Solar Powered Speakers

Every day the sun radiates a huge amount of energy called solar energy. Most surprisingly, it radiates more energy in one day than the world uses in one year. Like most stars, the sun is a big gas ball made up mostly of hydrogen and helium gas. The energy comes from its inner core as a result of nuclear fusion. This energy takes just a little over eight minutes to travel the 93 million miles to Earth. Solar energy travels at the speed of light, or 3.0 x 10⁸ meters per second. Interestingly, a small part of the visible radiant energy that the sun emits into space reaches the Earth, but that is more than enough to supply all our energy needs. Every hour enough solar energy reaches the Earth to supply our nation’s energy needs for a year! Solar energy is considered a renewable energy source due to this fact. Today, people use solar energy to heat water and to generate electricity. In India, we are now considering our choices over energy distribution and using the solar energy in full pace. But, here we are discussing about the functionality and use of solar power in Bluetooth speaker. We will look on the various solar powered Bluetooth speaker available in the market and review them according to our criteria. But at first we have to know how this phenomena is used in Bluetooth speaker.

How do solar panels work?

A solar panel works by allowing photons, or particles of light, to knock electrons free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. Solar panels actually consist of many smaller units called photovoltaic cells. Many cells linked together make up a solar panel. Each photovoltaic cell is made up of two slices of semi-conducting material, usually silicon – the same stuff used in microelectronics. Photovoltaic cells need to establish an electric field to work. An electric field occurs when opposite charges are separated. To get this field, manufacturers “dope” silicon with other materials, giving each slice of the sandwich a positive or negative electrical charge. Generally, Phosphorous is doped into the top layer of silicon, which adds extra electrons, with a negative charge, to that layer. And the bottom layer gets a dope of boron, which results in fewer electrons, or a positive charge. This all adds up to an electric field at the junction between the silicon layers. Then, when a photon of sunlight knocks an electron free, the electric field will push that electron out of the silicon junction.

Sunlight is made of energy particles called photons. The photovoltaic cells have semiconductor plates like Silicon. When photons attack this plate, the electrons get knocked off from the atoms. They are collected by metal plates and converted into a steady stream of electricity. A couple of other components of the cell turn these electrons into usable power. Metal conductive plates on the sides of the cells collect the electrons and transfer them to wires. Photovoltaic cells are devices that convert solar energy to electricity. Solar panel is a framework of such cells. Your Bluetooth speakers are powered by this seemingly simple process.

Which are the solar-powered Bluetooth speakers available in the market?

A regular Bluetooth speaker is still tied down by the power cord every time it has to be charged. Solar Bluetooth speakers give you an abundantly-available source of power, the sun. We have pointed out some of the solar powered speakers available in the market in the article. Let’s take a look…

  

1. Eton Rugged Rukus

Eton Rugged rugus is one of the popular solar powered Speakers available in the market. The Rukus has a rubberized exterior that makes it water-resistant. The Rugged Rukus weighs just a little over a pound, which made it easy to tote around. The top of the Rukus is covered with a solar panel. For outdoor activity, it’s ideal. We spent a good part of the day outside with the sun beating down, and the Rukus played on through it all. The device can fully recharge in less than five hours of direct sun. It has a mini-USB port for charging the Rugged as well as a USB output for charging your smartphone or other small device. A dedicated button commands the speaker to charge your device, with another associated uber-bright LED. The Rugged’s battery runtime is approximately 8 hours.

The Rugged is slightly handicapped from the start with a noisy Bluetooth connection while the speaker is at rest. We can really only heard the hum when we were inches from the speaker with sound paused, it’s not likely to bother anyone. On the other hand, the Rukus’ Bluetooth connection was rock solid, never dropping out on us as we streamed music.

2.The Eton Rukus XL Sound System

If you are looking for an extra-large solar powered speaker you can bring out to the garden on a sunny day or for a party on the beach, this is the sound system you should seriously consider. This sound system is an absolute beast in its design and construction. The Rukus XL provides great, full sound and features a bass boost button when you want that extra kick. The shape of the Eton XL is aesthetically pleasing, the solar panel moves seamlessly on its hinge, the handle has been incorporated into the design, there’s a space with a wide elastic band to hold your phone or smaller ipod in place, and it is lightweight. If your iphone or ipod needs to be re-charged, you can instantly plug it in via USB to charge as it plays, all with free solar power. You can wirelessly connect to any Bluetooth enabled device. It has Extra Large Solar Panel or AC charging 5 hours to charge in direct sun.

3.Youmoon Solar-powered Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Youmoon solar Bluetooth speaker looks like a small square alarm clock. It is roughly 6 inches broad and long. It is 2.3 inches thick. It weighs only 10.4 ounces. One face of the speaker has a grille and buttons. The other face has the solar panel. This body is covered in silicone finish on the sides.  There’s a metal frame that goes around the body. It can be used as a stand for the speaker in many orientations. It can also double as a hanger. This best wireless speaker has efficiency mono crystalline solar panel with internal 1200MAH Li-ion battery. In addition, its internal battery provides 6 hours for listening long into the night, and 20 hours call duration Charged at sunny 80-120MAH / hour. Also, it is a fast-charging one. What is more, this wireless speaker is dust-proof and water resistant which could make it suitable for outdoors. With its silicone case and stainless steel bracket, 360° rotation, it is great for any outdoor activity, or just lounging by the pool. Moreover, with its latest Bluetooth technology, it could connect to your device in 3 seconds. Since Youmoon is IPX4-rated, it is water-resistant. It can be used as a shower speaker as long as you don’t drown it in the hot tub.

4.Honeywell Wireless Outdoor Solar Speaker 

The Honeywell solar outdoor wireless speaker allows you to take your favorite music anywhere you want wirelessly. Solar powered outdoor speakers are a hot commodity these days, but the Honeywell wireless speaker sets itself apart by delivering incredible audio performance, streaming music anyway from your mobile device. Using the latest technology, Honeywell has created a weather resistant speaker that features crisp sound quality and bass. The solar panel recharges the speaker’s long lasting batteries giving you up to 8 hours of listening pleasure on a single charge. The unit also includes an AC adaptor to power the unit when sunlight is not an option.

It works with a wide range of inputs including iPods, CD players, MP3 Players, and more. A single transmitter works with multiple speakers so you can listen to the same music in numerous locations. The package also includes a remote control, a pre-installed rechargeable battery, and a complete UL-listed AC adaptors and connectors for maximum flexibility when connecting to various audio sources. One of the best features of this speaker is the ability to adjust it via remote control and recharges under the sun as you party away.

5.MicroSolar Portable Bluetooth Speaker

MicroSolar solar-powered Bluetooth speaker is a pretty device. It focuses on appearance and 360⁰ sound delivery. It may have the attractive design but it does not have a lot of features. It has water-resistance on its side. So you can go pool partying with this one. It will soak up the sun while you soak in the water. It paddles right into our best solar-powered Bluetooth speakers list.

You can carry it with the help of a handle. It weighs about 2.5 pounds on its own. It is 9 inches long across the diameter.This Bluetooth speaker is IP44 rated. It’s both dust- and water-resistant. It charges via a micro-USB cable too. There are no extras like auxiliary input or battery bank. This speaker is Bluetooth only. It has a battery life of 8 hours on full volume. MicroSolar solar Bluetooth speaker has the speaker on the underside of the solar plate. The audio output is crisp and clear. You don’t get any distortion or harshness. You can turn up the volumes via a knob under the solar plate.