How do solar generators work?

Technically, a solar power generator is any system that runs off of solar power. But what most people mean when they say ‘solar generator’ refers to a portable power station that uses solar panels, instead of fossil fuels, to provide electricity.

A portable solar generator uses solar panels to capture the sun’s energy, and then stores that energy in a battery to be used later. Most solar generators are used for RV camping, boats, and as a backup power source in the case of a grid power outage.

Solar generators have four major components:

Portable solar panels

A solar charge controller

A solar battery

An inverter

The solar panels convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity that is then passed through the charge controller. The charge controller regulates the voltage of the electricity into the battery, where the solar energy is then stored for use later. Most solar generators sold today are lithium ion batteries.

When you need to use the energy stored in the battery, the inverter converts the electricity into alternating current energy, or AC power, which is what most appliances and devices use.

Solar generators typically have USB ports, AC outlets, and 12 volt carports to allow you to charge multiple devices.