Ads have started popping up everywhere online for so called "30000mah solar powered battery banks". Some of these powerbanks sellers even went further to claim they had powerbanks with 50000mah worth of charge.. Even 80000mah. To make the offer even sweeter manufacturers of these powerbanks have added "solar charging" to the mix. All this tech is combined with prices so low make the devices sound like manna from heaven. This post will investigate some of the claims of said powerbanks to see how true these numbers really are..



Capacity.

Almost all rechargeable batteries used in powerbanks are lithium batteries
The unspoken truth about powerbanks and mobile batteries (especially lithium) in general is that the tech has started reach a plateau in terms of size to charge capacity in the past few years. As such, you can roughly estimate the capacity of a lithium battery just by looking at its size. Given this moderate assumption it's about right to say a 30000mah battery fitted in a power bank should be 10 times as large as your typical phone battery. However most of the powerbanks we see today claiming to hold up to 30000mAh of charge are small enough to fit in your pocket. In reality, a battery of that capacity should look at least 3 to 4 times as large as a moderately sized phone
Before you buy a powerbank always ask yourself . "Is the rated capacity of this powerbank realistic?"


Now let's open a typical 30000mah solar power bank sold in Nigeria to see the true capacity of the battery inside.









As you can see from the images above, the powerbank contains just two 2400mah batteries for a combined capacity of 4800mah. Not the 30000mah advertised. The true capacity has been inflated more than 6 times over. For a little perspective, let me tell you the capacity of the typical single AA battery.. 2400mAh ! .This so called 30000mah has no more capacity than two regular finger batteries you can buy from any store.

Solar charging.

By now I guess some of you are thinking. "Well, it has solar charging so even if the capacity isn't large enough I can just harness my free sunlight to keep my phone charged 24/7"

As to whether the solar panel charges the batteries at all, I cannot confirm. You do see a set of LEDs on the side of this particular powerbank light up when the solar panel is under direct sunlight.. So you are thinking..."something must be charging right?"

Not necessarily.

For the science inclined, let's do a little rough calculation here to see why a solar panel that small is basically a waste of time (you can skip if you just want the results)

The best solar panels you can buy will provide 230 watts of power per square metre under direct sunlight



See more on solar panel efficiency here:

http://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-basics/how-much-electricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/



Being very generous, the size of the solar panel on top of this power bank is 7.5cm by 15cm. Multiplying this you get an area of 112.5 square cm. Convert that to square metres and you get 0.01125 Sq metres

Multiplying the area of the powerbanks solar panel by the "premium" power output of 230Watts per square metre; The power output of the powerbanks solar panel is 2.6watts

The standard charging voltage for lithium batteries is 5 volts.. Using the power, voltage, current relationship:

Power= current x voltage

2.6watts=current x 5 volts

Current = 0.52A
Current = 520mA

So charging current from the solar panel (after converting from solar panel voltage to 5v) to the battery is 520mA.

NOT 1A or 1000mA (solar) as stated on the back of the powerbank below



To charge 30000mah:
30000mAh/520mA= 57 hours of full blast sunlight

To charge 4800mAh:
4800mAh/520mA= 9 hours of full blast sunlight

And this is all assuming you have world class solar panels attached to your cheap off the counter powerbank! In reality, you might have to double your charging time for regular grade solar panels of this size

.




Long and short, factoring in sunlight availability and electrical losses, you probably will not be able to charge this powerbank by solar electricity. In fact the LED charging lights will probably suck all the current produced by the solar panel just to indicate that it is charging


Conclusion

Before you buy any powerbanks please ensure you have a good grasp of the content of what you are buying.
Buy from reputable brand names and don't fall for this solar charging gimmick. It doesn't work well enough to be viable.


There are larger portable panels that do work,





however they are difficult to come by in Nigeria.


Please share with friends so they don't get sucked into the same gimmick.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDTTz_ftj3E

Thank u Op....

The Enlightenment was very much needed.....

Order you 30,000mah power banks from Jumia for only #3000

Check my signature...


*messes outta thread*

RobinHez:
Order you 30,000mah power banks from Jumia for only #3000

Check my signature...

RobinHez:
Order you 30,000mah power banks from Jumia for only #3000

Check my signature...

Did u read at all or u r just trying to be mischievious?

Ameboperoo:

Did u read at all or u r just trying to be mischievious?

Haba him no go sell his market again

All this things just to tell us why we shouldnt fall for fake power bank.
Chai op, i give you thumbs up.

Chidexter:
All this things just to tell us why we shouldnt fall for fake power bank.
Chai op, i give you thumbs up.

it's also battery and solar power general knowledge. So you can use what I've written here in many different areas

Cant believe people even believed that crap. It has always looked like a cheap toy from china

Now I love this

good one. front page worthy

Thought this should get to front page by now

Can i buy tecno product

You don spoil market for some people

Tnx op, Noted.

imagine selling a "30000mah" battery for 3k even when the 5200mah power bank I hv with me cost about 3.5k to get it. And that solar bullish!t be deceiving folks since 1990.

Thanks for the enlightenment, God bless you real good

Okay

Nice one, I experienced it too after getting one at alaba. It ended in my trash, since it can't charge simple Nokia torch. SON really need to wake up.

Nice One op

Ehn hennnnnnn....i said it, been along time I did physics but immediately I saw that power bank months back I knew it was fraud. Panel was just too small....didnt even charge an Ipad up to half. So I concluded no buy for me....OP u get sense

Nt again first it wuz papannamdi the trader now u

thanks op, chinko don full market..

:Dthat tin na toy na.. day just dy hawk am 4 streets anyhow

RobinHez:
Order you 30,000mah power banks from Jumia for only #3000

Check my signature...

Ghen ghen

@op
Hw can I know original pb @point of sales?. Thank

stephinnoyewole:
@op
Hw can I know original pb @point of sales?. Thank

It's not possible to know for sure. But if you buy a known brand, from a reputable retailer you should get a good deal. Also refer to what I have said above about the size. Use your battery to estimate the probable size of the power bank.. For example, if the size of your phone battery is 2800mah and you want to buy an 8000mah pb, the pb should be about 3-4 times as large as your battery.. Just do rough estimates.

Any powerbanks above 20000mAh will be larger than you can put in your pocket

Very insightful write up

Lalasticlala