Panasonic releases a solar charger with USB, AA battery slots and LED lights

(PhysOrg.com) -- The idea of a solar charger is not a new one. There are a whole host of them for the mobile device, but a lot of them are too expensive to be purchased by the average consumer. Other charge devices too slowly. Only time will tell which solar charger becomes the pragmatic option.

Panasonic has decided to throw its hat into the ring with its new BG-BL01 charger. The BG-BL01 is a combination device, both solar battery charger and emergency LED Light. The solar power come courtesy of a HIT Solar panel, the same type of current generation panels that are found on homes. The BG-BL01 also comes equipped with a USB port, two AA Battery Charger slots and three LED lights.

The device itself is surprisingly small, at just 152×104×24mm and it weighs 150g. Panasonic claims that the device will take up to 15h to fully charge two AA Batteries. With a full charge users will get up to 10 hours of the highest brightness light or up to 60 hours worth of light at its lowest brightness. The LED lamps are at a capacity of 0.12W×3. The system will also be able to power a 500mA USB powered device in about 1h and 20 minutes.

The BG-BL01 is also IPX3 compliant, which makes it splash proof but not submersion resistance. The device will be on sale by the end of August 2011 and it is expected to retail for $75. It is expected to retail for this price in both Japan and the United States.

© 2010 PhysOrg.com