Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger

by Sunforce

• 15 Watt solar charger plugs into your vehicle's 12 Volt lighter socket or directly to battery with included connections
• Works with automobile, all terrain vehicle (ATV), personal water craft (PWC) and boat batteries
• Made of durable ABS plastic and amorphous solar cells; Amorphous panel works in all weather and daylight conditions
• Built-in blocking diode protects battery discharge at night
• Manufacturer recommends using a charge controller (not included) in tandem with this charger for optimal results

Product Description

Amazon.com

The Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger gives you another reason to love the sun: it'll help keep your 12V batteries charged. Just plug this helpful 15-Watt battery charger into your vehicle's 12V lighter socket and position the panel to pick up the most daylight possible or connect directly to the battery with included battery clamps. Made of durable ABS plastic and amorphous solar cells, this unit comes with built-in blocking diode technology that protects against battery discharge at night.

Convenient charging for when you're on the move

You can also use this device to maintain the charge on any 12 Volt battery for clean, silent operation of various electronics, such as, deer feeders and pumps. The 50032 is a great choice for automobiles, recreational vehicles, tractors, all terrain vehicles, boats, electric fences, telemetry and more. The amorphous solar panel is even effective on cloudy days. The complete unit includes all wiring and accessories needed for installation. The manufacturer recommends using the Sunforce 60012 7 Amp Charge Controller in tandem with this charger for optimal results.

Sunforce Solar Panels are effective in areas of both high and lower sun exposure, making them ideal for use in the United States

Convenient Power That Helps Keep Your Batteries Charged

This Sunforce solar charger lets you harness the power of the sun, the most powerful and plentiful source of energy available to us. Unlike nuclear and fossil fuels, solar power is clean and pollution-free, and the equipment requires very little maintenance to operate.

This solar panel can generate 1 Amp per hour under ideal conditions. For example, under ideal conditions, the panel will generate 15 Watts x 7 hours x 7 days per week for a total of 735 Watts of power. You can connect multiple panels together to decrease overall charging time. By adding a second panel of the same output you will double your output and halve the length of the charge time.

About Amorphous Solar Power

Solar panels convert sunlight into an electric current, they do not store power. Amorphous solar panels are created by spraying silicon onto glass in very thin layers, and are commonly known as thin film solar panels. This process allows them to be better at generating electricity in all lighting conditions, including cloudy or shady environments. They have a maximum operating temperature range of -40 to 176-degrees Fahrenheit, requiring virtually no maintenance. They can even withstand impacts from one-inch hailstones at 50 miles-per-hour.

Amorphous solar cells work in all daylight conditions--even on cloudy days. These solar panels are completely weatherproof, and can be used indoors or outdoors.

Amorphous Silicon key points:

• Lightweight, portable, and shade tolerant
• For entry to solar or hands on solar
• Best for smaller output needs, temporary set ups, and areas that do not receive predictable sun conditions

Product Description

The Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger gives you another reason to love the sun - it'll help keep your 12V batteries charged. Just plug this helpful 15 Watt battery charger into your vehicle's 12 Volt lighter socket and position the panel to pick up the most daylight possible or connect directly to the battery with included battery clamps. Made of durable ABS plastic and amorphous solar cells, this unit comes with built-in blocking diode technology that protects against battery discharge at night. You can also use this device to maintain the charge on any 12 Volt battery for clean, silent operation of various electronics, such as, deer feeders and pumps. The 50032 is a great choice for automobiles, recreational vehicles, tractors, all terrain vehicles, boats, electric fences, telemetry and more. The amorphous solar panel is even effective on cloudy days! The complete unit includes all wiring and accessories needed for installation. With a maximum temperature range of -40 to 176-degrees Fahrenheit, this unit measures 15.5 x 2.5 x 41.5 inches (WxHxD). The manufacturer recommends using the Sunforce 60012 7 Amp Charge Controller in tandem with this charger for optimal results.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 81 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little panels October 19, 2007

By D. M. Harman VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased 6 of these for a backup system for my home. Two Northern units and 4 Sunforce units all 15 watt. ( these are the exact same units btw, northern's are cheaper). With two inverters, a 2500 watt, and a 300 watt pure sinewave for computers and such. Hooked through a 7 amp charge controller to a pair of 110 amp hour deep cells in parallel for a total of 220 amp hr's.

I first hooked two panels up to see how they did, they worked well in very low light but couldn't ever get the batteries to "full" on the controller. I then hooked up a third panel and that gave enough to bring the batteries to full after a full day. With six panels hooked up, it will bring the batteries to "full" in a very few hours from a 30% drained condition.

These units are less then optimally placed and rarely get full sun, but do very well even without that. Two panels in full sun may very well have been able to bring the batteries to "full" but location is a problem for me. One other product of note is the P3 international "Kill A Watt" electrical useage meter. Doing a survey of electrical useage in my house to get ready for this project was an eye opener to say the least.

Great panels, at a good price, that do what you pay for...all you can ask for.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Panel, great price March 15, 2007

By jfk

No problems with delivery (of two panels). Worked right out of the box, getting great wattage out of it. Only nit is I would have preferred a seperate power cable, vs. attached.

Mounting holes made it easy to build a PVC stand.

Haven't found another panel with these specs at this price.

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Works great July 29, 2007

By M. Wagner

I put this on top of a metal storage container with 3 LED lights inside. I put in a controller and a 12 volt deep cyle battery, and I have lots of light.

Just for grins I put in a 400 watt inverter in case anyone wanted to run a battery charger for a DeWalt cordless drill. Great job site problem solver.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Works slightly better than spec June 19, 2007

By Peter B. Nelson VINE™ VOICE

Got mine undamaged from northerntool for $92.40 (with shipping and tax). A quick DVM reading (laid out flat on ground in full sun at 2PM June 19th 2007 in Minnesota): 21 volts and 0.8 amps = 16.8 watts. Now $92.40 for 16.8 watts works out to $5.50/watt, which is a very competitive price these days (note that they only warranty up to 80% of rated output). I plan to use this to drive a 12V fountain pump. According to the specsheet, "Yes, this panel is fully weatherproofed." Nevertheless, I wish it came with a plastic hail guard, as the glass feels delicate. Looks like the same product as the Sunforce 50032.

54 of 61 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Solar Panel November 4, 2006

By R. Gruber

It was simple to install on top of my RV. I was able to put a cover over the panel and keep getting the sunlight to charge the batteries. It charges even through glass on the inside of the RV.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Works as advertised August 26, 2007

By David Milunic

It arrived quickly and in perfect condition. It produced the rated open circuit voltage and short circuit current in full sunshine per the specifications. It was a good buy, very good for maintaining a battery, but you must use a charge controller. You need several along with a charge controller if you intend to produce enough power for useful work. I use 5 (similar) together with a 100 amp/hour marine battery to power my laptop. I'd like to add a few more! Great for the hobbyist who wants to play with solar without a large expense, also useful for low power off grid applications. It has been outside during several large rainstorms and had no problems.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Item January 20, 2008

By Jeremy Akers

Amazon Verified Purchase

It comes with a nice long cord which was long enough to reach from the corner of the room of my RV down the refrigerator vent where I connected it to my 7 am charge controller and ran a wire underneath to the battery. This cord has a plug on the end to connect to one of several connectors included. (No wire splicing necessary). It comes with connectors for connecting to a cigarette lighter, alligator clips for connecting directly to battery posts, as well as a connector that just splits off two wires with the insulation already removed for you in case you need to wire them directly into something, or extend them with more wire. It also includes a LED test light that can plug directly into the solar panels cord to test whether the panel is working.

I have attached two of these solar panels to the roof of my RV camper. They keep the battery fully charged even with the propane detector still using electricity. I was able to screw the panel directly into my rubber roof with the screws provided with no problem. They are very secure and they were a great investment.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars solar panel September 22, 2007

By W. DEMEDIO VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

Puts out 24 v in Sept PA sun @ 15 w power. With voltage regulator and deep cycling storage battery with or without inverter will keep your house/ shed/ workshop low amp tools and lights running from sundown to bedtime. I have cut my electric bill $10 per month with this unit so in two years it will have paid for itself including all accessories. Great panel, great shipping.