# Is it possible to hack a device to run on solar vs AA batteries?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-hack-a-device-to-run-on-solar-vs-aa-batteries/664931>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 30, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-hack-a-device-to-run-on-solar-vs-aa-batteries/664931 "2013-07-30T18:28:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-hack-a-device-to-run-on-solar-vs-aa-batteries/664931/21 "2013-08-01T00:19:43Z")

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:smack:

> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> He wants to cool his parked car. 🙂

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**Author:** ![aaelghat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-hack-a-device-to-run-on-solar-vs-aa-batteries/664931/22 "2013-08-02T10:15:15Z")

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I don’t know if it outputs enough voltage, but if you can get your hands on one, Nivea had a print ad that was actually a solar charger that you could charge your phone with.

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UYy1GmJgFXA/maxresdefault.jpg "NIVEA Solar Ad Charger (English)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYy1GmJgFXA)

Since it’s a fan with a usb input you want to power, going directly from solar to USB without going to rechargeable batteries in the middle may not be a big deal since lower voltage just means the fan is slower.

Even if you couldn’t get the Nivea one, you could buy a commercial solar USB charger.

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**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-hack-a-device-to-run-on-solar-vs-aa-batteries/664931/23 "2013-08-02T13:03:40Z")

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The OP amuses me a little because when I was a kid I took a toy truck that ran on a single AA battery (Stompers, remember them?) and a solar panel from a calculator. Attached the wires to the copper bits in the battery case and away it went. I thought it was pretty cool.

Never thought of it as ‘hacking’ the truck or considered current & voltage requirements. Guess I just got lucky.

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