Solar Powered Tents

Camping amidst nature means cooking over a fire, sleeping under the stars, and hauling water on your back. It all sounds fun until you wake up in the middle of the night in your camping tent rental to attend the nature’s call and cannot find the flashlight. Flashlights can easily get lost and also use lots of power. Instead of carrying spare batteries, how about using the source of the sun to generate electricity for the evening?

Giant solar panels are no longer restricted to buildings since they are a viable option for tents too. Since the 1970s, scientists and US military have worked on thin film technology to develop solar panels. And it was only a few years ago, solar panels became an option for tent manufacturers. About 4 to 6 people can easily accommodate in the tent.

LED Lights & Solar Panels

These tents look like a common camping tent with mesh windows, and rain fly. But just below the rain fly, a 7-inch solar panel can be found in solar tents. All you have to do is click into place when assembling the tent. The sun reaches the panel through the rain fly that has a plastic window to allow UV light. Two elements get charged – LED lights on the tent ceiling and a removable flashlight hanging from the center, like a chandelier. The solar panel will at least need 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight or 8 to 10 hours of indirect sunlight.

The lights inside the tent can be automatically set to ‘switch on’ mode as the sun goes down. The power source can be used to plug the battery charger, but it will consume energy unless you are camping in a sunny area. One can also buy solar powered batteries.

Just like the fabric of the other tents, it is made of petroleum-based materials, such as PVC and nylon. One can also find insulated roofs and walls with air conditioning and heating requirements these days.

Solar Power is Energy Efficient!

The future of a solar tent does not just lie with the natural source, but a combination of technologies, such as insulating materials and PVC fabrics. Though, the efficiency of the fabric is not up to the expectation, but experiments are underway to bring more solar options to the forefront for tent manufacturers.

If you are concerned about energy efficiency, energy costs, then solar tents are a good option. Contact your nearest party tent rental company if you are thinking of hiring a solar tent for your next recreational camping trip.