went online and found an inexpensive USB Powerowl charging station that could charge both AA and AAA rechargeable batteries.

Positioning The Solar Panel

I can place the solar panel on the porch in direct sunlight or hang it from a window in the house. The batteries will charge much faster in direct sunlight than partial. My solar panel is very efficient and it can charge with low light. I bought enough rechargeable batteries so I can rotate them and always have fresh batteries ready. It generally takes about 1 hour to charge 8 batteries depending on the sunlight.

Solar Chargers

There are many portable solar chargers on the market. Some are larger than others. Unfortunately, my Archer portable solar panel is no longer being produced. It is a nice and efficient system. There are several comparable systems on the market. Here are a few to consider.

X-DRAGON 20W USB Portable Solar Panel

The X-DRAGON 20W portable solar panel charger is a lightweight and capable panel charger. It can charge two USB devices at the same time.

eBay:

X-DRAGON 20W portable solar panel charger

Amazon:

X-DRAGON 20W portable solar panel charger

Nekteck 21W Portable Solar Panel Charger

The Nekteck 21W portable solar panel charger is another good option. It is very similar to the one I have. It is a three-panel system that is proficient and can detect what device is plugged in to give it the best charge.

eBay:

Nekteck 21W portable solar panel charger

Amazon:

Nekteck 21W portable solar panel charger

USB Charger

I went with the Powerowl USB battery charger. It has 8 bays and will charge AA and AAA rechargeable batteries simultaneously. I bought a few packs of each type of rechargeable battery. This way I always have some charged and available. If you need to charge other types of batteries there are chargers for all types.

eBay:

Powerowl 8 Bay AA AAA Battery Charger

Amazon:

Powerowl 8 Bay AA AAA Battery Charger

Batteries

A bought a mixture of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries from Powerowl. These rechargeable batteries are high capacity 2800mAh 1.2V Ni-MH and have a low self-discharge. These rechargeable batteries can be charged 1200 times and keep 70% power after non-use for 3 years. So far I am very happy with their performance.

eBay:

Powerowl AA Rechargeable Batteries

Amazon:

Powerowl AA Rechargeable Batteries

Conclusion

If you are looking for an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solution for the batteries in the home, a solar powered charging station is a great solution. I am very happy with this setup. When I need to charge some batteries I can quickly set up this charging station and have fully charged batteries ready to go.