Folding USB Solar Cells: Sun Power in Your Pocket

Does your phone have the nagging habit of dying on you when you need it most? Would you like to make sure none of your favorite gadgets will run out of juice ever again? With the folding USB solar cells kit, you can take solar power with you wherever you go and tap into it whenever you need to.

Folding USB solar kit and power bank

We’re constantly told solar power, like other forms of renewable energy, is very expensive and complicated, but that needn’t be the case. The new easy to use, fold out solar USB charging system from Brown Dog Gadgets is an affordable and highly practical solution.

More power

The manufacturers have been designing and selling USB solar kits for a couple of years, but the new fold out system is more powerful, as it contains three small solar cells that output directly to an USB. The standard USB port allows the device to be used to power up all sorts of gadgets.

The solar cell kit will be available in three different models, based on the power output. The smallest will be the 5-Watt model which developers claim can power up an iPhone in about three hours. The 7-Watt model provides faster charging speeds and can power up your phone in just two hours. And the 10-Watt array produces enough power to charge your iPad.

But unlike previous USB solar kits from, these new fold out packages come with power banks in three sizes – 2600mAh, 500mAh and 10,000mAh – allowing you to power up your gadgets during the night as well. The power banks store energy either from the solar cells or any other USB source and are highly portable, functioning as batteries independently of the solar cells.

What makes the folding USB solar cell kit unique is the fact that it can be used in absolutely any setting, offering a low-cost power solution. Its simple, light design makes it possible to use at home, but also when you go camping, by hanging it on your backpack, on the tent or in a tree. The kit is also an extremely useful thing to have in case of emergency, as it can be used to power your phone or a flashlight when no other alternatives are available.

[Image via Kickstarter]