Wondering if a 15 watt solar panel is actually worth it?
Well, you’re not alone.
Afterall it is a pretty low powered solar panel, but you might be surprised to find that it does have very useful applications.
One of the big benefits is their size, measuring no longer than 14 inches you can easily carry one around or store it in the trunk of your car.
What Can You Run With a 15W Solar Panel?
The most common use is to trickle charge deep cycle batteries. These are the big batteries you get in cars to start the engine. Plus they are also used in off-grid power systems in RVs and boats.
Even though 15 watts is not a huge amount of power, you can expect it to generate 1 amp of energy. That means it can charge a battery 1 amp every hour. Don’t expect it to fully charge a deep cycle battery from zero. But it will easily keep it topped up and stop it from running flat over a long period of time.
You can use a 15W solar panel to trickle charge batteries in:
- Cars
- Motorbikes
- Boats
- Campervans
- RVs
- Tractors
Use as a Portable Solar Panel
A 15 watt solar panel is often used in a portable manner. You can effortlessly carry them in a backpack to use during camping, hiking, fishing, bikepacking and other outdoor trips.
The size makes them quick and easy to set up. You can easily throw it out in the sun and use it the charge your electronics like smartphones, speakers, tablets, and lighting. In fact, you can even find products with built-in USB ports!
It will take a few days for a 15 watt solar panel to fully charge a drained car or deep cycle battery. A 15 watt solar panel can charge a battery at 1A per hour in direct sunlight. If to keep a battery topped up you could leave it to charge for 5 – 10 hours to get a decent level of added energy.
You can use a 15W solar panel without a charge controller on big deep cycle batteries as it would take a long time to overcharge. However, for safety it is always best practice to use a charge controller plus it will enable more efficient battery charging.
They are very small solar panels measuring 15 x 15 inches and weighing less than 4 pounds. This makes them great to store in cars or even use when backpacking or camping
Final Words on 15 Watt Solar Panels
There’s no doubt that 15W solar panels fall into the small category.
But they still have their uses particularly in trickle charging deep cycle batteries over long periods of time.
Don’t expect to run any serious appliances from these products as you’re only going to get 1A current during peak sun hours. You might find this enough to keep small devices topped up when off-grid.
