Holiday Solar Gift Ideas for Under $100
‘Tis the season to be racking your brain looking for the perfect gift for the ones you love. How about the gift of solar? Here’s a few gift ideas that won’t break the bank. Everything listed can ship by UPS and is available while supplies last.
Solar Gifts under $60
Less than $60: Use this 5W solar panel to trickle charge your battery or a fun hobby project.
The altE Store’s ALT10-12P is a small 10 watt 12 volt solar panel that can be used to trickle charge a battery that is sitting unused for a while, like in a tractor or RV, keeping the battery ready to go when needed. It can also be used for keeping your cell phone charged when you are outside. Here’s a fun video of us keeping our phone alive while we played Pokemon GO. For only $39, it’s a great gift for just about everyone.
PROMOALT10/SG4 includes both an altE Store 10 watt solar panel and a Morningstar SunGuard solar charge controller for under $50, helping to keep your battery healthy and happy.
The Kill-a-watt P4400 meter isn’t necessarily a solar present, but is a fantastic tool to determine how much power your appliances are using. It’s great for planning your solar system, and for finding phantom loads that are costing you money. The advanced Kill-a-watt P4482 meter plus timer also calculates how much money the appliances costs to run, and automatically turns it off for you, saving you money.
Less than $60: Great combo – 10W Solar panel with Charge Controller.
A sealed deep cycle battery like the 12V 8Ah Universal Battery UNVUB1280 lets you store your solar power to use later. It costs less than $15 to have a battery that can be used to charge up your cell phone and tablet, among other uses. Just connect a cigarette outlet and plug your phone’s charger in. It is a maintenance free sealed AGM battery, just keep it charged and it will store your power for years. Combine it with the previously mentioned PROMOALT/SG4, and you’ve got a solar panel, charge controller, and battery, all for under $100.
Solar Gifts under $100
Less than $100: A solid block of energy storage in this 32.5AH, 12V AGM Battery.
An altE Store 30 watt solar panel, plus a free charge controller can be a great introduction into solar. PROMOALT30/SG4 has a 30W panel plus a free charge controller for under $70. 30 Watts can be enough power to run your laptop for a couple of hours, provide light, or keep your tablet going all day and night.
A deep cycle battery like the 32Ah 12V MK Battery MKB8AU1 can give you quite a bit of storage for under $80. It’s a great pairing with the 30W solar panel.
The Shurflo 2088-443-144 solar water pump can pump water from a stream or tank, providing water to remote locations. It can be run directly from a solar panel, pumping while the sun shines, or from a 12V battery, providing household pressure to your cabin.
The Samlex SSW-350-12A 12V 350W inverter converts 12V DC from a battery to 120V 60Hz AC power for your AC loads. It has two 3-prong outlets to plug in up to 350 watts of appliances, as well as a handy USB port to charge your cell phone or tablet. It’s pure sine wave output is safe for your delicate electronics. It comes with battery cables to easily clamp onto a 12V deep cycle battery, providing an easy to use remote power source.
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Solar Gifts under $300
Less than $300: Efergy Wireless Energy & Power Monitor for your Home & Solar Power Production
The Efergy energy monitors, EFEELITE and EFEE2 can be used with or without a solar system to monitor the power made by your solar and energy used by your whole house. You can see the effect of turning off lights and appliances, and track your solar energy production. Check the display before leaving the house or going to bed to see if anything was accidentally left on. By being more aware of energy use, the whole family can pitch in with saving electricity and money. Both models are just over $100 each. Adding the HH-1.0NA hub gateway allows you to connect the meter to the internet, giving you remote access to your energy meter.
Less than $300: this looks like Christmas doesn’t it? But it’s really just white LED lights powered by solar.
The LEDTronics LED10W12VLEDKIT light kit for $225 includes everything you need for a complete remote solar powered lighting kit. It includes the solar panel, battery, and three LED lights, giving you light during an emergency or in a remote shed or cabin. It even includes a cigarette outlet to allow you to plug in your car charger for your phone or tablet.
The Kyocera KD150GX and KD145SX 12V 145 watt solar panels are world reknown for their durability and versatility. Their resistance to salt spray and sturdy frame makes them the perfect solar panel to add to your boat or RV, providing clean quiet power to the sailor or traveller in your life. Check out our video comparing the two different versions of the Kyocera panels:
Midnite’s Kid 30 Amp MPPT solar charge controller – this is under $300 and very cool!
Midnite Solar’s Kid MPPT 30A solar charge controller MPPT 30A solar charge controller is such a great product, I had to include it on the list. It works with 12V, 24V, and 48V battery banks, and includes lighting control to turn lights on and off automatically, auto generator start, and the ability to connect it to a second Kid for true paralleling to become a 60A charge controller.
The Xantrex PROwatt SW1000 Inverter gives you up to 1000W of pure sinewave AC electricity from a 12V deep cycle battery. Safely power their TV, computer, even most coffee makers in their remote location.
Solar Gifts under $500
Under $500: Preparing for Armageddon or perhaps a nasty snowstorm or hurricane induced blackout? Our affordable emergency off grid kit is a gift you may be relieved you got!
The KITEMERGPREP1 Emergency Preparedness Kit that we featured in a recent blog includes everything you need to install a small backup solar system. It includes a 30W solar panel, a solar charge controller, a sealed 12V 18AH deep cycle battery, breaker box, and 350W inverter. Be prepared for bad weather with an emergency backup, or provide some power for your remote getaway.
They’ll get a real charge out of receiving an Outback FlexMax60-150VDC MPPT solar charge controller. This powerful charge controller can manage battery banks from 12V to 60VDC, and can handle up to 3600 watts of solar panels on a 48V battery bank. With its five stage charging, and on-board display, the Outback FlexMax has been a favorite in the the solar world for years.
Let Us Make Your Holidays Merry (and Sunny)!
If none of these ideas ring your bell, give us a call at 877-878-4060 and we’d be happy to help you find just the right gift for your loved ones. Or go to our website at altestore.com and browse through our thousands of products. While you are online, check out our YouTube videos that help you learn about how solar works, how to size your own solar power systems, install and maintain them.
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I would like to know how much a 10 350 watt solar panel from Solar World setup with solar controller/charger would cost me, plus shipping. Also add 10 of your batteries. Please itemize.
I live in Mena, Ark. 71953
Adam sent you a couple of emails with a quote. I hope you received them. Let him know if you have any questions.