There is nothing more annoying for electric cyclists than an empty battery where there is no place to charge it. Because at this time, you will
have to make all the effort to reach the place you want to go, which is the exact opposite of the reason we bought the electric bike.
And one of the solutions that are considered a good solution if you are away from a source of electric current is to use solar energy.
Not just because it’s available, but because it’s somewhat free (in theory at least)
Of course, using solar energy requires some components. But the problem here is that the options for solar energy components vary a lot in terms of price and also the possibilities.
That’s why in this post, we will share 4 different ways to use solar energy to charge your electric bike, and we will start from the most expensive to almost the lowest, from the cost of $ 1000 to $ 100
So stay tuned!
How To Charge Ebike Battery With Solar Panel?
As a general rule, there are 4 ways you can charge your electric bike using solar energy and they are using the Solar Power e-bike charger and a solar-powered generator, buying a complete solar power unit with MPPT, and finally, you can building a solar unit at home yourself.
1-Solar Power e-bike charger.
2-Solar-powered generator.
This type of charging by solar energy is not considered to use solar energy directly but depends on charging the generator first with solar
energy, and then you can use the generator to charge the battery.
You might think that this type is not considered solar charging in the literal sense, but when you think about it, the source of energy comes from the sun.
I personally prefer this type because when you charge the battery using solar energy directly, the voltage is not 100% stable, and it depends on the MPPT or the DC-DC you are using. The risk is high, especially since the price of the battery is not cheap at all.
But if you use a generator that depends on solar energy, you will not risk the battery and you will get a stable voltage that will charge your bike battery safely.
On the other hand, the way to use these generators is very easy and often has a port to charge the battery through the original battery charger, which adds more safety for you.
You can also use the generator to charge many other devices, even if it depends mainly on the capacity of the generator.
3-Solar power Panel- Full kit.
This type of solar energy component is the most popular and widely used, and also in terms of price, it is in the middle category
This type comes with solar panels as well as MPPT (or Solar controller)
All you have to do is put the panels in the sun, then connect them to the controller, and then connect the controller to the battery.
But there are some tips that you should take into account when choosing a Solar Panel:
It is preferable to choose one higher than 100 watts, 200 will be very good, because if we take into account that most batteries range
watts/hour between 700 to 1000, then 200 watts will give you a suitable capacity.
When choosing the kit, make sure that the solar controller can be adjusted to choose the voltage you want in order to adjust it exactly like the voltage of the battery.
Make absolutely sure when using the panel that there are no bends in it so you didn’t damage the panel in the long run.
Finally, make sure that you use the panel on sunny times so that you can get the highest wattage possible from the solar panels.
4-DIY Solar Battery Charger.
Regardless of what is written about the specifications of the solar panel on Amazon or on Express, the components are the same and the setup method is very easy you can do it at home with ease and also in a much more economical way.
For this, in this part, we will explain how to make a solar-powered battery charger.
Tools.
solar panel 200watts. 12V-18v open circuit
Voltage Regulator DC Boost Converter Constant Voltage Current Step Up Module Adjustable.
electrical wires for connection.
Charging connector (same type as your battery).
Steps:
Connect the cables of the solar panel to the DC-DC input.
Connect the charging connector to the DC-DC input.
set the DC-DC converter to match the exact voltage of your battery
Notes:
If you choose a solar panel with a different voltage, make sure the DC poster supports it.
Make sure to choose a DC-DC converter that works with Constant current Constant voltage output or CCCV which
means that it will keep the output current Constant first then slowly increase the volts during charging the battery.
You can buy some matching MC4 Connectors so you can use the Solar panel to charge different devices instead of connecting the panel to the DC converter directly
Conclusion.
The electric bike battery can be charged by solar energy using solar panels that are specially prepared for charging electric bikes, using a solar-powered generator, or by using solar panels and connecting to it a charging cable suitable for your electric bike battery.
