Using the Sun as a source of energy is a concept that has been in existence for a long time. The first experiments to convert light energy from the sun into electric energy were conducted in the early 50 's. Today, as the price of energy continues to rise, many companies and individuals are looking to supplement or even replace their energy requirements with solar energy.

Solar technology generally works by incorporating numerous power sources called photovoltaic cells into the structure of the solar panel. In turn, these cells are made of special materials (semiconductors) that only conduct electricity under certain very specific conditions such as irradiation by the sun. This selectivity gives engineers the ability to control the amount of electric current being produced. Silicon is usually the semiconductor used in most panels.

Silicon by itself carries neither a positive or a negative charge thus to make it able to generate electricity two elements are added to it. A plate of Silicon is mixed with Phosphorus to enable the production of a negative charge while another plate is mixed with Boron to do the exact opposite. These two plates are sandwiched together and produce negative 'particles' from the Silicon- Phosphorus plate called electrons when sunlight hits the photovoltaic cell. Wires attached to the latter enable the produced electrons to flow to the battery system or device. In this case, the device in question is the lithium ion battery of the iPAD Solar case.

As earlier mentioned, the first experiments with this technology were conducted in the 1950's, thus as can be expected the technology has been adequately refined over time. Modern Solar Chargers are highly efficient in quickly charging up devices such as smart phones, mp3 players, ipods or iPAD tablets. Ingenuity by manufactures such as Sun- Plugged have led to device cases that incorporate solar panels in their structure. The Sun Plugged case features a high quality leather exterior with a blackened solar panel on one of its sides. The benefits of a two in one package like this will not go unappreciated by our progressive consumer culture. I would not be surprised if a few years down the road most chargers are being marketed as dual case- charger types .

For those leaving in the US, the warm season is upon us and the benefits of a two in one package like the one offered by the solar case present some pretty cool possibilities. It would be nice to take your iPAD to the park or beach and use it with no concern whatsoever about length of battery life or need to have to carry a separate bulky solar charger to plug it into when the battery starts running low. Messengers, Law enforcement or anyone with a job that requires moving around quite a bit and has an iPAD should no longer be concerned about running out of power while using their device.

When shopping around for a solar charger, there are a few factors to consider. Obviously, you would start with considering how well it works and then you would look at how much it will cost you. Thanks to advancements in Solar Technology, we can confidently say the iPAD solar case aces the first part of the equation and really shines through as good value when considering the latter. The total cost of a high quality case and universal solar charger will exceed the price tag of a brand new iPAD Solar Case