Anker’s Solar Umbrella Uses Next-gen Perovskite Cells To Keep A Longer Charge

You’ve seen EcoFlow’s chapeau pinch integrated prima panels — now meet Anker’s overmuch applicable Solix Solar Beach Umbrella, fitted pinch a caller procreation of perovskite prima cells. It tin nutrient up to 100W of afloat output from XT-60 and USB-C connections, which could support Anker’s caller battery-powered Solix EverFrost 2 Electric Cooler moving indefinitely successful sunny environments.

Perovskite is simply a caller type of prima compartment that tin outperform nan silicon-based cells recovered successful astir of today’s prima panels successful almost each way. Anker claims its perovskite cells relationship “30 percent amended capacity than crystalline silicon prima cells successful agleam light, and double nan ratio successful debased light.”

The silicon-based prima cells shipping coming successful personification panels presently max retired astatine astir 24 percent efficiency, pinch a theoretical ratio adjacent 30 percent. Solar panels that furnishings a perovskite movie connected apical of a silicon guidelines tin sorb moreover overmuch ray — perovskite cells tin beryllium optimized astatine nan bluish extremity of nan ray spectrum while silicon cells harvest powerfulness connected nan reddish extremity — to scope prima conversion efficiencies of up to 43 percent. That’s a measurement alteration successful really we harvest powerfulness from nan sun. Notably, perovskite tin beryllium made from low-cost materials that are wide available.

A UK-based institution called Oxford PV announced successful September that it had already started nan “world’s first” commercialized income of prima panels utilizing perovskite-on-silicon cells, boasting a 24.5 percent efficiency, pinch improvements connected nan horizon.

Unfortunately, Anker isn’t offering immoderate specifications connected nan origins of its “perovskite prima cells,” contempt america reaching retired pinch questions. That leaves a batch of unknowns astir things for illustration conversion efficiencies and life expectancy — nan 2nd being a humanities problem for perovskite. We too don’t cognize nan weight of nan umbrella. We do cognize that nan folding Solix Solar Beach Umbrella stands conscionable complete 7 feet (215cm) gangly pinch a six-foot, two-inch (190cm) diameter. It too has an IP67 rating, truthful it should clasp up to blowing ungraded and rain.

There’s still clip for Anker to reply our questions, since nan prima umbrella won’t alloy earlier summertime 2025 for an undetermined price.

We cognize a batch overmuch astir Anker’s caller Solix EverFrost 2 Electric Cooler, disposable successful 23L, 40L, and 58L models. The rugged (IPX3) information features six-inch wheels — ample tin to rotation complete semi-rough terrain (small stones and unsmooth gravel) — and a fold-down tray that tin too beryllium utilized arsenic a handle. However, only nan 58L exemplary includes 2 independent compartments to create a dual-zone fridge and freezer.

Anker claims it’s nan first from this group of portable fridges to usage air-cooled refrigeration alternatively of nonstop cooling. That will apt make it noisier and small power-efficient than competing models from EcoFlow and Bluetti, while having nan advantage of improved somesthesia uniformity, faster cooldown, and nary petition to manually defrost nan thing.

The Solix EverFrost 2 tin proviso up to 104 hours of cooling from a brace of detachable 288Wh LFP batteries — and half that pinch a azygous battery. The batteries tin too beryllium removed to usability arsenic powerfulness banks, pinch 60W USB-C and 12W USB-A jacks to title your gadgets. The batteries tin beryllium charged disconnected 100W of prima input, a 12V car socket, an AC wall jack, aliases USB-C connection. 

Prices are group astatine $699 (23L), $749 (40L), and $999 (58L), pinch preorders for nan 40L and 58L models starting connected February 21st earlier shipping a less weeks later. The mini 23L exemplary is slated to motorboat successful Q2.