City of Chula Vista
Home MenuPortable Solar and Battery Lending Program
The city is introducing a portable solar and battery lending program for community members to use clean electricity on the go and, when paired with a solar panel, they can create clean, free electricity to help reduce energy bills. This pilot program was funded with a grant from San Diego Community Power with the goal of increasing the use of clean energy and reducing pollution.
Batteries can be checked out by themselves or paired with a solar panel. These items are available to be checked out at all three Chula Vista Public Library branches. Must be 18 years or older and have a library account in good standing that is at least 30 days old. Patron must complete a device borrower agreement at the library prior to checkout, and present a current, valid ID with street address.
Please find some information about the devices below.
| Product Name | Weight (lbs.) | Size | Energy Capacity | Estimated Replacement Value | More Information |
| River 3 | 7.8 | 10 x 8.3 x 4.4 |
245Wh Capacity 300W Output |
$299 |
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| River 2 Max | 13.4 | 10.6 x 10.2 x 7.7 |
512Wh Capacity 500W Output |
$469 |
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| 110-watt solar panel | 8.8 | 20.2 x 16.5 x 0.8 | 110-watts | $399 |
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| 160-watt solar panel | 15.4 | 26.8 x 16.5 x 1.0 | 160-watts | $449 |
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These portable batteries can be used to power devices away from power outlets or be paired with a solar panel to create its own clean and free energy. These batteries are best suited to power smaller devices like cell phones, laptops or rechargeable batteries that use less than the batteries output limits. Below is a table with some common devices and how they can be used with the batteries.
| Potential Use | Watts | River 3 | River 2 Max |
| Phone | 1-20 | 19 Charges | 40 charges |
| Light | 10 | 20 hours | 40 hours |
| Fan | 35 | 7 hours | 14 hours |
| Laptop | 30 - 70 | 3-6 hours | 6-12 hours |
| Mini Fridge | 50 | 3-6 hours | 6-12 hours |
| Air Pump | 120 | 1.7 hours | 3.5 hours |
To learn more about the products available at the library, please view the product information sheets for River3, River2 Max, Solar Panels.
Batteries for City Staff
In addition to using the SDCP grant to purchase batteries and solar panels for the library to lend, the city also purchased larger batteries for staff to use in their work. These have been used to replace generators and support staff working out in the field. Staff have enjoyed using the batteries saying that they allow them to do their jobs while not producing noise or pollution like the old generators did.
The batteries have been used by multiple departments for items like powering speaker systems used for speaking at events in parks, communications equipment used by the Fire Department in the field, training, public outreach, powering inflatable equipment for recreation programing and recharging electric landscaping equipment.
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