Given the fall of 2020 fires up and down the west coast might take down the grids, why is Apple not selling a solar panel that can safely recharge Macbook Pros?
Their model 5 is rated at 5 Watts at 5 Volts. Their model 14 is rated at 14 Watts at 5 Volts.
Charging a MacBook Pro requires just short of 100 Watts at 20 volts, so you will need seven of the larger ones, connected together in a way that could boost their output power to at least 20 Volts.
The reason you are not seeing solar panel chargers for MacBooks is that they would need to be nearly the size of a single rooftop solar panel to be effective.
Ask Apple
You did not ask for suggestions about alternative ways to charge your computer. You asked why Apple is not selling solar panels. The only answer to that question would have to come from Apple.
There are a lot of Power adapters available.
Generators also work.
JeffHB wrote:
Good point. To clarify, I asked Apple why they were not selling a solar panel that would be able to recharge a MacBook Pro without putting it at risk from power surges. The woman that I talked to an Apple told me that this is the first time she's had a question like mine posed to her in years of working for Apple and that the only thing she could suggest would be to go back into Apple's Discussion forum to try to get feedback from other Apple users you might've had the same questions themselves.
There are lots of solar panal and alternative energy source manufacturers and sources available. Why would Apple get into a business domain not directly associated with their current business?
JeffHB wrote:
I already did that. Since it is Apple's Macbook Pro that I am trying to keep protected, the portable, solar recharger manufacturer sent me right back to Apple.
Then it looks like the solar power company is not interested in selling solar panels to Mac users.
Just as I would not ask the solar panel company to make computers, I would not ask a computer company to make solar panels.
<<There are lost of Power adapters available>>
... as do power inverters that take 12 Volt car-battery power and create 120 Volts AC to run an Apple Power adapter.
Have you seen the pictures of the West Coast?
You can not use a solar panel to charge a Mac through that orange smoky haze, even if there were such a device.
Hi Bob:
Thanks for your time on the reply, but all I received was a link.
I called Apple and asked them what they recommended? Their answer: they do not have any recommendations.
What they did tell me was the specs in my current (APPLE) power adapter. They are:
61 watts
Line voltage 100-240
Does that help out at all?
They also told me that people living in cars and campers must be using solar panels to recharge their Macbook Pro's. How I can get in touch with these people seems daunting.
I hope to hear back from you soon.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jeff
sorry, I saw you called them power adapters in your text, then linked to Inverters. Since I did not see you mention inverters in your text, I added a comment that I see now was redundant.
You already covered that.
Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:
sorry, I saw you called them power adapters in your text, then linked to Inverters. Since I did not see you mention inverters in your text, I added a comment that I see now was redundant.
You already covered that.
My fingers were in gear before my mind was engaged. I meant to type inverter. Thanks for jumping in.
Sorry I was not clear on what I meant by solar panels. Here is a product that I'm looking at that I would like to use to recharge my MacBook Pro if and when California's electrical grid goes down either because of fires or for other reasons:
As you can see, it's compact and easy to carry around for trips or even to put on the roof of my home. The problem is that I need to get Apples guidance on what type of protections (buffers) I must put in place to make sure that this product does not cause any unforeseen surges that may damage the components on my computer. Unfortunately, Apple does not seem to have any information on this at all.
Re "why would Apple get into a business domain not directly associated with their current business?" Not only could Apple easily sell a product like this on his website, but it could also integrate solar panels on to the lid of a MacBook Pro or an iPhone or an iPad so that the user could use a sun to recharge the battery.
Of course, smoky skies from fires will diminish the amount of electrons generated. But I'm talking about those other times when the grid goes down for any number of other reasons. It is good to have a back up way of powering up devices which is not dependent on the grid.
I looked at your link and found the idea interesting; but, it appears to me that you should be contacting that manufacturer; on their website, they state that they are compatible with most or all iPhones and ipads. So, I'd contact them and tell them exactly which device you want to use and get their written assertions that their product will (or will not) with your device.
About the only practical way solar panels could work would be to
offset the amount of conventional electricity required; probably by
alternative means. Low-drain devices, battery backups + generation.
Fuel-cells that 'strip electrons' very efficiently; & so on. Think different?
Consider the 'high arctic' with six months of no solar. And great need
to generate power (and heat) ~ since water is solid at -20°F to -40°F?
'OFF-GRID' & then, there's really off-grid; where you haven't anything.
There had been several smaller towns in Europe who went energy
efficient. And between super insulation and better technologies;
were able to use batteries, and small fuel generators to run houses.
Including water pumps, air circulation, heating, cooling. In tiny form.
One three cylinder car engine, ultra modified, ran incredibly well and
did 'everything'. Efficiently. A whole subdivision was like that, there.
Read about that innovation in mid 1980s. ~ Didn't catch on 'over here.'
Where higher amperage devices are main stream, no efficiency happens.
Good luck & happy trails!🐌|🐢
???
Given the fires up and down the west coast, why is Apple not selling a solar panel that can safely recharge Macbook Pros
