Ekotribe, the leading eco-products distributor in the Middle East, has introduced stand alone solar chargers manufactured by Voltaic Systems, for the first time in the region.

“A smartphone can be powered up in just 4-5 hours of direct sunlight, which is a fast charge by any standards. Voltaic’s revolutionary technology ensures that consumers can now have personal chargers that make practical sense,” said Anu Agarwal, director Ekotribe.

“Reasonably priced, depending on which model you purchase, the new chargers are an exciting option for those on the hunt for off-grid power. While you'll likely never be able to offset the embodied energy of the charger itself by using sunlight instead of grid energy, you'll at least have a portable alternative energy source that allows you to stay unplugged as much as possible.”

The chargers have two 6-volt panels, and users can switch between 6 and 12 volt charging. The cells are also high-temperature Lithium Polymer, which means their charging capacity lasts longer even when exposed to very hot sunlight, which is the case in the Middle East. And the battery is large enough to fully charge a smartphone twice.

The models come in three sizes, one that fits folded into a backpack or purse, one that can clip on to bike racks, tents, backpacks and other items and one that is a small day bag itself with room enough to carry a couple of devices from a camera to an iPad or Kindle. And as always, the Voltaic bags are made from recycled soda bottles and other plastics which require much less energy to make than nylon.

Many of the solar chargers on the market now may look slick, but take a frustratingly long time to gather enough charge to juice up a cell phone or MP3 player. Or, if they're strong enough, they're bulky, heavy, and expensive, she added.-TradeArabia News Service