Originally Posted By JustWalking
Originally Posted By BZH
... you need the sun directly impinging on the panel. A slight angle off of 90 degrees (between panel and incoming light) kills the panel. ...


A common misconception. Solar panels are charged by daylight, not sunlight. More than just semantics there. Direct sunlight is certainly the most efficient, but any daylight can charge a panel, even on cloudy days, since some light filters through the clouds. They just won't charge very much/put out much power on such days.


I wasn't trying to discuss the physics of charging... just the reality. Solar panels do not always produce a high enough voltage to have positive charging occurring. If they are not getting enough power from the sun they will at best produce no charging.... at worst, many panels will discharge your electronics. This is the reality of solar panels (though, admittedly, my knowledge on the state of the art is dated)