6V 1W Solar Panel
Small solar panel for trickle-charging low-power outdoor projects.
A compact solar panel suited to trickle-charging battery-powered sensors and low-draw outdoor projects. Rated at roughly 6V open-circuit and 1W of peak output, it's sized to comfortably top up a single-cell Li-ion/LiPo battery (through an appropriate charge controller) during daylight hours, making it a good match for low-duty-cycle sensor nodes, weather stations, or any remote build that only wakes briefly to take a reading and transmit.
Specifications
| Rated voltage | 6V open-circuit (Voc), lower under load |
| Rated power | ~1W peak, under full direct sunlight |
| Typical current output | ~150-200mA at peak sun, far less in overcast or indirect light |
| Cell type | Polycrystalline or monocrystalline silicon, panel-dependent |
| Physical size | Small form factor, roughly 80-110mm on the longest side (varies by supplier) |
| Output connection | Bare leads or a small JST/DC barrel connector, panel-dependent |
| Best paired with | A single-cell Li-ion/LiPo solar charge controller IC (e.g. CN3065) to safely charge a battery rather than connecting directly to sensitive electronics |
Pinout
| Pin | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Positive lead | Panel positive output — feeds into a solar charge controller's SOLAR+ input |
| 2 | Negative lead | Panel negative output / ground reference |
Never wire a bare solar panel directly to a Li-ion/LiPo battery or to sensitive logic — always route through a proper solar charge controller (constant-current/constant-voltage regulation) since panel output voltage and current vary constantly with light conditions. Mount the panel facing the sun's typical daily arc and tilted for your latitude to maximize daily charge accumulation.
Variants
Choose the 6V 1W panel for the smallest, lowest-power sensor nodes where minimizing size and cost matters most. If the project draws more current or needs to recover charge faster, step up to a 2W/3W panel in the same family; if you'd rather skip charge-controller wiring altogether and just need 5V USB power, the Solar 5V USB panel handles regulation onboard.
| Variant | Temp range | Hum range | Accuracy | Protocol | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6V 1W solar panel (bare leads) | ~$2-4 | ||||
| 6V 2W / 6V 3W solar panel | ~$4-8 | ||||
| Solar 5V USB panel | ~$5-10 |