Solar charging has come a long way and with Solar Paper from Yolk, it went even further. Solar Paper is exactly what it sounds like” it is a paper thin portable solar charger that claims to weigh just 1/3 of its competitors and it is super efficient too, capable of topping up an iPhone 6 in just 2.5 hours. But that’s, of course, when the panels under the full assault by sunlight. In the event it gets temporary shaded by say, for example, the clouds, it will automatically resets and resume charging your device. So, there’s no need to unplug and plug like some other solar chargers.
Solar Paper claims a 23.7 percent solar cell efficiency and interestingly, it is scalable – thanks to the innovative magnetic connectors which allows more panels to be added if more power is required. While it is referred to as ‘paper’, it is not quite paper-thin. However, at 0.15” (or 3 mm), it is incredibly thin nonetheless. At least, it is thin enough to use it as a bookmark if you so desire. Also, not all of it is 3 mm; only the panel is, but not the the top bar thingy where most of the circulatory goes.
The ’top bar’ is also home to a nondescript LCD amp meter which shows you how much current is flowing from the charger to your device at any given time. Solar Paper is truly an incredible leap in portable solar charger technology and that’s not to mention it looks absolutely of rad too – thanks to its innovative design with gold plated accents. As for electricity generation, each panel is capable of turning out 2.5 watts. 2.5 watts may not sound like a lot, but for $148, you are actually getting two panels which will offer you a total of 5w.
Like I have said earlier, the beauty of it is lies in scalability, i.e. you can further expand it by acquiring more panels at around 60 bucks each. If you buy from Amazon, you choose from 5-10 watts configuration. Prices, as of this writing, range from $148-248. As far as portable battery goes, the pricing is not anywhere near ‘affordable’, but if you are an outdoor person, it is a small price to pay for something so indispensable when out in the wild. Go check it out.
And oh, did we mention that Solar Paper was a hugely successfully funded Kickstarter campaign? Yup. It was. During the campaign, it managed to secure over a million in funding. Holy sh… that’s insane! Before you go, you may want to check out the product video below.
Images: Yolk.
Source: YouTube.
