Power / Solar

We now have a newer, easier, and cheaper design for solar charging - check out the bq24074-based Adafruit Universal USB / DC / Solar Lithium Ion/Polymer charger! It has more input protection and wider voltage range, no need for a large capacitor, USB C, and more. We'll continue stocking this older design for folks who need it. For new Solar charging projects, please use the bq24074 . Make your projects to go green this summer with our...

These panels come to us from Voltaic Systems, makers of fine solar-powered bags and packs. These are waterproof, scratch resistant, and UV resistant. They use a high efficiency monocrystalline cell. They output 6V at 330 mA via 3.5mm x 1.1mm DC jack connector. The substrate is an aluminum / plastic composite, specifically designed to be strong and lightweight. They can easily stand up to typical outdoor use including being dropped and leaned on....

These panels come to us from Voltaic Systems, makers of fine solar-powered bags and packs. These are waterproof, scratch resistant, and UV resistant. They use a high efficiency monocrystalline cell. They output 6V at 530 mA via 3.5mm x 1.1mm DC jack connector - a nice upgrade to the 2W panels we have been carrying. The substrate is an aluminum / plastic composite, specifically designed to be strong and lightweight. They can easily stand up to...

These panels come to us from Voltaic Systems, makers of fine solar-powered bags and packs. These are waterproof, scratch resistant, and UV resistant. They use a high efficiency monocrystalline cell. They output 6V at 930 mA via 3.5mm x 1.1mm DC jack connector - a nice upgrade to the 2W or 3W panels we have been carrying. The substrate is an aluminum / plastic composite, specifically designed to be strong and lightweight. They can easily stand up...

This product is a 3-in-1 cable. By itself, it can act as an extension cord for any 5.5/2.1mm DC power cable. The heavy 24 AWG wires can handle up to 5A. You can also cut it half to make two barrel cables (one plug and one jack). This will allow you to connect a classic 'wall wart' to a breadboard or PCB without having to solder in a bulky power jack. Or you can use the plug half to connect some batteries to something with a 2.1mm jack. The...

Outdoor enthusiasts rejoice! We now have standard 5.5/2.1mm DC power cable sets in a waterproof variety. These cable sets are ideal for projects that must weather the weather: dust, water, rain, snow, tornado (not volcano proof!). They are a little bulkier than normal DC jacks because of the o-ring and removable over-screw. The o-ring is what makes the waterproof seal, and the over-screw keeps the two halves connected solidly Comes as a set of...

This skill badge is self-fulfilling! Normally you would get the badge after the project is done, but in this case, the badge can be part of the project! The solar panel is epoxied into a round disc 55mm diameter (about 2.2 inches), its rugged and looks cool besides. We include a sticky foam pin back you can attach to the back of the panel to mount it onto a backpack, jacket or sash. Of course, it also is a perfectly functional solar panel. There...

Turn a wall adapter into a mini power supply with this incredibly useful adapter. A high quality molded 2.1mm DC barrel jack is brought out to red (center positive) & black (ring negative) alligator clips. Works with just about every wall adapter, good for about 2 or 3 Amps of current and up to 24VDC. 2.1mm DC Barrel Jack to Alligator Clips (1:28)

These 6 Volt, 9 Watt  panels come to us from Voltaic Systems, makers of fine solar-powered bags and packs. They are waterproof , scratch resistant , and UV resistant . Using a high efficiency monocrystalline cell and outputting 6V at ~1.5A via 3.5mm x 1.1mm DC jack connector, they are a nice upgrade to the 2W or 3W panels we have been carrying. The substrate is an aluminum / plastic composite, specifically designed to be...

This charger is the only one you need to keep all your Lithium Polymer (LiPoly) or Lithium Ion (LiIon) rechargeable batteries topped up. No matter the power source at your disposal! The  Adafruit Universal USB / DC / Solar Lithium Ion/Polymer Charger can use USB, DC or Solar power, with a wide 5-10V input voltage range! The charger chip is super smart, and will reduce the current draw if the input voltage starts to dip under 4.5V, making it...

This convenient 3.8mm/1.3mm or 3.5mm/1.1mm or 1.3mm DC to 2.1mm DC adapter cable  lets you plug one of our solar panels into our optimized Solar Lithium Ion/Polymer charger! 2.1mm inner diameter (5.5mm outer diameter) is the most common type of DC plug, but you can use this adapter for anything else that has a 1.1 or 1.3mm ID (3.5-3.8mm OD) DC jack! The adapter has little springy parts inside so it can be used with 3.5mm to 3.8mm OD...

This convenient  3.5mm/1.1mm or 5.5mm/2.1mm DC Jack adapter  lets you plug one of our solar panels into our optimized Solar Lithium Ion/Polymer charger! 2.1mm inner diameter (5.5mm outer diameter) is the most common type of DC plug, but you can use this adapter for anything else that has a 1.1mm ID (3.5 OD) DC jack. This adapter lets you convert something with a 3.5mm OD plug into something that will accept a 5.5mm...

These panels come to us from Voltaic Systems, makers of excellent solar-powered bags and packs. These are waterproof, scratch resistant, and UV resistant. With a high efficiency monocrystalline cell, they output 6V at 180 mA via 3.5mm x 1.1mm DC jack connector. The substrate is an aluminum / plastic composite, specifically designed to be durable and lightweight. They can easily stand up to typical outdoor use including being dropped and...

Hoot! Hoot! "The owls are not what they seem." This is the Solar Powered   Owl Blinky LED Pendant Kit from Lumen Electronic! With a little bit of soldering you can make a battery-less blinking owl. That's right, there's no coin battery! Instead, a 1 Farad super capacitor is used to store energy. It takes around an hour to make and, when you finish, you can charge it either with a USB or with the power of the sun. It takes...

Discontinued - you can grab Day of the Geek Soldering Badge instead!    Scary. Solar. Skull-y. The Solar Powered SKULL Blinky LED Pendant by Lumen Electronic Jewelry is an awesome new kit where, with a little soldering, you can make a battery-less blinking skull. That's right, there's no coin battery! Instead, a 1 Farad super capacitor is used to store energy. It takes around an hour to make and, when you finish, you can...

Never go looking for some AAA's again, this solar racer car requires no batteries! The Volta Racer Solar Motorcar Kit contains all of the necessary parts required to successfully assemble your car - including the worlds first flexible polycrystalline silicon solar cell used for powering toys. No special tools or batteries are required - just your hands! Makes for a great first electronics toy or project. For children ages 6 years and olderWe...

This flexible easy-to-use solar panel is a great addition to your next solar powered project. This solar cell provides approximately 6V DC in direct sunlight at up to 1W (approximately 160 mA). Multiple units can be chained in series and/or parallel to increase voltage and current. The film cells are bonded between two plastic sheets that will protect it outdoors and there are easy-to-solder connections on the back. You can use epoxy to...

Harness even more power from the sun with this nice big solar panel. We had these custom made for us when customers let us know they needed more than what our 2W panel could provide. This panel is a 12-cell (6V) assembly mounted onto a fiberglass PCB and covered with PET plastic which protects the cells without reducing efficiency. The back has two soldering spots to easily connect and is conformal coated. The panel is thus fairly strong and...