You’ve seen EcoFlow’s hat with integrated solar panels — now meet Anker’s extra sensible Solix Photo voltaic Seashore Umbrella, fitted with a brand new era of perovskite photo voltaic cells. It will probably produce as much as 100W of whole output from XT-60 and USB-C connections, which might preserve Anker’s new battery-powered Solix EverFrost 2 Electrical Cooler operating indefinitely in sunny environments.
Perovskite is a brand new sort of photo voltaic cell that may outperform the silicon-based cells present in most of at the moment’s photo voltaic panels in virtually each approach. Anker claims its perovskite cells supply “30 % higher efficiency than crystalline silicon photo voltaic cells in vibrant mild, and double the effectivity in low mild.”
The silicon-based photo voltaic cells transport at the moment in shopper panels presently max out at round 24 % effectivity, with a theoretical effectivity close to 30 %. Photo voltaic panels that layer a perovskite movie on high of a silicon base can take up much more mild — perovskite cells might be optimized on the blue finish of the sunshine spectrum whereas silicon cells harvest vitality on the crimson finish — to succeed in photo voltaic conversion efficiencies of as much as 43 %. That’s a step change in how we harvest vitality from the solar. Notably, perovskite might be made out of low-cost supplies which are broadly accessible.
A UK-based firm known as Oxford PV announced in September that it had already began the “world’s first” business gross sales of photo voltaic panels utilizing perovskite-on-silicon cells, boasting a 24.5 % effectivity, with enhancements on the horizon.
Sadly, Anker isn’t providing any particulars on the origins of its “perovskite photo voltaic cells,” regardless of us reaching out with questions. That leaves loads of unknowns round issues like conversion efficiencies and life expectancy — the latter being a historic drawback for perovskite. We additionally don’t know the load of the umbrella. We do know that the folding Solix Photo voltaic Seashore Umbrella stands simply over seven ft (215cm) tall with a six-foot, two-inch (190cm) diameter. It additionally has an IP67 ranking, so it ought to maintain as much as blowing sand and rain.
There’s nonetheless time for Anker to reply our questions, because the photo voltaic umbrella received’t ship earlier than summer season 2025 for an undetermined value.
We all know much more about Anker’s new Solix EverFrost 2 Electrical Cooler, accessible in 23L, 40L, and 58L fashions. The rugged (IPX3) unit options six-inch wheels — massive sufficient to roll over semi-rough terrain (small stones and tough gravel) — and a fold-down tray that will also be used as a deal with. Nonetheless, solely the 58L mannequin contains two unbiased compartments to create a dual-zone fridge and freezer.
Anker claims it’s the primary from this class of transportable fridges to make use of air-cooled refrigeration as an alternative of direct cooling. That can probably make it noisier and fewer power-efficient than competing fashions from EcoFlow and Bluetti, whereas having the benefit of improved temperature uniformity, quicker cooldown, and no must manually defrost the factor.
The Solix EverFrost 2 can present as much as 104 hours of cooling from a pair of removable 288Wh LFP batteries — and half that with a single battery. The batteries will also be eliminated to operate as energy banks, with 60W USB-C and 12W USB-A jacks to cost your devices. The batteries might be charged off 100W of photo voltaic enter, a 12V automobile socket, an AC wall jack, or USB-C connection.
Costs are set at $699 (23L), $749 (40L), and $999 (58L), with preorders for the 40L and 58L fashions beginning on February twenty first earlier than transport a number of weeks later. The tiny 23L mannequin is slated to launch in Q2.
