SparkFun Sunny Buddy MPPT Solar LiPo Charger

This is the Sunny Buddy, a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) solar charger for single-cell LiPo batteries. The Sunny Buddy is perfect for powering an Arduino or ESP8266 with solar energy! This MPPT solar charger gives you the possibility to get the maximum power from a solar panel into a LiPo battery. The installation is simple and quick. Simply connect the solar cell to the board via the barrel jack socket (5.5mm / 2.1mm) and connect the LiPo also via the existing plug.

The Sunny Buddy's job is to charge a single-cell LiPo battery via solar power. The load should be connected in parallel to the LiPo. By default, the Sunny Buddy is set to a maximum charging current of 450mA, with an input of 20V (min. 6V). It is recommended that LiPo's not be charged more than their capacity rating. So the smallest LiPo is 450mAh.

You can find more information about the board in Sparkfun's Hookup Guide.

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Please note that the voltage at the output is directly from the LiPo, therefore a 5V Arduino cannot be operated on the Sunny Buddy without a step-up, otherwise the voltage is too low. Here are suitable step-up converters: