Top 10 solar chargers for gadgets

Green technology isn't all about Damien Hirst's. A growing number of products are using solar power to charge up phones, digital music players, BlackBerrys, and other gadgets. We've rounded up 10 of the best.

Because they require significantly more electricity than smaller devices, laptops are trickier and more expensive to charge from a small solar panel. But people are certainly trying.

1) At the Consumer Electronics Show, a company called NRG Dock showed off a suite of products under development for using solar energy to charge electronics, including laptop computers.

Its high-end product has a 15-watt solar panel and battery combination that can fully charge in an hour and let someone run a laptop for days, according to Allan Wattenmaker, the company's chief operating officer. This $800 (£400) product, and a smaller $500 (£250) version meant for smaller devices (pictured below), will be available in the second or third quarter of this year.

2) Also at CES, solar bag maker Voltaic Systems announced it'll be releasing the Generator (pictured below), a £300 laptop bag with an integrated 14-watt solar panel, a significant increase from its current 4-watt bags.

3) For something more specialised, there's the Iqua Sun (main picture, top), which is the first Bluetooth headset with integrated solar panels that can get a charge from indoor and outdoor light. Orange is selling this right now in the UK for £40 -- we're expecting a sample this week, so expect a verdict shortly.

4) There are already many solar chargers out there that are small --and designed just for smaller devices like phones, iPods, and BlackBerrys. Below is a charger from Soldius that retails for about $110 (£55).

5) If you're looking for a more general-purpose solar charger, there are portable panels that can charge devices with a car battery adapter as well as charge AA or AAA batteries. This Sunlinq foldable panel, below, is rated at 6.5 watts and comes with a battery charger for $140. Retailer Sundance Solar says it takes a day of full sun to charge a couple of batteries.

6) Getting a solar charger with an integrated battery gives you more flexibility. Watch our video to see what we think of the Freeloader solar charger from Solar Technology, pictured below. It plugs into phones, PSPs, iPods and more.

7) To use a solar panel to charge a laptop, retailers recommend charging a battery that the laptop can plug into. NRG Dock's Home version, below, is a weatherpoof battery and panel that can provide backup power for days. It connects by a wire to a docking station inside that people plug devices into. The company expects to release the product later this year. It says the product will benefit from US federal and state tax credits for renewable energy.

8) There are already other portable rechargeable batteries specialised for electronics, including the MyPower All from Tekkeon, below. The battery can be charged up either from a plug socket or a solar panel, and it will power several different devices including DVD players, notebook computers, digital cameras, and camcorders. The latest version retails for about $160 (£80).

9) To run a laptop out in the field without a battery requires a pretty large solar panel such as this one pictured below. Brunton, a company that specializes in outdoor gear, has a foldable, thin-film solar panel. The Solaris 26, priced at $380 (£190), has a maximum output of 26 watts. It can fold up to be 11 inches by 8.5 inches by 1 inch. This can charge up batteries and devices in a couple of hours. You can run the laptop directly from a panel. But for a more reliable set-up, manufacturers recommend using a panel to charge a battery and then plugging the laptop into that battery.

10) If you're just looking for a way to charge up rechargeable batteries, you can buy a battery charger that can plug into the wall socket or connect to a standalone small solar panel. This Battpak battery charger, which costs about $32 (£16), runs on both AC and DC power. It will also let you use your car lighter adapter to charge up your cell phone when you put batteries in the charger.

Photos: NRG Dock, Voltaic Systems, Iqua, Soldius, Global Solar, Tekkeon, Brunton, Battpak.