Sanyo Electric Co. says it has created a solar-powered battery charger, the world’s first.

It will put the charger on sale on November 21st in Japan.

Be sure to plan ahead if you need the batteries. The device needs 2 and half hours to charge one to two AA-size "eneloop" nickel hydride batteries.

The battery charger itself with its built-in lithium-ion batteries needs about six sunny autumn days to be fully charged.

The price for the recharger will be about 20,000 yen ($165).

I live in Silicon Valley where it is sunny about 300 days a year. I reckon this solar-powered battery charger would do me well.

Other places could surely benefit from its use as well.

What do you think?