Are Solar Generators Powerful Enough To Run Power Tools?

Using solar generators to run a variety of products for home, office, shop, or DIY projects can be tempting, especially when there’s an issue with the power source or lack of power altogether. But what about the Jobsite? Would it be possible to create an off-the-grid Jobsite? Well, this leads to today’s discussion, Are Solar Generators Enough to Run Power Tools? Before we discuss, let’s find out what solar generator is and how they work.

What Is Solar Generator?

Solar Generators, as the name suggests, usually work alongside solar panels. They are portable and made out of no moving parts like an inverter, solar panels, battery, and battery charger. The solar panel captures the energy and stores that energy in the built-in battery. Then the inverter converts that taken energy from DC to AC power. This solar generator can be used to run various electronic tools and devices when they are most needed, like during power outages.

Advantages

Now let’s talk about the advantages. Using solar generators can be plenty advantageous. And the first one is that you can go off-grid. This means you do not need to depend on the electricity supply as you are solely relying on the energy generated by the sun.

This leaves us with another greater advantage which is the minimal environmental footprint. And like all battery-powered tools, the emission of harmful gas is down to zero. Plus, not only are they environmentally friendly, but they are quieter and don’t have any moving parts. This makes them ideal for both home and outdoor activities since there is no noise to bother people.

Another great benefit is their Recycled Battery which makes the Running Cost lower compared to a Fuel Powered generator. The recycled battery can last anywhere between 5 and 15 Years. Life expectancy mainly depends on its usage cycles. And, luckily most of the batteries are deep-cycle batteries, meaning they will discharge up to 80 Percent of their stored energy before recharging.

Disadvantages

As with anything, Solar Generators have disadvantages too. Let’s discuss them.

First of all, the sun’s energy is inconsistent and unreliable. If the weather condition is bad, you will not get the solar power you want. On top of that, certain places in the world only get limited sun hours which affects the effectiveness of solar panels.

Another potential disadvantage of solar generators is their slow charging. A charge time of 8 Hours is pretty common for solar generators. This makes them unreliable during an emergency situation.

Are Solar Generators Enough To Run Power Tools?

Now let’s come to the main topic. As it seems there are plenty of benefits to using solar generators, it’s no wonder that you would want it to run powerful tools on the job sites. But is it really possible? 

Well, the answer is actually mixed. It is because solar generators can’t run power tools having 15 Ampere motors. But, the good news is you can run tools with 11 Ampere motors or less. The reason is that tools with a soft start have a higher chance of running with solar generators than models with a higher start-up power. Cordless tools, on the other hand, have huge possibilities. And, this is the area where solar generators will be your best friend.

The real limitation of using a solar generator for power tools is going to be its power source and recharging time. With 60 Watt solar panels, it’s impossible to get 2 Full Charges over the course of your day in excellent conditions. However, you can use a higher solar panel like the 150 Watt option to reduce the recharging time, but it will also bump up the price.

Considering everything, it’s pretty safe to say that taking your entire trailer off the grid, including a table saw, miter saw, and other high-draw tools are not possible with solar generators. However, we think there’s a real possibility for pros who are going to rely on cordless and sub-12 Ampere tools with at least 150 Watts of solar panels to make it through their workday. And of course, you should keep the weather condition in mind.