solar trickle chargers explained
Ever wonder what the purpose of a solar trickle charger is..how are they different than traditional solar panels? A trickle charger is typically a low wattage solar panel with a purpose of keeping a battery’s charge topped off. Typically if your not using a battery it will start to discharge and if it gets to a point in which it gets too discharged your battery may lose the ability to hold charge.
Have you left your car sitting without using it for a couple weeks? Did it start up? In some cases people can’t start their cars because the battery in your car will discharge everyday its not used. This is where a solar trickle charger comes in handy, since it can keep the battery in your car charged up. A trickle charger can be helpful if you live in a cool climate since batteries lose their charge in cold weather. Keeping your battery charged up keeps it more reliable and extends the number of cycles you can get out of your battery.
Many people assume solar trickle chargers will not work well in cloudy weather although since the ICP Solar Trickle Charger is a thin film solar panel it actually performs well in low indirect sun. Larger solar trickle chargers such as the ICP sunsei SE-500 may need a charge controller to keep it from overcharging your battery.
