Portable Solar Charger Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Rising outdoor recreation and off-grid activities: Hiking, camping, and overlanding are becoming more popular and are leading to demand for portable solar chargers. According to the 2024 Outdoor Participation Trends Report, the outdoor recreation participation in 2023 expanded at 4.1%, with 175.8 million individuals and 7.7 million U.S. citizens indulging in some form of outdoor leisure activity for the first time.  In addition, there has been a growing interest from consumers in eco-design-based equipment, including portable solar chargers. The incorporation of USB-C and fast-charging capabilities has also contributed to sales growth in consumer electronics.
• Expanding consumer electronics penetration: Demand for convenient sources of power is on the rise. Mobile technologies and services contribute 5.8% of the worldwide GDP and generates USD 6.5 trillion of economic value. By the end of 2030, as per a 2025 GSMA study, this figure will be USD 11 trillion in terms of revenue and 8.4% of GDP. Frequent travel and mobile device usage may have made solar charging a must-have accessory. This increasing consumption of technology, combined with electronics that thrive off grids, is making solar charging top-of-mind for consumers. The U.S. imports of consumer electronics reached USD 572,004 million in 2021 from USD 483,674 million in 2020. Furthermore, the U.S. domestic exports registered an annual growth of 10.3% to reach USD 161.5 billion in 2021.   Along with this, more consumers have shifted to sustainable gadgets, producing a call for compact, foldable solar chargers, especially for those built into backpacks, power banks, and wearables.

U.S. Exports by Destination Market (2019-2023, in million USD)

Source: USITC

• Military and emergency services adoption: Portable solar solutions are being used increasingly by the defense and disaster response sectors. According to the U.S. Army’s Climate Strategy (2022), the military will extend solar charging with the aim of reducing fuel convoys. The global military expenditure was USD 2.4 trillion in 2023, as published by the World Bank Group. Moreover, the U.S. DoD in January 2024, funded USD 55 million in grants for defense programs aimed at enhancing efficiency and resilience of energy installations and battery usage, including solar chargers. In situations where power is needed during hurricanes, wildfires, and conflicts that disrupt infrastructure, deployable solar chargers have proven to supply power.  They are already being used in emergency preparedness kits for the family readiness groups of military units ready to deploy due to their small size, waterproof capabilities, and durability.

Challenges

• High initial purchase costs: Despite long-term savings, the initial expense of portable solar chargers is still a major barrier to their adoption. For instance, the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index shows a 6.2% increase in the price of components for solar devices between 2020-2023, largely due to the prices of lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic cells. Most high-efficiency chargers cost between $61-$201, which is not competitive with mass market alternatives like power banks. As with any other technology, cost generally represents an important barrier to entry for people in lower-income and developing countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and some regions of Southeast Asia. People are very cost-conscious when considering purchasing a portable solar charger.
•  Limited charging capacity and speed: Portable solar chargers tend to have low wattage output (generally 5W–25W), and therefore, they are inadequate for high-energy devices and fast charging needs. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) examined charging through small panels, and it identified solar charging rates during the daytime as being 2-6 times slower than wall outlets. This slower charging of energy becomes very problematic for users who may need quick energy replenishment for their smartphones, laptops, and GPS devices during outdoor recreation.