One of the biggest questions we get from customers is regarding the safety of traveling with solar chargers and lithium ion battery packs. Whether you’re flying domestically or planning a trip overseas, we’ve put together a list of tips to make traveling with solar chargers and battery packs less stressful.

FAA Regulations on Solar Panels and Lithium Ion Batteries

All of our systems and batteries are approved to fly on international and domestic flights. Since Voltaic solar panels are separate from our battery packs, these rugged panels do not face any regulation and can be stored in your checked or carry on bag. On the other hand, spare lithium ion battery packs (including Voltaic’s V25, V50, and V88) are subject to some limitations, please read below.

In compliance with FAA guidelines on spare lithium ion batteries, spare lithium ion battery must be secured in your carry on bag (hand luggage) and cannot exceed 100 Watt hours (includes all of battery packs). The FAA does not have any limitations on the number of batteries an individual can fly with as long as the batteries are for personal use and are under 100 Watt hours each. While these are FAA guidelines, airlines can impose stricter rules than the FAA if they choose – we highly recommend checking the individual policy of your airline before flying. With that said, we have logged a lot of miles with our batteries and have never had an issue with an airline accepting lithium ion batteries for personal use in carry on luggage.

For a more detailed guide, please visit our Lithium Battery Policy by Airline post.

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Backup Power is Useful in the Airport

We all know how unpredictable travelling can be, so save the headache and make sure you fully charge your Voltaic battery pack before heading out the door. You’ll spend more time enjoying your holiday and less time worrying about your dead phone or laptop.

Practice Makes Perfect: Test Gear Before You Travel

While you’re charging up your battery, make sure all your necessary adapters and cables are accounted for and that you’re electronics are good to go. If its your first time using your solar charger, be sure you know how it works and what to expect. Have a question? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team for a little peace of mind.

Cable Management for Traveling

Use your Voltaic bag or other cable management systems to keep all your pieces in the same spot. This will not only help you charge quicker when you’re on the go but you won’t have to worry about loosing or misplacing adapters along the way.

Travel Safely with Solar

Voltaic panels are made for adventure, so don’t worry too much about durability when travelling. Our tough panels can simply be placed on the outside of your bag (for optimum solar potential) or slid away inside the sleeve of any backpack. We recommend placing your Voltaic battery in a secure yet easy to reach spot like a side or front pocket of your bag.

Need help finding the right gear or have additional questions? You can reach out to us here.

Designed to keep your power hungry electronics charged on-the-go, this roomy backpack features 10 watts of solar power and a 12,000mAh battery pack for storing power when you need it. Find out what hosts Steven and Jen have to say about our signature solar backpack.

All Voltaic battery packs and solar chargers are approved for airline travel. Read more: Lithium Battery Policy by Airline

Holiday Gift Guide 2018

Our Holiday Gift Guide 2018 is here, featuring a curated selection of unique gifts for almost everyone on your list. From the aspiring photographer, to the business traveler, to the gear geeks – these high performance solar chargers and battery packs are guaranteed to make them smile.

Check out our full gift guide below and be sure to sign up for our newsletter today to get access to our Friends & Family exclusive holiday deals.

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V88 Portable Laptop Battery with USB-C PD

Ideal Gift For: Frequent Flyers, Business Travelers, Gear Geeks, Van-Lifers

Photo © Robert Zaleski / rzcreativeproductions.com

Brand new for 2018, this upgraded 24,000mAh USB-C Power Delivery portable laptop battery will quickly, and safely, charge laptops, DSLR cameras, smartphones or drones away from the grid. Featuring a hi-voltage laptop port for traditional laptops, a USB-C PD port for newer USB-C laptops and a USB Quick Charge 3.0 port for smartphones and tablets – it is the perfect tech gift for travelers who are always in search of an open outlet.

Retail Price: $129

Available via Voltaic Systems or Amazon

Arc 20W Solar Charger Kit

Ideal Gift For: Outdoor Adventurers, Photographers, Drone-Addicts, Van-Lifers

Photo © Tom McCorkle / tmiportfolio.com

Compact and powerful, the Arc 20W Solar Charger Kit is a customer favorite. The perfect gift for serious adventurers, this foldable solar charger includes our upgraded V88 Portable Laptop Battery with USB-C Power Delivery and will keep them charged up wherever their next trip takes them. Compatible with most consumer laptops, drones, DSLR cameras and USB devices.

Retail Price: $265

Available via Voltaic Systems or Amazon

OffGrid Solar Backpack

Ideal Gift For: Photographers, College Students, Emergency Preppers

Photo © Lynsy Terbosic / @adventuresoffour

The powerful OffGrid Solar Backpack is the perfect all-in-one solution for those on your list who like to be prepared. From commuting to class to capturing the next sunset, this 25L recycled PET backpack will store and charge their gear anywhere. Featuring a 10W matte black solar panel and our 12,000mAh dual USB battery pack – this backpack will charge smartphones, tablets, DSLR cameras and other USB devices.

Retail Price: $199

Available via Voltaic Systems or Amazon

Arc 10W Solar Charger

Ideal Gift For: Casual Hikers, Beach-Goers, Adventure Travelers

Photo © Robert Zaleski / rzcreativeproductions.com

For those on your list who enjoy spending their free time outdoors, help them keep their phone charged wherever the day takes them with the foldable Arc 10W Solar Charger. Featuring a built-in smart circuit USB port, your favorite weekend warrior can recharge their phone directly from the sun in 4 hours of direct sunlight. Also available as the Arc 10W Solar Charger Kit featuring our V15 USB Battery.

Retail Price: $49

Available via Voltaic Systems or Amazon

Amp Solar Charger

Ideal Gift For: Busy Parents, Weekend Campers, Emergency Preppers

Photo © Scott Hardesty / scotthardestymedia.com

Put their mind at ease and keep their phones charged with the compact Amp Solar Charger. Featuring 4W of solar power and 4,000mAh USB power bank, the Amp can easily be thrown into a bag or stowed away in a car for accessible power anywhere. Ideal for weekend tailgaters and emergency preppers alike, the Amp Solar charger remains one of our best selling solar chargers.

Retail Price: $99

Available via Voltaic Systems or Amazon

Fuse 6W Solar Charger

Ideal Gift For: Hikers, Backpackers, Cyclists

Lightweight and versatile, the Fuse 6W Solar Charger is the perfect gift for the backpacker or cyclist on your list. The included V15 4,000mAh Battery Pack will keep their phone and GPS charged while the Fuse’s signature universal clip system allows them to easily attach to this portable solar charger to their favorite daypack or bicycle rack.  Made from recycled PET fabric.

Retail Price: $129

Available via Voltaic Systems or Amazon

Have a question? Contact our team directly at support.voltaicsystems.com

Voltaic solar panels are a far cry from “dumping”. Our 2 Watt panel sells for $29 retail, almost $15 a Watt vs close to $1 a Watt for a commercial panel. Customers pay that money because they know they get a high quality product that will last outside in rough conditions for ten plus years. Neither are these modules harming the companies who brought the case, SolarWorld and Suniva. In fact, SolarWorld is the dominant supplier of cells that we use in our panels.

Our costs will increase and we will need to pass some of that onto our customers. This will likely decrease our sales volume and limit our ability to hire new staff to design and assemble systems.

The tariffs are opposed by many in the solar industry including:
– Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
– Vote Solar – Solar Advocacy organization
– Majore Installers including SunPower, Sunnova, Tesla and Sunrun

They argue that the increase in module costs will hurt the solar industry in the US, which employs 260,000 people across 50 states. They will also increase costs to homeowners who are looking to reduce their monthly energy bills.

Recycled PET Fabric

One of the biggest ways we reduce our footprint is through fabric choice. All of our solar backpacks and bags are made from environmentally friendly recycled PET – that’s just a fancy name for recycled water or soda bottles. These plastic bottles are diverted from landfills and go through a process of sterilization before being chopped up and converted into chips. These plastic chips are then melted and formed into a recycled fiber which is then turned into fabric. This recycled fabric offers the same durability but with a significantly lower environmental impact than your traditional polyester fabric.

Discover what your solar backpack is made of:

From our powerful Array Solar Backpack to our travel-friendly Converter, all of our solar chargers that include fabric include recycled PET. The chart below shows how many water bottles are turned into your favorite Voltaic Solar Backpack.

Sustainable Design

Besides fabric, we use a number of other steps to improve our products’ environmental performance. This includes:

• Using life cycle analysis to aid in the design choices whenever we create a new product or update an existing one
• Creating products that are modular so that we can easily repair items rather than having to fully replace items
• Designing long-life solar panels that truly stand against the test of time

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Have more questions about our products or how we’re striving to take positive actions as a company? Reach out to our team at info@voltaicsystems.com

We’re starting off the new year with a new generation of solar backpacks, the Array and OffGrid by Voltaic.

We use more devices than ever and they all need power, but that doesn’t need to slow you down. Our two new backpacks, the Array and OffGrid, are designed to keep them charged everywhere. Visit the product pages below to see how we’ve integrated maximum solar power for charging phones, tablets, and DSLR cameras. The Array can even charge your laptop or drone – something no other solar backpack can do.

The Array:

We packed the Array with maximum solar power, making it the most powerful backpack ever. In fact, it’s the only solar backpack with enough solar power to charge your laptop, camera, or even your drone. Includes our Voltaic V88 Universal Laptop Battery. This 24,000mAh battery pack features a high-voltage laptop port (selectable at 12V, 16V,  19V, or 24V) a USB Qualcomm Quick Charge port, and a USB-C PD port.

The OffGrid:

Streamlined, yet powerful, the OffGrid offers packs solar power to power your camera, smartphone, or even a tablet. The backpack includes our standard Voltaic V44 Universal USB Battery (12,000mAh).

The Array and OffGrid solar backpacks were fully funded and launched on Kickstarter this past November. Watch our Kickstarter video below and discover how our new solar backpacks can power all your adventures, big or small.

*Please note that the version of the OffGrid shown in this video has been upgraded to the current version on our website. The 6W version has been discontinued.