ENERGY/GADGET SPECIAL... Mobile Chargers Prepare for their Day in the Sun

Mobile Chargers Prepare for their Day in the Sun  Solar tech companies offering chargers for less than $100 that provide power on the go      Whether you’re comparing restaurant menus while sitting in the park or turning on the air-conditioner before getting home, life is becoming increasingly mobile thanks to smartphones and tablets. And with new apps appearing constantly, the possibilities for this kind of connected living could be endless — if only the batteries lasted long enough. Now, a range of solar technology companies are offering small, portable chargers and accessory cases that provide power on the go. Some are on the market already, while others are in development. “A mobile life demands mobile power,” said Chris Abbruzzese, vice-president for marketing at Goal Zero, which makes a number of solar charging systems, including a kit whose battery can take attachments to become a headlamp, flashlight or fan. Devices incorporating solar cells or panels into cell phone cases have been available for some time, but it has been a challenge to bring form, function and price to the right levels, analysts say. Not only were earlier models too bulky and expensive to capture the mass market, they also often took too long to charge, especially in the face of improving battery technology. “In general, the market for aftermarket batteries has not been great, because until now, for the most part, battery life has been getting a little bit better,” said Stephen Baker, vice-president for industry analysis at NPD Group, which tracks consumer behaviour. But neither has the solar-power market been great, which helps explain the solar push into mobile consumer electronics in the face of what some see as tough odds. “The solar companies are rushing there, and the reason is because the margins in the conventional markets are really bad,” said Matt Feinstein, an analyst at Lux Research, which specialises in emerging technologies. Chargers, some selling for less than $100, are becoming widely available through retailers like REI, Target and Radio Shack. Some, like the Solio Bolt or the Joos Orange, use a standalone solar-charged battery pack that connects to devices through a USB cable. Others, like Ascent Solar’s EnerPlex, use solar to charge a protective case, which then can recharge a smartphone. There are signs that the products are beginning to find an audience. Goal Zero, which offers battery packs that fit in a purse as well as mobile generators that can power a home, says it expects its revenue to double this year to about $60 million. The companies have come to the mobile charging business in different ways. Goal Zero, for instance, grew from the humanitarian efforts of Robert Workman. The company uses monocrystalline silicon in its portable panels, which fold into the size of a CD case. Because of the collapse in silicon-panel manufacturing prices, the company can offer its products at half to a third of what they would have cost three years ago, said Joe Atkin, its chief executive officer. DIANE CARDWELL © 2013 New York Times New Service ET130426