by OldGuy » 16 Nov 2023, 13:56
It is possible to save some money with rechargeable devices, but you can also find major issues with them that won't save a dime.
Rechargeable batteries are not what they pretend to be. Yes, you can charge and reuse them over and over, but first, the initial cost proves them to be very expensive. Second, the power they provide can be compared to the difference between a 4 and an 8 cylinder engine in cars. The power difference is obvious at the very first use. Third, they don't last nearly as long as regular batteries; as little as a month per charge compared to a year or longer. If you expect to recharge them with any solar powered device, it has to be from a much bigger device than the pocket size solar power bank.
Portable solar power banks are misleading. When fully charged, they can charge 3 or 4 portable rechargeable devices such as cell phones, blue tooth devices, etc. The problem is, they don't really fully charge in the sun. I have two of them they lay out in the sun all the time but never really fully charge enough to even charge one device. I have to plug them in to fully charge at least once a week. If you don't plan to charge them with solar power, you're fine. But if all you have is solar power, you're screwed.
The apartment complex where I live had no outside lighting. I purchased enough solar night lights to put one in front of every apartment. They charge during the day, and at night, the motion sensor turns each one on as needed. They have worked very well since I purchased and installed them 3 years ago. They only work on solar recharging and are still doing fine.
Some tenants have purchased the little stick solar lights for their own front door. Yes, they charge up and yes they come on when it gets dark, but most will go completely dark by midnight or 1 am. They do not provide all night light. Newer models do last longer than those available even just a year or so ago but I have not yet seen one that lasts all night.
If you go all out and purchase a complete home solar system, plan on something close to $60,000; maybe more. That size system is big enough to run your whole house and sell extra energy back to the electric company. Even there, you have to switch back to using the electric company power on an extended time of cloudy days. Most governments will offer some kind of tax credits to offset your purchase, but you have to have that much tax to pay in the first place. Credits are not the same as refunds. If you don't even pay that much in tax, they can't give you any credits for tax you don't even pay. Depending on your electric power bill average, it could take several years to finally break even on your purchase. The sellers claim it takes 7 years on average. I suspect it is much longer.
I purchased a portable 1500 watt solar "generator". It is enough to run most of what I run every day with no problem. On full sunny days, the incoming power is even enough to run my refrigerator during the day. However, I still have to switch to the electric grid on cloudy days. I spent about $2800 to get that device and yes, my power bill is much lower than my neighbors. However, the deduction is not really enough to justify the purchase. At the rate I am saving, I will not break even for at least 48 years and the equipment is not expected to last that long. There is no government or tax credit on smaller systems and it is not big enough to sell power back to the grid. The greatest benefit is that I will have lights on at home while everyone else in my area is in the dark during blackouts.
So yes, you can save a bit here and there with rechargeable devices, but you really have to study how much you are actually saving in the long run. In most cases, the payoff to breaking even is questionable at best and the power you gain is not going to run quite as well as you are going to like such as dim or short term lighting.
