Solar power isn’t limited to home use. Many Recreational Vehicles include their own small solar panels on top and battery array inside.

This is useful not only when you’re parked far from a RV campground, but also in case of emergency or natural disaster when the usual sources of electricity may not be available. Extra power from the solar cell can keep your RV battery in good enough shape to allow you to charge your cellphones to keep in touch with loved ones, and heat food in a microwave, and even run a small portable television in order to help keep you abreast of news developments during a disaster. When you know you’re charging your battery with a solar power, you remove the temptation to waste precious gas in order to power appliances inside your RV. More importantly, a strong enough solar panel can recharge a dead RV battery within a day. A solar backup means you never have to worry about being stranded if you do drain your battery.

In addition to RV battery chargers, you can buy foldable, portable solar battery chargers for small appliances, such as cellphones and GPS units. After a disaster, charged phones and GPS units are vital for finding lost people and keeping in touch with friends and family. As you can see, the uses for solar power are varied, as are the means for generating and storing it.