Keep your MacBook powered anywhere with Voltaic's powerful, yet lightweight, solar chargers.
You can charge a MacBook from any of our solar laptop chargers including the Fuse Laptop Solar Charger, Array, Generator, Arc 20W Solar Charger Kit and the 17 Watt Kit.
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USB-C MacBooks: If you have a newer MacBook that charges from USB Type C, you can connect directly from our V88 USB-C PD laptop battery using the USB-C to USB-C charging cable that came with your computer. Once connected, simply press the V88’s Power Button to begin charging.
Non-USB-C MacBooks: For older MacBooks that don’t support USB-C charging, you’ll need one of our optional MagSafe adapters. This modified MagSafe cable is specially designed to fit onto our V88’s Laptop Output Cable so that you can safely charge your device from DC power.
To charge, first select the Voltage that best fits your laptop’s power requirements. To determine your Voltage, locate the Output Voltage listed on your MacBook’s certified wall charger (Bottom Left Image). Most MacBooks will either charge at 16V or 19V, we recommend testing at the lower Voltage first and bumping up to 19V if the MacBook does not start charging. Once your Voltage is selected, simply connect your MagSafe adapter to the Laptop Output Cable and plug into the Output of the V88 Laptop Battery (Bottom Right Image). Hit the Power Button to begin charging.
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If your MacBook doesn’t use Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C PD) to charge you’ll need either our MagSafe 1 or MagSafe 2 Adapter. You may use Apple's USB-C to Thunderbolt 3 Cable with our V88 Laptop Battery or purchase a USB-C PD Laptop Cable. See the list below for complete compatibility:
Thunderbolt 3: MacBook Air Retina 13″ (2018 and later), MacBook Pro 13″ (2016 and later), MacBook Pro 15″ (2016-and later), MacBook Pro 16″ (2019)
MagSafe 1 (Bottom Left Image): MacBook (Mid 2011 or earlier), MacBook Air (Mid 2011 or earlier), MacBook Pro (Mid 2011 or earlier), MacBook Pro 13" (Mid 2012), MacBook Pro 15" (Mid 2012)
MagSafe 2 (Bottom Right Image): MacBook Pro Retina (Mid 2012), MacBook Pro Retina 13" (Late 2012, Early 2013, Late 2013, Mid 2014, Early 2015), MacBook Pro Retina 15" (Early 2013, Late 2013, Mid 2014, Mid 2015), MacBook Air 11" (Mid 2012, Mid 2013, Early 2014, Early 2015), MacBook Air 13" (Mid 2012, Mid 2013, Early 2014, Early 2015, 2017)
Note: MagSafe 1 is available in two styles (as shown above): white rectangle or silver L-shaped adapter. These are interchangeable.
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Generally speaking, the longer your MacBook runs when unplugged, the better experience you'll have when charging from solar. MacBook Airs are more power-efficient than MacBook Pros. While both solar conditions and battery life can vary considerably, these are rough estimates of what you can expect from our laptop battery and solar chargers in good sun. We use Apple's specified run-times, so if your computer’s efficiency has dropped over the years your "hours of run-time per hour in the sun" will go down.
| 1 Hour in Sun = X hours Run-time | Time to Charge 100% in Good Sun (Hours) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Model | MacBook Battery Capacity (Wh) | Apple Stated Runtime (Hours) | Times Charged from Voltaic V88 Battery | 10 Watt Systems | 17 Watt Systems | 20 Watt System | 10 Watt Systems | 17 Watt Systems | 20 Watt System |
| MacBook 12" | 41.4 | 10 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 10.4 | 6 | 5.2 |
| MacBook Air 13" | 54.4 | 12 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 13.6 | 8 | 6.8 |
| MacBook Pro 13" | 54.5 | 10 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 13.6 | 8 | 6.8 |
| MacBook Pro 13" w/ Touchbar | 58 | 10 | 1 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 14.5 | 8.5 | 7.3 |
| MacBook Pro 15" w/ Touchbar | 83.6 | 10 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1 | 20.9 | 12.3 | 10.5 |
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If you are just looking for backup power for your MacBook, our V88 Portable Laptop Battery can be used without a solar panel and includes an AC Wall Charger. For best results, we recommend charging your laptop while in Sleep Mode.
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Due to inconsistencies in solar intensity, we do not recommend charging your laptop directly from solar. For charging off the grid, use one of our solar laptop chargers and power your MacBook directly from our portable laptop battery.
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