The Generark HomePower 2 Plus has a sleek design, a strong inverter, and a convenient shape for transporting around the house. It is not ideal for camping, but is very useful around the house, particularly with its magnetic rolling base that can be removed or attached easily.
Battery
There are two different versions of the Generark HomePower 2, the base version and the plus version. They are nearly the same, however, the Plus version is rated for 2060 Wh whereas the starter version is rated for 1566 Wh. The difference between the two systems, 494 Wh is almost a third of the capacity of the base model and adds a significant amount of run time to the plus model.
The Generark HomePower 2 Plus has a Lithium NMC battery. This makes the power station lighter than it would have been if it had been made with LiFePo4 batteries, however, it also means that the battery will not last as long as it could have with the LiFePo4 batteries.
This power station is rated for 800 cycles to 80% capacity, which is a fairly medium amount of cycles when compared to some similar power stations of its kind. For example, the Bluetti AC200MAX is rated for 3,500 cycles, while on the other end of scale has the Jackery Explorer 2000 with only 500 cycles.
The 800 cycles to 80% capacity doesn’t mean that this power station will be dead after 800 runs. It means that after 800 runs the Generark loses the top 20% of the battery capacity. Generark says that if you only discharge the Generark HomePower 2 Plus to 20-25% each time, you can double the battery life, providing up to 5 years of daily use.
Sadly there is no expandable battery for the Generark HomePower 2 Plus, which means that you get the 2060 Wh it promises and no more.
Recharge
The Generark HomePower 2 Plus comes with both an AC and a DC charging cord for recharging, but no cords to charge via solar panels. It can be charged via solar, however, the user has to find their own cables. It seems that it uses an 8mm barrel connector so using a standard MC4 to 8mm adapter should work fine.
This power station can charge from 0%-100% in 2.5 hours when plugged into an AC outlet and charging at the maximum capacity of 100 W, a fast charge time, though not uncommon among similar generators. The Bluetti AC200MAX can charge in 2.3 hours, the Jackery Explorer 2000 in 2.6 hours, and the Bluetti EP500 in 4.25 hours all from an AC power source, like a wall outlet.
In addition to its AC charging abilities, the Generark HomePower 2 Plus can also be plugged into a DC power source with the cord that comes with the system. There are two ports that the Generark HomePower 2 Plus can receive DC power from two cords at a time with up to 12-14 V or 240 W if it’s a 24v connection or 120w if it’s a 12v connection, which means that the power station can charge in about 9 hours of driving, though it cannot charge from both AC and DC at the same time.
The Generark HomePower 2 Plus can take 800 W max solar input. However, the power station can only take 400 W per input plug (the power station has 2 input plugs for solar). The connection to the solar panels requires an 8mm plug, which is inconvenient for the user. They can’t use just any solar panels, only those sold by Generark or Jackery, which use the same custom 8mm ports. Under ideal conditions and with full solar arrays plugged in, the Generark HomePower 2 Plus can charge in as little as 3-4 hours.
Here’s how it breaks down according to Generark:
2X DC Charging Port: DC, 12.5V-54V/ea.
Starter: 200W Max, 400W Max in total
Plus: 400W Max, 800W Max in total
The Generark HomePower 2 Plus can power other devices while also charging, but it doesn’t have a built-in UPS system, which means that while the power station can charge while charging, it charges devices with its own power rather than simply letting the power flow through the power station and straight to the device needing power. This is good for any devices that cannot have an interruption of power, however, it is not good for the battery long term. Short term it won’t do much, but after a few months up to a year or more, this will kill the battery. This is called an online UPS system.
This power station can be stored for up to a year before the battery starts to deplete, which makes it good for being prepared for emergency situations.
General Info
The Generark HomePower 2 Plus has a sleek design and a small footprint. It measures 10 x 10 x 24 in, weighs 47.6 lbs, and is made of smooth plastic. This isn’t terribly heavy, but it’s not the most convenient for camping and frequent transport. It is convenient for taking up minimal floor space in a small home and has a magnetic attachable and detachable base that has wheels, allowing the power station to be rolled around easily despite its weight. It also has a built-in handle its top. This, combined with its height, makes it convenient to pick up without having to hunch over. It also comes with a dust cover, which can be very useful for storage.
The general power button turns on the display with the first push. On the second push, it turns on the ambient lighting that’s a ring around the solar generator. This light is a white-blue color most of the time, but conveniently changes colors when the battery gets low, to yellow at 10% and red at 5%. The LCD display shows multiple things, including the charge time, discharge time, charge wattage, discharge wattage, battery percentage, low-temperature warnings, high-temperature warnings, and additional inverter information. The inverter can handle 2200 W with a surge up to 4400 W.
Ports
There are four 120 V outlets (wall plugs) that are controlled by a power button. The 2 USB A 18 W plugs, 2 USB C 100 W quick charge outlets, and the 1 12 V DC 10 A cigarette type plug are controlled by another separate power button. There are no outlets to allow an RV to be plugged in. This variety of ports allows quite a few devices to be plugged in at once.
Strengths
Generark offers a 5-year warranty on the Generak HomePower 2 Plus, which is incredibly rare for a retail power station and a definite perk. The sleek design, small footprint (tiny for the powerful inverter), and magnetic wheelbase are convenient, and the magnetic wheelbase is unique to this power station. In addition, the handle on this unit makes it convenient to pick up, as it doesn’t require much bending down.
Weaknesses
A downside of the Generak HomePower 2 Plus is the inability to attach another battery, which means what you see is what you get. If only 2060 Wh are needed, then this doesn’t matter much, but if more watt-hours are needed, there is no increasing the watt-hour capability of this power station. In addition, there is no way to increase the solar input capacity. This power station can’t be modified but is quite powerful on its own.
Because the USB and DC ports have the same power button, whenever the DC port is powered up and running, the USB ports are always running, which makes the power station drain significantly faster than it needs to and lots of power is wasted. When being run through AC, however, it runs just like it should.
This power station will cause feedback when powering a device such as a HAM radio or any other device that uses an amplifier. As long as it is being used for household use and other basic needs, this will never come into play.
The other annoyance with this unit is Generak’s imitation of Jackery with their 8mm pins, which means that the user must buy either Jackery or Generak’s solar panels. Unless you use the MC4 to 8mm adapter then you can use any panel you’d like that has the traditional MC4 connector.
Comparable Units
The most similar to the Generark HomePower 2 Plus is the Jackery Explorer 2000. They both run 2,060 Wh and cannot have battery expansions. They both also have custom 8mm input ports for solar charging and cost around the same amount, as well as they both have Lithium NMC batteries, though the Jackery Explorer 2000 only weighs 43 pounds. Other similar solar generators, such as the EcoFlow Delta Max, can run 2,016 Wh, has expandable battery capacity, and has significantly more ports. It weighs around the same amount at 48 pounds, but its footprint is significantly larger and its warranty is only 2 years, less than half of the Generark HomePower 2 Plus’s 5-year warranty.
Conclusion
The Generark HomePower 2 Plus is sleek, convenient to move, and has an incredible warranty that is unmatched by almost any other company when sold at retail. It can charge rapidly when using AC power. The ambient light is convenient for providing small amounts of light to a room and for showing when the battery gets low.
Overall, the Generark HomePower 2 Plus is a very convenient power station for home and workshop use as well as emergency energy storage, though not ideal for camping and bugging out.
fountain pen lying on ” Emergency Preparedness Checklist ” form
Emergency preparedness is a tough business to get into, and it can be a tricky ordeal trying to figure out which preparedness supplies are the best choice for you. Thankfully, we’ve got the expertise and experience to help guide you through the decision! In this article, we’ll be taking a look at 5 of the best portable solar generators on the market. We’ll review and rank each one in an effort to try and figure out which solar generator provides customers with the absolute best value for their hard-earned dollar!
What Are Portable Solar Generators?
Portable solar generators are pieces of equipment that can generate electricity from the sunlight. They have become increasingly popular for a number of reasons. They can help you in a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, flood, tornado, or harsh storm. As well, they can aid in power outages and EMP attacks that might knock out the traditional power grid.
There are numerous things you’ll want to keep an eye out for when determining the best portable solar generator for your needs. These include:
Battery Capacity
The capacity of the battery dictates how much power the generator can hold. It is generally measured in “kWh“, or watt-hours. The bigger the battery is, the more energy that the solar generator will be able to hold. However, how much energy you are able to utilize at a time is going to be determined by the inverter size, and how long it takes to fill the battery will be determined by the generator’s charging speed. Because of this, battery capacity is only one single determining factor in the overall power of a solar generator.
Portability
People generally want their solar generators to be as portable as possible. The best generators strive to offer a balance between portability and power. The more powerful a generator is, the heavier it typically is. Because of this, the generator on this list that we consider the best also weighs a lot but can be split apart to still be portable.
Inverter Size
The inverter size determines how much energy can be drawn from the battery of the solar generator. As established, a large battery capacity requires a large inverter size if you wish to get the most out of your solar generator. The inverter size is measured in watts, determining the wattage of the solar generator.
Number and Style of Plugs
The number of plugs featured on the generator may seem straightforward, but the style of plugs can be incredibly important, as well. These can include traditional wall outlets, as well as other types of plugs, such as USB outlets.
Expandability
Solar generators may often feature the ability to be expanded in terms of their solar reception and their battery capacity. Increased solar input can improve how fast a generator’s battery may be charged until it’s full, while increased battery capacity can determine how much of a charge the generator can hold before it’s full.
Life Cycle
The life cycle that a solar generator has determines how many times a battery can be charged and ran through its entire capacity. In other words, it’s how many full charges a battery can hold before it reaches 80% efficiency.
Charging Speed
Charging speed determines how fast the battery of a solar generator can be charged, which is pretty important when it comes to solar generators. Since the sun is only shining at its optimal capacity for around 5 hours on an average day, you’re typically only going to have around 5 hours of optimal charge time to charge your solar generator’s battery. Because of this, you’ll want your generator’s battery to be able to charge fully in well under 5 hours. Typically, you’ll want to find a generator that can reach a full charge in around 2 to 3 hours.
Other Features
There are numerous other features that a generator may have, including the ability to charge through a carport or a 30amp cable to plug into an RV. These other features may not be important to everyone but will make a crucial difference to some when making the decision about which solar generator is right for them.
The 5 Best Solar Generators
Now that we know a little bit more about what to look for in a solar generator, let’s start comparing some of the many options available. There is a wide range of generators available from a variety of manufacturers, but some stand well above others when it comes to their quality and lifespan. Thankfully, we’ve gone over 5 of the most revered solar generators on the market to determine which one we think is the absolute best.
#1 Point Zero Titan
Capacity (Wh): 2,000
Life Cycle: 2,000
Continuous (W): 3,000
Fastest Solar Charge: 1 hour
Weight (lbs.): 66
The Titanis made by Point Zero and supported by Powered Portable Solar, which is an incredibly reputable company when it comes to preparedness and survival supplies. They’ve made plenty of solar generators in the past, but the Titan blows all previous models out of the water. The Titan utilizes all of Point Zero’s knowledge of portable power in one impressive package.
Battery Capacity
The battery the Titan comes equipped with is a 2,000wh lithium-ion battery that is both incredibly powerful and relatively light when its capacity is taken into consideration. One thing that sets this battery apart from other 2,000wh batteries on the market is that it can truly utilize all 2,000wh. This is because the usable capacity of the Titan’s battery is closer to 97%, as compared to the traditional 90-80% that is found in comparable batteries.
Portability
The Titan is a fantastic and incredibly powerful solar generator, but it’s also heavy. At 65lb when one battery is attached, the Titan certainly lives up to its name. It is the heaviest generator on this list, but this fact is abated when you realize that it can come apart in two pieces. Yes, the Titan is, in fact, two separate pieces, with each piece only weighing 33lb.
Inverter Size
The Titan certainly exceeds expectations when it comes to the size of its inverter. Whereas traditional portable solar generators will feature inverter capacities of around 1,500W, the Titan features an inverter with a capacity of 3,000W. While 1,500W is fine for basic needs, it prevents the use of heavy equipment. Thankfully, the 3,000W inverter found in the battery of the Titan doesn’t have this problem. If you’re looking to get maximum power out of your solar generator, the Titan is an excellent choice.
Amount and Style of Plugs
All the power in the world means nothing without the means to use it, which makes the number of plugs another incredibly important feature to look out for in a solar generator. Thankfully, the Titan doesn’t skimp when it comes to plugs. It features 6 wall outlets, 4 DC plugs, and various USB options, including USB-C. It also includes a 30amp style RV plug that puts out more power than any other unit that has an RV plug. The Titan can push a full 25amps through the RV plug continuously.
Expandability
The Titan can be expanded in terms of both battery capacity and solar reception with added batteries and solar panels respectively. It’s battery capacity can be expanded upon with additional lithium-ion batteries, and there is no limit to the amount you can add on with this method. As the battery power is expanded, additional solar panels can be added to ensure that the generator isn’t taking too long to charge
Life Cycle
The Titan’s lithium-ion battery has a life of 2,000 full cycles, which is incredibly impressive.
Charging Speed
The charging speed of the Titan is determined by the amount of panels that have been attached. The Titan can have anywhere from 500w to 4,000w attached. With 500w it will recharge in about 4 hours, and with 4,000w it will charge in 1 hour. The charge controllers max out at 2,000w max solar input. However, an additional 500W from the smaller Titan 500 Kit can be added via additional panels, decreasing that time to only 2 hours. Whether your Titan is charging with additional solar panels or not, it will be able to charge well within the 5-hour time traditionally allotted for optimal sunlight.
The Titan can also be charged via a carport, but a full charge with this method will generally take around 17 hours due to the decreased power of the average carport. Car charging can be used in tandem with solar charging to maximize the efficiency of a charge, which is a pretty unique feature amongst solar generators.
Other Features
The Titan is the only solar generator on this list that comes with a 30amp RV plug. This means that you can run your RV off of your Titan without any extra hook-ups.
Conclusion
The Titan is arguably the preeminent solar generator on the market. This is an incredible portable solar generator that is certainly the best choice on the market when it comes to solar generators available today. The only caveats to the Titan are its hefty weight and size.
The Bluetti AC200P is another solar generator, this time from Maxoak. While Maxoak may not carry the same prestige as Point Zero, they put together an admirable product with the Bluetti AC200P. For those who can’t spring for the Titan, or who simply have more modest needs, the Bluetti should serve you greatly.
Battery Capacity
The Bluetti’s battery has a 2,000Wh capacity, the same as the Titan. As mentioned before, however, the Titan has a slightly higher usable capacity.
Portability
The Bluetti weighs a little bit less than the Titan overall, but it can’t be separated into two parts for increased portability. That means that although the Bluetti may weigh only 63lbs, it still weighs a good deal more than each individual 33lb part of the Titan. So the Titan, despite its increased size and power, is still a better portable option than the Bluetti AC200P.
Inverter Size
A pure sine wave inverter is used on the Bluetti, and it can crank out 2,000W of continuous power and 2,500W for a period of up to 2 minutes. While this isn’t quite as impressive as the Titan’s 3,000W, it’s still admirable in its own right.
Amount and Style of Plugs
Six wall outlet plugs are featured on the Bluetti, as well as 4 USB-A ports and 1 USB-C port. It also features a standard DC port, as well as two 5521-barrel ports that are rated at 3a. An additional feature included on the Bluetti is a couple of 15w wireless charging pads that will allow you to charge your phone without even having to plug it in, so long as your phone feature wireless compatibility.
Expandability
In terms of expansion, the solar input of the Bluetti AC200P cannot be expanded, and the battery capacity can’t. The nonexistent expansion capabilities of the battery make solar expansion less useful than on the Titan, but it can still allow you to get maximum charging power from whatever sunlight you can manage to get in the day.
Life Cycle
The Bluetti has a life of 2,500 cycles, which is fantastic.
Charging Speed
The Bluetti features a standard 700W in solar input. It can be over-paneled up to 1,400w but won’t let more than 700w at a time. This allows the battery to be charged in a little under three hours in most situations. As with the Titan, the Bluetti can charge from multiple places at once. You can charge the Bluetti from the wall and through the solar panels simultaneously, decreasing the amount of time it takes for the machine to reach a full charge. However, be sure to keep in mind that the battery takes 20 hours to reach a full charge when it’s being charged through a carport.
Conclusion
The Bluetti is a solar generator with a lot of pros, but it doesn’t quite live up to the Titan. If you can’t afford the Titan, the Bluetti is a great runner-up that provides an incredible amount of power in relation to its price and size.
#3 Jackery Explorer 2000
Capacity (Wh): 2,060
Life Cycle: 500
Continuous (W): 2,200
Fastest Solar Charge: 3.9 hours
Weight (lb): 43
The Explorer 2000 comes from Jackery, and it is the most impressive solar generator that the company has made thus far. Still, it is no match for the Titan or even the Bluetti. Despite this, it has a slight advantage in being lightweight and more inexpensive.
Battery Capacity
The Explorer 2000 has a battery with a capacity of 2,060Wh. Once again, remember that the Titan’s battery has a slightly increased usable capacity when compared to the completion, meaning the Explorer 2000’s battery still doesn’t quite match it in terms of pure usable capacity.
Portability
Jackery’s Explorer 2000 weighs 43lb, making it less heavy than the Bluetti, but still heavier than each separate piece of the Titan.
Inverter Size
In terms of inverter size, the Explorer 2000 offers 2,200W of output continuously. It utilizes a pure sine wave inverter, the same as the Bluetti. Still, it’s no match for the incredible power of the Titan. While you will get plenty of use with general appliances, you’ll have a harder time powering heavier equipment.
Life Cycle
Where the battery of the Explorer 2000 really fails in comparison to the batteries of the previous two entries is in terms of its life cycles. The battery of the Explorer 2000 has a life of only 500 cycles, meaning it ranks incredibly poorly when compared to the life cycles of the prior two. The battery only lasts ¼ as long as the Titan batteries.
Amount and Style of Plugs
In terms of plugs, the Explorer 2000 features four wall outlets, enough to run a modest amount of appliances. It also features a number of other plugs, including a 60W USB-C port, a 12W USB-A port, and an 18w USB-A port. In addition, there is a traditional DC port.
Charging Speed
The Explorer 2000 is advertised with a slightly deceptive solar reception rate, saying it can take in 800W of solar power. However, it’s taking in closer to 500W in practice. Because of this, the unit takes around 4 hours to charge until the battery is full.
Conclusion
Although the Explorer 2000 isn’t quite as impressive as the previous two entries on this list, it may serve some buyers nicely. If your energy requirements are going to be modest such as in a Van, it may be a nice buy. However, those looking for the absolute best choice should still go with the Titan, or the Bluetti if they can’t afford it.
The Safari ME comes from Lion Energy, which is a fairly new company when it comes to preparedness supplies. If the Safari ME is the best they have to offer, then the company still has a ways to go before they’re ranking alongside Titan. However, the Safari ME still has some tricks up its sleeves.
Battery Capacity
In terms of battery capacity, the Safari ME fails to excite with its 922Wh lithium iron battery. This is notably smaller than the capacities of the batteries feature in the three previous entries on this list. As such, the Safari ME is only going to good for incredibly modest energy needs.
Portability
Despite its decreased battery capacity, the Safari ME also fails to impress when it comes to portability. At least, in any significant terms when compared to its predecessors on this list. It weighs 45lb, meaning it’s not even the lightest entry without taking into account the 33-pound halves of the Titan.
Inverter Size
The Safari ME has a 2000W pure sine wave inverter, as well as a surge capacity that can reach 4000W. 2000W of continuous power is nothing to laugh at but remember that the battery’s smaller capacity means this kind of output can only be generated for a very small amount of time. In fact, a full charge without the battery expansion can only generate about 30 minutes worth of 2,000W power. Even with the battery expansion, it would only last for around 90 minutes. The Safari ME is worth looking at if you get the extra battery pack.
Amount and Style of Plugs
Sadly, the Safari ME only comes with two 120v wall outlets. However, it also includes 2 USB-A and USB-C ports, as well as a traditional DC port.
Expandability
The Safari ME does have an optional battery expansion that can be purchased separately. However, it weighs as much as the generator itself, and adds over 3 hours to the time it takes for the generator to charge. Given that the 600W solar input can’t be increased, this makes battery expansion for the Safari ME a bit of a tough sell.
Life Cycle
As previously stated, the Safari ME has a lithium iron battery, as compared to the previous generators’ lithium-ion batteries. Despite the decreased capacity of the battery, it has a slightly longer lifespan than some of the competition. The battery of the Safari ME has a life of 2,500 cycles, while its battery expansion is good for 3,500 cycles. So, although the Safari ME only offers modest power, its long lifespan makes it a good choice for those with minimal energy needs.
Charging Speed
The Safari ME has a maximum solar input power of 600W, meaning you aren’t going to be able to utilize a lot of the given sunlight in a day. However, the smaller capacity of the battery means that you’re still going to be able to charge your generator until the battery is full in less than two hours. The Safari ME can also be charged through a wall charger. Sadly, the Safari ME can’t be charged through the wall or the car.
Final Thoughts
Despite its interesting lithium iron battery, the Safari ME fails to impress in any significant terms in comparison to the previous three entries on the list. In fact, it can be considered a significant drop in value when compared to even the Jackery Explorer 2000.
#5 Inergy Flex 1500
Capacity (Wh): 1,069
Life Cycle: 2,000
Continuous (W): 1,500
Fastest Solar Charge: 1 hours
Weight (lb): 30
The Flex 1500 from Inergy is another model that doesn’t quite hold a candle to the Bluetti or the Titan.
Battery Capacity
The Flex 1500’s battery features a minuscule capacity of 1,069kWh. However, unlike on the Safari ME, this is just a traditional lithium-ion battery. The only benefit is that the Flex 1500’s battery can be removed and add more batteries if desired.
Portability
One benefit that the Flex 1500 has over a lot of the competition is its portability. The generator itself only weighs 30lb. Given that the battery can be detached, this means that the unit can be separated into two pieces, weighing only about 15lb each. Even the full Flex 1500 weighs less than each individual half of the Titan, meaning this is by far the most portable and lightweight option on this list. But that comes at a great cost.
Inverter Size
The Flex 1500 gets its name from its 1,500W inverter, which is fairly middle-of-the-road when compared to the generator’s competition on this list. While it isn’t quite as small as the 1,000W inverter on the Bluetti EB240, it is a far cry from the 3,000W inverter of the altogether superior Titan.
Expandability
The detachable battery makes it possible for more batteries to be added, expanding the generator’s overall capacity.
Amount and Style of Plugs
Although the Flex 1500 certainly isn’t the most impressive specimen, it has a fairly hefty amount of plugs to offer its users. It has 6 wall outlets, 2 DC ports, and 2 USB-A and USB-C ports.
Life Cycle
The Flex 1500’s battery is claimed to have about 2,000 cycles but also has been rumored to only have 500.
Charging Speed
The Flex 1500 can handle 400W of solar input, allowing its meager battery to be charged in just a little over 2 hours with just the base battery. One unique feature to the Flexx 1500 is you can add more charge controllers in order to charge even faster when more batteries are added.
Final Thoughts
While the Flex 1500 is certainly the most portable when it comes to solar generators on this list, it is nowhere near as impressive as the Titan or the Bluetti. In pretty much every way, it is the least powerful entry on this list and should only be purchased by those with the most minimal energy needs and budgets.
In pretty much every way, the Titan is the ultimate portable solar generator if what you’re looking for is pure power generation with an impressive battery capacity and a large inverter size. The Titan is also the best bang for the buck. With all its features it has the lowest cost for what you get.
Ranking the Rest
If the Titan is out of your price range, the Bluetti provides a package that is slightly more affordable, and only a bit less impressive. The other three all feature their own unique advantages, from the lithium-iron battery of the Safari ME to the incredibly manageable weight of the Flex 1500. No matter what your needs are, there’s going to be a portable solar generator out there that has exactly what you’re looking for! If you’re looking for the best of the best, go with the Titan.
The Jackery Explorer 2000 launched and was sold out within hours of the launch beginning. Many people have been anticipating their new solar generator launch because every year on March 18th they launch their new products. They launched a Jackery Explorer 2000 and a Jackery Explorer 1500. The Jackery Explorer 2000 has some incredible specs and features that will make many people want to take a look at this unit.
The Jackery Explorer 2000 is their largest unit that they’ve released so far. The largest before was the popular Jackery Explorer 1000. There were a few things that didn’t go so well with the Jackery 1000 but it was lightweight and easy to use.
The Jackery 2000 has many new features such as an upgraded display screen, an upgraded fast wall charger, and is extremely compact for its capabilities. With a max solar input of 800w, this unit should charge up extremely fast. But the solar charge rate may actually be the #1 reason you don’t want to buy this unit. We’ll address that shortly.
The Jackery 2000 is very similar to the Bluetti AC200 and the Elechive 2200 solar generators. The Jackery Explorer 2000 will be slightly more in price than the Bluetti AC200 and a little less in price than the Elechive 2200.
Battery
Jackery has proven itself to be a major company in the power station and solar generator world. They are tried and true and have become a very reliable company for customers to work with.
The Jackery Explorer 2000 has a 2,060wh lithium nmc (lithium-ion) battery that helps keep it lighter for its size. This is what gives most of the weight to the unit at a total weight of 43lbs. That’s definitely on the heavier side but not totally unmanageable. By comparison, the Bluetti EB240 weighs 48lbs, has a 2,400wh battery, but only a 1,000w inverter, and only 400w of solar input.
The Jackery 2000 has a similar-sized battery to the EB240 but has twice the inverter size and twice the solar input and it weighs less than the EB240.
What’s new with the Jackery 2000 is that it uses a 36v battery instead of the traditional 12v battery. Having a higher voltage battery makes it more efficient so you get more power out of the battery through the inverter.
Sadly, the Jackery E2000 is only rated to 500 cycles of battery life. Many different companies rate their batteries in different ways, but it would be nice to see more than 500 cycles out of this unit since it is a powerful unit. It is rated to last 500 cycles or 8 years before the battery is at 80% efficiency.
Inverter
One confusing feature of the Jackery 2000 is that the name doesn’t exactly refer to the size of the battery or the inverter. Since the inverter has a 2,200w continuous output capacity and the battery is 2,060wh, it can get confusing why they put “2000” in the name.
But this unit uses a pure sine wave 2,200w inverter that is very powerful for its size. What’s nice about having a 2,200w pure sine wave inverter is that the Jackery Explorer 2000 is capable of powering anything that you’d plug into a normal wall outlet at home. Whether it’s a microwave, toaster, coffee maker, fridge, tv, chop saw, room-sized/window a/c unit, e-bike, you name it and it can run it.
Now it will only run as long as it has enough battery power or solar power but still, the inverter is very strong. It can be running a fridge and a microwave at the same time which is a nice feature since we don’t want to unplug the fridge just to heat up a burrito.
One neat feature or what some may consider an annoying feature is the auto-off setting in the Jackery Explorer 2000. If there is less than a 25w draw for more than 12 hours, it will automatically shut off. This could be problematic for some if they are just charging a phone since a phone won’t draw more than 25w. But they are also unlikely to be charging for more than 12 hours. This will most likely be appreciated by most people in case they forget to turn it off it won’t drain itself to empty.
Another nice feature is if you overload the unit and it’s not working properly you can reset the battery and the whole system completely. Normally if you use too much power, the Jackery 2000 will simply cut power to all outlets. Then you can turn it off, turn it back on and it will work again. But if for some reason it doesn’t do that, you can hold the USB and Display button for 13 seconds and it will completely reset the system. This is the same idea as other solar generators but other solar generators usually have a breaker button that can be used.
The inverter is actually capable of running 20amp equipment if needed as well.
Charging
This may be the one reason you may want to reconsider getting a Jackery Explorer 2000 or any Jackery solar generator. The Jackery 2000 says it can handle up to 800w of solar input which is incredible for a unit of this size. With a battery size of 2,060wh and a solar charge rate of 800w this system can be recharged in as little as 2.6 hours.
That’s a very fast charge rate which means it’s easy to use the Jackery 2000 all day long to run something like a fridge and then still be able to recharge it fully by the end of the day while still running equipment all day long.
With those kinds of charge speeds, this would be the first Jackery solar generator that could be recommended to have for emergency preparedness and longer blackouts. But, can it really input the full 800w it’s rated to?
With every Jackery Explorer solar generator that has ever been released, none of them have had the ability to reach their full solar input rating. For example, on the Jackery Explorer 1000 video, the maximum solar input we could get was 130w even though it has a 200w MPPT charge controller. That’s only 65% of what the rated amount is. That’s not very good at all.
The Jackery Explorer 2000 is rated to 800w solar input between two MPPT charge controllers (400w each) but Jackery specifically explains that the fastest time that the E2000 can be charged in is 3.9 hours. If we take 2,060wh and divide it by 3.9 hours that tells us the max solar input of (2,060wh ÷ 3.9hrs) 528 watts. Then if we take the actual solar input of 528w and divide that by the rated input wattage of 800w we get (528w ÷ 800w) 66%. That means that Jackery has stayed on par with their previous units of only being able to input about 66% of the total rated solar input. That’s not great.
Losing the ability to charge nearly 300w more per hour is huge! An 800w solar charge rate is extremely fast for a unit of this size. Really they need to advertise to people that it has a 500w solar charge rate and then when people get above 500w they are happy. Rather than saying it’s an 800w solar charge rate and people can’t get above 528w and be upset. This is something that everyone needs to know about this unit.
Everyone who’s interested in this unit needs to be aware that they are looking at around 4 hours to charge it up instead of about 2.5hrs. This is really unfair to do to customers. It’s all about letting people know upfront what they’re actually getting.
Does that make the Jackery Explorer 2000 a bad unit to buy? No, not necessarily. There are 5 solar peak hours every day. Meaning for 5 hours every day, on average, you can make the maximum wattage your solar panels are rated to. If you’re using the Jackery SolarSaga 200 solar panel it is capable of making 200w for up to 5 hours each day. It will still make power when the sun is out outside of that 5-hour window but you can count on the 5 solar peak hours to be the average solar production each day.
With a 4 hour charge time, it’s still potentially possible to get a fully charged unit while still running vital equipment such as a fridge and freezer all day long. Especially if you use an outlet timer to control when the fridge and freezers are running during the day and night. This is best used when there is a power outage to help conserve energy off of the unit.
It may not charge in 2.6 hours, but it still may be a good unit for you if you don’t need it to charge in less than 4 hours. At a minimum, because it still can be fully charged in a day in under 5 hours, it’s still a solar generator that can be recommended for small power outages.
On a happier note, it does use a very fast and simple wall charger that will charge the entire system from 0% to 100% in 2.6 hours from a wall outlet. And it does include a car charger that will recharge the whole system in 18 hours which is a typical charge rate for any solar generator.
Outlets
It has four AC 110v outlets which are the most Jackery has ever put on any of their units. Four outlets are usually enough to run all the essentials during a blackout or while traveling. Running a fridge, freezer, laundry machine, and microwave is all possible on the Jackery 2000. Of course, it’s easy to grab a power strip and add more outlets too but you just can’t exceed the 2,200w output of the solar generator.
There is one USB-C 60w port, one USB-A 12w port, and one USB-A QUAL COMM 3.0 multi-voltage port that can go up to about 18w output.
There is the standard regulated 12v and 10a DC cigarette lighter port that is typical with all Jackery solar generators.
For having an inverter and battery this large in the Explorer 2000 it would have been nice for them to include an RV plug since it is capable of running small RVs. It is also possible to simply purchase a 15a to 30a dog bone adapter as well and run an RV that way. Keep in mind, it is not going to run the A/C very long at all but will run pretty much everything else quite well.
Pricing
For everything that is included in the Jackery Explorer 2000, it is a very fair price. I have developed a way of comparing all solar generators’ prices based on their battery size, inverter size, and solar charge controller size. Those are the three most important features in reviewing any solar generator.
I take the total price of the unit and divide that into the rated limits of those three items in the solar generator. The Jackery Explorer 2000 costs right about $2,099. With a 2,060wh battery, 2,200w inverter, and 800w solar charge controller, the “Unit Wattage”, as I call it encompassing the biggest features, comes out to be only $1.53/unit wattage. That is considered to be a very good price for all the features you get.
However, after reviewing the Jackery 2000 and knowing that we can only get 528w of solar input, if we substitute that true number for the rated number for solar input and redo the math it comes out to be $1.98/unit wattage which is only okay.
The best solar generator that has the lowest “unit wattage” is the Titan solar generator. The Titan has a 3,000w inverter, 2,000wh batteries that are expandable, and has 2,000w of solar input. The Titan’s unit wattage price comes out to be only $1.33/unit wattage which means it is a better “bang for the buck.” For everything included in the Titan, it is the absolute most affordable system to go with when factoring in all its features.
There are other features to the Titan such as its ability to split into multiple pieces so it never weighs more than 35lbs which makes it lighter/easier to move than the Jackery 2000. It is also rated to 2,000 cycles per battery and includes a 30amp RV plug on it. The Titan is considered the #1 best solar generator currently. But maybe you don’t need the strongest solar generator available.
Conclusion
After investigating different reviews of the Jackery Explorer 2000 and comparing it to other solar generators, it is safe to say that the Explorer 2000 is truly the best solar generator that Jackery has made so far.
It is fully capable of running bare essentials for long-term power outages or running a small RV. For outdoor activities and camping, it is a great resource and will help many people in times of need.
It may not be the #1 solar generator of all the different solar generators currently available, but it is definitely within the top 5. A unit that anyone would be proud to own.
The Jackery 500 power station has been around for quite some time now. It has been one of the most successful mini solar generators that have ever come out. There are countless reviews and articles about it that all have great information. But what are they missing? What are they not telling you? In this Jackery Explorer 500 review, I will be revealing their little secrets.
Overall, the Jackery Explorer 500 is a solid unit. It has been compared with many other units that cost more and cost less and the Jackery 500 has stood out among them. It has been compared to units such as the EcoFlow River 600, Sungzu 500, Bluetti AC50, AcoPower PS500, and many more. There are certain things that have made the Jackery 500 stand out among all of those when reviewed. In a word, reliability.
The Jackery Explorer 500 has pretty much the same battery that all of those 500w mini solar generators have. But what’s different about the Jackery 500 battery is its rated output. It is able to fully handle a full 500w draw all the way until it reaches 0% which is incredible. Other mini solar generators such as the Sungzu 500 can do the same but their screen is so limited that you have no idea if you’re actually pulling 500w, 400w, or whatever the draw is.
The Jackery Explorer 500 battery is precisely 518.4wh in total battery capacity. It gets that from having a 21.6v and 24ah battery. 21.6v is a bit different from most 500w mini solar generators. Most 500w mini solar generators have 12v batteries which can generally be charged up to about 12.4v at 100% capacity. Generally speaking, higher voltage and lower amperage is more efficient than lower voltage and higher amperage.
Amps are really what cause heat in electricity. You can be moving 120v through a wire at 1a and it would generate very little heat and be using 120 watts. Volts x Amps = Watts. But if you were using 12v and 10a (12v x 10a = 120w) you’d be making a lot of heat. Heat = inefficiency. This means that for the Jackery 500 to run 120w with its battery it’s only going to use 5.55a because 21.6v x 5.55a = 120w. It is considered to be twice as efficient as other 500w mini solar generators.
This is one of their little secrets that no one realizes. Because they increased the battery voltage in the Jackery 500 it creates less heat, has better energy conversion through the inverter, and requires thinner internal wiring. That’s very smart on Jackery’s part.
It has a Lithium NMC (lithium-ion) battery which is one of the reasons it’s really lightweight.
One of the drawbacks of the Jackery Explorer 500 battery is that it is not rated to a very high amount of lifecycles. It is only rated to 500 lifecycles which is about the bare minimum that lithium batteries last before they reach 80% efficiency. Unlike the Titan solar generator which is far more powerful but is rated at 2,000 cycles per battery.
Inverter
The Jackery 500 power output is rated to 500w continuously off of the inverter. It has a 1,000w peak which is right where it should be. Inverter peaks should always be at least twice as much as the inverter continuous output.
When running my tests and reviewing the Jackery 500 on my own I found that I could sustainably run about 515w continuously without the inverter stopping. It can do a bit more than the 500w it is rated to which is very surprising. Not that an extra 15w is going to make a big difference but you never know.
One nice feature is that the Jackery 500 can either have AC power on alone or DC power on alone or both AC and DC power on at the same time. Other units simply turn on the entire unit which will cause the inverter to draw power slowly even if nothing is plugged into it.
I like to run my ICECO JP40 DC Fridge which holds 40qts. off of my Jackery 500. The DC port on the Jackery 500 runs my ICECO 40qt DC fridge for about 35+ hours without the need to use a solar panel to recharge the Jackery 500. If I need to use the AC power from the inverter, then it will run my ICECO JP40 for about 25 hours.
The Jackery 500 can be charged in three different ways. The most common is from the wall charger. Charging from the wall outlet puts in about 77 watts which isn’t very much. The car charger will put it about 42 watts which is even slower. Then a 100w solar panel will be able to input about 58 watts at most into the Jackery 500.
This is the one area I feel that Jackery really could’ve done much better, the charge controller. It is an MPPT charge controller which is great but it doesn’t allow that much power to go in.
It has been my experience that if a solar generator cannot be charged in at least 5 hours then it’s not that great. Everything else about it is pretty good, but it needs to charge faster. In my video review of the Jackery 500 I connected 500w of solar panels to it, and it would still only allow up to 58 watts from solar panels to go in which is not good at all. That means with solar panels it will take about 8.6 hours to fully charge. That is more than one day’s worth of solar charging since you can only get about 5 full peak hours a day of sun.
Jackery really needs to adopt a better charge controller in future models. This doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world for the Jackery 500. The most common thing I use my Jackery 500 for is to run my DC fridge. Since that only uses about 10-20wh per hour to run, I can still get my Jackery 500 charged up each day. I can do that because each night my DC fridge doesn’t run the Jackery 500 battery all the way down to 0%. It only runs it down to 75%. I can charge the Jackery 500 back up from 75% each day while still running my DC fridge with no problem.
If I needed to run heavier equipment like a full-sized house fridge, then I’d be out of luck. The Jackery Explorer 500 is not equipped for emergency preparedness like the Titan solar generator. This mini solar generator is more to be used while camping to run small equipment like a DC fridge, phone charging, radio charging, camp lights, and so on. It also includes a small LED light on the side for helping light up a small area such as a campsite or room. It even has an SOS setting on the light for emergencies.
The wall charger will recharge the Jackery 500 in about 6.5 hours. The car charger will take about 12 hours. And solar panels will take about 8.6 hours.
It doesn’t matter if I use one of my own Rigid 100 solar panels which are extremely high quality or the Solar Saga 100 folding solar panel from Jackery. Since the charge controller won’t let more than 58 watts in from any solar panel, both of them work well. The Solar Saga is easier and lighter to transport though due to it being foldable and has no tempered glass on it.
The Jackery 500 does not have a lot of outlets on it. But does it need a lot of outlets? Not really. Because this is meant to be used with small electronics while camping or out at the beach or in the woods for the day. It has just one AC outlet to help power anything off of the inverter up to 500w. This could be used to boost up an E-Bike battery, recharge a drone battery, run an air pump for inflating an air mattress, or whatever else is needed out of the AC outlet. If more outlets are needed then a power strip can easily be used.
It has three DC plugs. One is the standard 12v cigarette lighter plug like what is in every car. Then there are two small 5.5×2.1mm barrel ports. In my experience, there are many CPAP machines that can use that small barrel port to run off of. This is great if you’re camping and need a lightweight power source that will run a CPAP all night long. The CPAP machine I have tested with it will run for about 2 nights off the Jackery 500. Different CPAPs will use different amounts of power. The DC plugs can put out up to 10a/120w.
Then it has three USB ports. All of them are typical USB-A style plugs which means you can use pretty much any USB cable with it. No USB-C fast charging ports on this unit.
Usage
One thing to keep in mind when using the Jackery Explorer 500 is that it does have all sorts of protection layers installed in it. It has overcharge protection, discharge protection, overheat protection, and so on. The Jackery 500 will not charge if it’s above 104 degrees Fahrenheit internally. It’s not supposed to be charged below 32 degrees Fahrenheit but it may let a charge in, so be careful not to charge it below freezing.
It’s safe to use it all the way down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit but it just can’t be charged below 32 degrees. Generally speaking, I always have my unit inside.
One of the big drawbacks of using the Solar Saga 100w folding solar panel from Jackery is that it only has a 10ft charging cable attached to the solar panel. That requires the Jackery 500 to be within 10ft of the solar panel to charge. This can be a problem if it’s hot outside and the Jackery 500 has to be in the hot sun to charge. The same applies to it being below freezing outside. It’s hard to have the panel in the sun outside and the Jackery 500 inside with such a short cable.
That is why I like to use an 8mm to PV Connector adapter which allows me to use pretty much any other solar panel. Most solar panels use PV Connector connectors. Then I can get any length of PV Connector cable that I need and put my solar panel anywhere in the sun while keeping my Jackery 500 safe inside out of the weather.
Jackery
Jackery as a companyhas been around for many years now and has an extremely good reputation. Their customer service is top-notch and they are always ready to help anyone out. Their warranty department is always willing to help with any issue if one ever comes up.
I have reached out to Jackery multiple times by email and phone and they have always responded quickly and were very helpful.
Even though Jackery units are made in China I don’t feel that that makes them lower quality. After all, the world’s largest lithium resources are in China so it makes that pretty much all lithium batteries come from China.
The Jackery Explorer 500 is a simple, lightweight, and affordable mini solar generator/power station. It is easy to take outdoors or on road trips to run simple equipment. Whenever I need just a little a bit of power out and about, the Jackery Explorer 500 is the one I usually grab because I know it will work hard for me.
It could use a better charge controller, and maybe an outlet or two more, but it’s not a deal-breaker by any means. I would recommend the Jackery 500 to anyone who needs lightweight portable power.
What makes a particular solar generator the best? How do we quantify a solar generator to know how it will work during emergencies, RVing, camping, or during blackouts? There has to be a variable that is comparable across all the best solar generator systems so they can be properly compared against each other.
3 Factors to a Good Solar Generator
There are three main factors when it comes to a solar generator: 1. Battery Capacity. 2. Inverter Size. 3. Solar Input.
Factor 1 – Basically, the battery has to be large enough to run everything necessary at a minimum through one night. Preferably, it needs to be a large enough battery to get through 24 hours or more of no sunlight to account for cloudy, rainy, and snowy days. Usually, this is a minimum of 2,000wh for very basic emergency items.
Factor 2 – The inverter needs to be large enough to run all the necessary equipment. Most common for emergencies that equipment is a fridge, freezer, small a/c, fan, phone chargers, laptop chargers, CPAP, HAM radio chargers, LED lights, sump pumps, microwave, toaster, coffee machine, washer machine, saws, tools, and so on. It does not have to be able to run all of those things at the same time, it just has to be able to run them when needed. Usually, this is about 1,500w, preferably 2,000w, all depending on what your needs are.
Factor 3 – The solar charge controller has to be large enough to accomplish two tasks. It has to be able to let in enough solar power to fully recharge the battery in a single day, which is 5 hours of sunlight. Secondly, it has to let in enough solar to run the necessary equipment during the day, while still fully recharging the battery. This generally means the system needs to be rechargeable in at least 3 hours or less in order to still run vital equipment like a fridge and freezer during the day and still get a full charge on the battery. Usually, the charge controller needs to be at least 1/3 of the capability of the battery capacity. For example, a 2,000wh battery should have about a 700w solar input. In 3 hours of sun, it would be fully charged.
I’ve also made up a fourth factor so that it’s easier to compare the price between all the units. Since this monetary measurement has never been created before, I invented it, I call it “Unit Wattage.” Basically, I take the 3 factors on the size of the battery, inverter, and charge controller, and see how many watts or watt-hours the unit will divide into the price of the unit. Then I take the average of those 3 numbers and it makes the average “Unit Wattage.” You’ll see as you go through each unit.
The Top 8 Best Portable Solar Generators
These solar generators compared here are based on specs that have been compiled into this comparison chart. There are some factors that are hard to account for and so positions in the chart can change.
#1 Best Solar Generator – Titan
The Titan has been out for quite a while now, long enough to know if there are any real issues with it, and there are not any issues.
The Titan, as a base unit, comes with 1 battery and 1 power module (inverter and charge controller). The battery is lithium-ion and has 2,000wh of capacity. The power module (top half) has a 3,000w pure sine wave inverter. The charge controller is 2,000w!
Of the top 8 best portable solar generators reviewed here, this has the largest inverter and largest solar input. But on top of that, has expandable batteries. This means I can use more Titan batteries to expand the Titan itself vertically, the Titan batteries stack on each other which is awesome, or I can use other batteries externally, such as the Lion Energy UT 1300s. The Titan batteries are rated to 2,000 cycles.
The solar charge controller is 35-145v and 30a at 1,000w. There are two of these solar charge controllers built into the power module which allows it to input up to 2,000w of solar.
It has the largest battery expandability, largest inverter, and largest solar input. But then doesn’t all of that come with heavyweight? Yes. But the Titan batteries can separate from the power module and other batteries to make it no more than 35lbs each piece which makes it one of the easiest to transport, especially for the power it has.
It is recommended to have at least 500w in solar panels on this unit because that can be charged in a day if you’re just running a fridge, fan, and a light. Really, it’s best to have at least 1,000w so that it can be charged in a few hours while still running lots of equipment. The Titan has a 2-hour charge speed with 1 battery and 1,000w of solar. Or if you have 1 battery, and 2,000w of solar, it can be charged in as little as 1 hour! The absolute fastest charge rate of any system, period.
The Titan has been running my off-grid cabin non-stop for about a year at the time of writing this. We have expanded it to have 4,000w of solar panels and 6,000wh of battery capacity. Since the charge controller is limited to 2,000w (which is almost 3x more than the next best unit) we can only input up to 2,000w per hour. But, since we have 4,000w of solar panels, this means we have 8 to 10 peak hours a day rather than just 5 hours.
Normally there are5 solar peak hours a day depending on location and season. 5 hours x 2,000w in solar equals 10,000wh made in a day. But since we make 2,000w for more than 5 hours a day, we can actually make upwards of 16,000 to 20,000wh of power every sunny day. That is incredible!
Since upgrading our system to more batteries and more panels, we have never run out of power once. Not even during the darkest time of winter. The only time we ran out of power before was when we only had 500w of solar and we were running lots of equipment.
The Titan is customizable with however many batteries each person needs and up to 2,000w solar input. For some the Titan 500 Kit will work, others will want the Titan+ 2000 Kit because it includes an extra battery and more panels. The Titan allows you to find out what works for you. No other system really does that.
The Titan is at a fair price of $2,995 which means its Unit Wattage price is $1.33/unit wattage. This is the lowest of all 8 best solar generators. That means the Titan is literally the best bang for the buck, and it will actually cost you less to get this system over time than any other of the 8 best solar generators.
The Bluetti AC200P is rather new but has had quite the following due to their successful launch on IndieGoGo. Originally, they started with the AC200 which had lithium nmc battery cells in it. Then they switched to the LiFePo4 batteries because they had more power, lasted longer, and were available.
The Bluetti AC200P is not expandable with batteries or more solar panels, so what you see is what you get. It has a good-sized battery at 2,000wh which meets the minimum recommended amount. Because the Bluetti AC200P solar generator uses LiFePo4 batteries, it has an incredible lifecycle rating of 3,500 cycles!
The pure sine wave inverter is also a very good size at 2,000w which means it’s capable of running all the things necessary during an emergency such as a fridge, freezer, coffee machine, microwave, toaster, small a/c unit, and so on.
The solar charge controller is rated to 700w solar input at a rate of 35-150v and 12a. This means that this system, like the Titan, can be over-paneled, allowing up to 1,400w of solar panels to be connected. It will still only let in 700w max input, but this allows nearly twice as much power to be made in a single day.
Having the extra panels means that it is easier to fully recharge the battery each day while still running essential equipment. The Bluetti AC200P will charge in just under 3 hours for its fastest charge time from 0% back to 100%. That means it meets the minimum recommend charge time and will still recharge in a single day while running essential pieces of equipment.
The biggest downside to the Bluetti AC200P solar generator is the weight. It comes in at 61lbs. It cannot separate the batteries from the inverter which means it has to be carried all at once which makes it very heavy. It is recommended that a furniture dolly or some form of wheels be used to move it around for those who wish not or cannot carry 61lbs easily.
Before you read too much about the ElecHive 2200 solar generator, you must know that as of the writing of this article, it still has not been released and so it is untested. The only prototype that has come out has been very buggy and had many issues. Zero Breeze said it was buggy and had many issues before they allowed the prototype to be tested so they are aware of the issues and said they will have them fixed when the production model solar generator is released.
That being said, if it does everything it says it will do, it is definitely #3 on the list of the best solar generators. Anything below #3 I have a hard time recommending. And as of right now, I cannot recommend the ElecHive 2200 solar generator because it hasn’t been released yet. But I digress.
The ElecHive 2200 solar generator has amazing specs, especially for how much it weighs. It has a 2,400wh Lithium battery. With a 2,200w pure sine wave inverter. And a solar charge controller built to let in 800w at 35-150v and 12a.
This means it has nearly the same charge controller as the Bluetti AC200P solar generator but allows an extra 100w of solar in. But because of the charge parameter, it too can allow for over-paneling and allow up to 1,400w of solar panels to be connected to allow for great solar input throughout the day. This makes it easier to get a full charge while running essential equipment.
But what sets the ElecHive 2200 apart is that for its capabilities it is only 42lbs. That is considered lightweight with these specs. And on top of that, it doesn’t use the standard 18650 lithium nmc battery cells that most solar generators have, which means it takes up less space and less weight on the battery. Very smart.
You may be asking, why isn’t this in second place then? The ElecHive 2200 has a larger inverter, larger battery, and more solar input than the #2 Bluetti AC200P. The reason is the lifecycles. It is only rated to 1,000 cycles on the battery which is too bad. If it had at least 2,000 cycles for the Lithium NMC battery it would definitely be #2. But effectively, the Bluetti AC200P will last 3x longer than the ElecHive 2200 solar generator, and for that reason, it is #3.
The ElecHive 2200 started on IndieGoGo at $1,099 for the unit. That is crazy cheap! But, it is still very untested and truly doesn’t exist yet, so it’s quite the gamble since the prototype unit didn’t do so well. It is said that the price will be about $2,500 for the ElecHive 2200 once it is being produced and shipped.
This means the ElecHive 2200 at $2,500 will be pretty fairly priced right at $1.77/unit wattage. Starting to get up there a little bit in price.
#3 (Tied) Best Solar Generator – Lion Energy Safari ME
The Safari ME solar generator, like the Titan, has been out for a little over a year now. It is a long-lasting and powerful unit.
It has a powerful LiFePo4 battery that is rated at 2,500 lifecycles. This is definitely going to be around for a while. But, the biggest issue with this solar generator is that only has a 922wh base battery built into it. That is quite small and will only run a fridge for about 12 hours and not much else.
It’s hard to recommend this unit without also getting the Safari XL battery expansion or also know as the Safari ME + Expansion. The extra Safari XL battery is 2,048wh which is plenty big just like the Titan batteries. Only 1 Safari XL battery can be added to the Safari ME solar generator, but it brings the total battery capacity up to about 3,000wh.
The Safari ME solar generator has a great pure sine wave inverter that is rated to 2,000w continuous output and 4,000w surge. It is fully capable of running all the essential emergency items or an RV/van.
It doesn’t have the largest solar charge controller, but it will allow up to 600w of solar power to go in it. Because it has a 30-60v and 10a charge controller, it doesn’t have the ability to over-panel. If I’m using my typical Rigid 100 solar panels, which are each rated to 100w output, I can connect them in a 3×3 series/parallel combo configuration and get 600w of solar attached to it. But with that, I am maxing the solar charge controller parameters and can’t add any more panels beyond that.
With 600w of solar input, it will recharge the base battery in just 1.6 hours which is incredibly fast. It’s only fast because the battery is so small but still, it’s fast. With the expanded Safari XL battery installed it will take about 5 hours to fully recharge the Lion Safari ME solar generator from 0% to 100%.
It does have a nifty 12v/25a DC output port so if you need lots of DC power for a Van, RV or HAM radio setup, then that is a really good option.
The base unit weighs 46lbs by itself and the additional battery weighs 44lbs, so in total it is 90lbs when put together. Luckily, it doesn’t all have to be carried at once.
It is priced right at $2,350 for the base unit without the expansion battery. With that it gives the Safari ME solar generator a high priced $2.55/unit wattage rating. That is nearly double what the Titan is.
The Inergy Flex 1500 solar generator is a very unique and cool unit. It is essentially a mini-Titan. It has half the inverter size, half the battery capacity, and one quarter the solar input and is about half the price.
The Flex solar generator battery is 1,069wh as well as each expandable battery. They are lithium nmc and are rated to 2,000 cycles just like the Titan batteries. However, the Flex solar generator batteries are only capable of running 1,500w continuously for 80% of their total capacity.
The Inergy Flex has a pure sine wave inverter that is rated to 1,500w continuous output and 3,000w surge. One of the biggest issues I’ve had with Inergy systems like the Apex and Kodiak has been the battery to inverter capacity. Essentially, the battery is not capable of running 1,500w for very long.
Inergy has said that with the Flex solar generator, it will not be limited like the Apex and Kodiak was in the past. The Apex, which was the model before the Flex, was only capable of running 1,500w for about 4 minutes before it would shut off. I hope that the Flex doesn’t have the same issue especially since they are claiming it can do more than the Apex and Kodiak.
It has a solar charge controller that Inergy says will allow 600 watts of solar power to go into it. The charge parameters are 14-90v at 30a. This means you can supposedly use either a series or parallel solar panel configuration to get the 600w, but is that true?
They claimed the same 600w limit on both the Apex and Kodiak too but it wasn’t possible. When we look at a typical 100w solar panel, it will make about 21v VOC (Open Circuit Voltage). Or in other words, the absolute max voltage it can make is 21v. It will often be closer to 18v in normal use, all depending on the sun and weather.
If we take six 100w solar panels and connect them in series which increases the voltage but not the amps, that would give us 6 panels x 21v = 126v. That is WAY more than the 90v limit. So that’s definitely not going to work.
If we look at it from the perspective of the amps, each 100w solar panel makes about 5.5 to 6 amps in full sun. Most of the time 6 amps is the max a 100w solar panel will make. If we connect the panels in parallel which increases the amps and not the volts, we get 6 panels x 6 amps = 36 amps. That too exceeds their charge parameter.
The only way to make this work is to do a series/parallel combo for connecting the solar panels. This means we will have three 100w solar panels connected in series (panel to panel to panel) in one group and then another three 100w panels connected in series in another group. There will be two groups of three panels. Then each of those groups of panels will connect together through an PV Connector Branch Connector (as long as the panels you are using have PV Connector connectors, not EC8 connectors). At which point you will have a 3×3 series/parallel panel configuration that makes about 63 volts and 12 amps.
Since Inergy doesn’t use common PV Connector connectors on their panels, I can only hope they make some sort of branch connector to make their panels work in that 3×3 configuration. They definitely are not going to get more than 500w in series or parallel on the Inergy Flexx 1500. After many years of being in business, you’d think they’d stop advertising 600w solar input when it is truly limited to 500w. The same goes for the inverter, don’t advertise a 1,500w inverter, if it can’t actually pull 1,500w constantly until the battery is empty.
It is said that it will have an MSRP of $1,500. It comes in right at $1.63/unit wattage. That is pretty low, but not the lowest price per unit wattage. But that will go up greatly once more MPPTs and batteries are added on.
#5 Best Solar Generator – MAXOAK Bluetti EB240
In many ways, the MAXOAK Bluetti EB240 is also better than the Inergy Flex. The Bluetti EB240 doesn’t have the expandability that the Inergy Flex has and for that reason, it doesn’t beat the Inergy Flex.
But the Bluetti EB240 has a large battery at 2,400wh which is the largest so far, out of these top 8 systems, for a base sized battery. It is also different from the other units because it does not use Lithium NMC batteries which is the most common type of Lithium-Ion battery.
The Bluetti EB240 uses Lithium Polymer batteries. Most commonly lithium polymer batteries are what are used inside of cell phones. Instead of being the 18650 small cylinder cells, they are flat. One of the advantages is that it takes up less space inside the unit and therefore it doesn’t have to be as big.
One of the biggest differences with this battery is it is rated at 2,500 lifecycles. I am not sure how they got that number but according to their user manual, website, specs sheet, and so on, they claim that it has 2,500 cycles before it hits 80% efficiency which is great! 2,000 cycles is really the gold standard, so anything above that is phenomenal.
If you do the math, 2,500 cycles ÷ 365 days/year it will last just about 7 years (6.85yrs) before it reaches that 80% efficiency level. That is if you do that math based on using one full cycle per day.
The inverter is nothing to write home about. It is pure sine wave, which is great, but it is only rated to 1,000w of continuous output. This means you are absolutely not going to run anything big off of the Bluetti EB240. The EB240 is seriously only going to be good for very basic preps such as running a fridge, freezer, lights, fan, CPAP, etc.… It is not going to run any corded power tools but could recharge cordless tool batteries.
The peak output of the inverter is only 1,200w which is really low. Typically, the standard is to have at least 2x the continuous output as the peak. In this case, it should be at least 2,000w.
I have had a few different people write to me and tell me that they were using their Bluetti EB240 solar generators and they stopped working suddenly. What had happened is they were running a fridge, and a freezer at the same time and both of those units happened to kick their compressors on at the same time, causing a large surge, and overloading the system.
The biggest issue with the surge is that it doesn’t notify you if anything happens as you can see in my video. There’s no loud beeping or noise to let you know that it needs to be reset. This is another time I recommend using outlet timers because then you can schedule the fridge to run for 30mins, and then the freezer to run for 30mins, alternating when they run. This will eliminate the worry about them surging at the same time and causing that overload.
It has an MPPT charge controller that will let in up to 400w of solar. It can be over-paneled up to 600w of panels. The charge parameter is 16-65v and 12a. FYI, their earlier models were labeled 10a max input but can actually input 12a.
The MAXOAK Bluetti EB240 beats the EcoFlow Delta 1300 because the Delta has the same solar input, but ½ the battery size. The Delta has a larger inverter but it’s almost pointless to have a large inverter with a battery that small. I explain this further down.
The Bluetti EB240 is usually about $1,700 but you can click here to see the current pricing. That brings it to a total price of $2.22/unit wattage which is a bit on the high side.
The EcoFlow Delta 1300 had a lot of hype when it was first introduced. With a large inverter and lightweight size, it was boasting to be one of the best units available. As we can see, since it is in 6th place, it didn’t really accomplish that.
It has a rather small battery at 1,260wh total capacity. It uses lithium nmc cells like many units on the market. They are the 18650 cylindrical cells.
One of the amazing things it is capable of doing is it can run the 1,260wh battery at 1,800w output for the entire capacity of the battery. Most batteries will not push out more power than their total capacity. That means that a 1,260wh battery generally will not push out more than 1,260w of continuous power from the inverter. But the EcoFlow Delta 1300 can.
The inverter has a continuous output rating of 1,800w which is way better than the EB240 and the Flex. But, with such a small battery behind the inverter, it’s kind of hard to justify having such a big inverter. It will peak up to 3,300w off of the inverter which isn’t quite 2x the continuous rating but it’s definitely better than the Bluetti EB240’s.
The reason it is in sixth place is that it is not a big base battery. It is barely enough to run a single fridge for a whole night. This means, if it’s cloudy the next day, there’s no chance of it lasting more than a whole night which almost makes this unit useless. If it’s sunny every day then it will still be able to run the fridge all night, then continue to run it during the day, and get a full recharge.
With its same sized MPPT charge controller as the Bluetti EB240, it will let in up to 400w of solar. The charge parameter is 14v-60v and 10a. I have been able to get it up to 12a without any issues, which means it’s fully capable of running a 3×3 series/parallel configuration and having 600w of solar panels attached.
In fact, it’s impossible to attach up to 400w of solar to the EcoFlow Delta 1300 without using a series/parallel combo for the solar panels. I definitely recommend having at least 600w of solar panels on this unit so that it can be putting in the max 400w for as much time it can per day. If my fridge uses about 80wh and I’m making 400w, then I get a total input of 320wh into my battery each hour that the solar panels are making full power.
With a 1,260wh battery, it will take about 4 hours to fully recharge each day while still running a fridge. (1,260wh ÷ 320w = 3.93hrs to charge).
One very unique feature of the EcoFlow Delta 1300 is that it is able to chain together up to 6 other Delta 1300 units. Sadly, each unit will not allow you to add more solar panels, use 240v power, or increase the inverter output. But, you do get the added battery capacity. It’s a very bitter, and sort of sweet configuration. I can add more batteries which makes it expandable, but I have to pay for an entirely new unit to get that expandability.
I think they could’ve very easily made an expansion battery option that would allow solar panels to be connected to the battery itself which would double the solar input and double the battery capacity.
The biggest issue I have with the EcoFlow Delta 1300 is that when it’s used hard running lots of equipment, it tends to get very warm. When it gets that warm, it stops charging. When I did that test in my video, it wouldn’t charge again for a couple of hours. Those are very precious hours that would be lost recharging the unit, which could mean that it won’t get a full charge before sundown.
All in all, it will only cost about $1,400 which is a fair price but will end up costing $1.88/unit wattage which is not on the high side, but not on the cheap side either.
Goal Zero was really the first company to make solar generators a big deal. They launched their Yeti 1250 Lead Acid system many years ago and have developed a few new generations since then. Unfortunately, and surprisingly, they have not kept up with customers’ demands since they are still selling systems that are not as good as I would’ve expected. Since they’ve been around the longest, you’d think they’d have the best systems.
The Goal Zero Yeti 6000X takes the last place in this top 8 best solar generator review because even though it has a very large battery, it is very limited in other ways.
The Goal Zero Yeti 6000X has the largest base battery size of any of these systems. It has a 6,071wh battery capacity that is supplied from the Lithium NMC battery cells. This thing is a monster. I thought the Bluetti AC200P was heavy at 61lbs, but the Yeti 6000X weighs in at 104lbs! That is a lot of weight to be moving around.
Of course, you can’t have a larger capacity without the weight, so that’s to be expected for such a large battery. But, it only has 500 cycles on the battery. That’s basically 1 year and 4 months of continuous daily use of one cycle per day before it reaches 80% efficiency. Not a very long time if you’re someone preparing for an EMP or long-term grid down situation. For camping, probably not a big deal.
The inverter is a 2,000w pure sine wave inverter that has a surge output of 3,500w. The surge/peak output is not twice as big as the continuous output which is okay, but I still would’ve liked to have seen a 4,000w peak. Overall, the inverter size isn’t necessarily bad, 2,000w is a pretty decent inverter just like the Bluetti AC200P and the Lion Safari ME.
The solar input on the Goal Zero Yeti 6000X is quite lacking. With only a max solar input of 600w, the Yeti 6000X will take over 10 hours to charge from the sun.
The Goal Zero Yeti 6000X has a charge parameter of 14-50v and 50a. The 50amp input is quite impressive, none of the other systems will allow up to 50 amps. This means the system is capable of over-paneling, but it’s not as easy as the other systems.
The average 100w solar panel will make about 21v. When panels are connected in series, the voltage is multiplied by however many panels are in that series. For example, two 100w panels in series have a total voltage of 42v (21v x 2 = 42v). When panels are connected in series the amperage stays the same. The average amperage per 100w solar panel is about 6 amps.
That means in order to just get 600w of solar panels connected to the Yeti 6000X I have to make three sets of two panels (2 x 2 x 2) making a series/parallel combo. Doing that will give me 42v at 18a. Technically, I can have up to eight sets of panels where there are two panels in each set (2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2). Which means I can over-panel the Yeti 6000X up to 1,600w of panels and still be within the 14-50v and 50a charge parameter. The only issue with that is companies don’t make PV Connector branch connectors larger than 6 to 1. So really, it can over-panel up to 1,200w. This is good, but for every set of panels, I will need a 15ft to 20ft panel cable just to reach the branch connector.
All in all, it’s a lot of work and extra accessories to get the Goal Zero Yeti 6000X to put in all of its power from the panels. Not my cup of tea. Even the Titan+ 2000 Kit has 20 panels to set up, and it’s easier to set up those 20 panels on the Titan than it is to set up the 12 panels on the Goal Zero Yeti 6000X.
With how complicated this system is, the low cycles, long charge time, and weight, it’s really taking the very bottom of the Top 8 Solar Generator list.
The Goal Zero Yeti 6000X is the most expensive of these units at $4,999.95. That gives it the highest price per unit wattage of the top 8 best solar generators at $3.89/unit wattage. Yikes!
There is no doubt that the Titan solar generator is the best one available. It beats every system in every way. It has the best battery expandability, best solar input, best inverter, best portability for its size, and it is also the cheapest per unit wattage price. It seriously wins in every aspect.
If you look back to the video comparing all of these units or the picture, you will see that it is simply the best system to go with, bar none. The Bluetti AC200P is in second place, but truly, only good for basic emergency power needs. The same goes for the ElecHive 2200 and the Lion Safari ME.
The Titan sells out very quickly. The best thing to do is get one ordered as soon as possible so that you have the absolute best system around. Think about it, the Titan has been out for quite some time now, and the other top solar generator companies such as Goal Zero, MAXOAK, Lion Energy, Inergy, etc. still have not made a better unit even though they have released new units since the Titan launched.
Have you been wondering as you purchase your solar equipment for your solar generator whether you want to go with flexible or straight rigid solar panels? It is a tough choice if you don’t know the pros and cons. So what is the difference between flexible vs. rigid solar panels? There are quite a few.
One big thing that remains the same between them is how much power they get and at what rate. They both have 9 bus bars across and the same amount of grid squares, so they are virtually the same in this realm, but let’s take a closer look at their other features.
Also, if you want to take a look at my video on the subject, watch that below!
Rigid 100 Solar Panel
Durability
Some people wonder if the rigid 100 solar panels are more or less durable than the flexible ones. Do the flexible solar panels bend easily and not break? Does the glass on the rigid panels crack easily?
Well, in my video above, I actually answer this question. The rigid frame solar panels can take my weight, while the flexible solar panels will crack easily under my weight unless it is on a completely flat surface. So if I were putting the rigid frame panels on the roof of an RVthen it would be better than the Flexx 100 because they are more durable.
Even moving them around, the rigid panels are less likely to break than flexible ones because the frame provides the stabilization that the rigid panels need. The flexible panels, on the other hand, can be damaged easily unless you grab it in the perfect spot and move it carefully.
When I converted my 27 Travel Trailer RV to have solar panels, a couple of the Rigid 100 solar panels actually fell off the roof before I secured them down. They fell straight down to the ground after hitting a tree branch and they didn’t even crack! They still work perfectly.
Weight
The Rigid 100 panels, of course, weigh a bit more than the flexible ones at 16 pounds. You can get about two of them in one carrying case, which puts the whole thing a tad above 30 pounds. This is still definitely portable. You can easily carry 30 pounds, especially in the carry case, but you will have to take more trips than you would with the flexible panels, which makes it a bit more of a pain to set up when you’re out in the woods camping.
Easy To Handle
The rigid frame solar panels may not be the lightest option available, but what they lack in weightlessness they make up for in how easy they are to tote around by hand because of the frame. While the flexible panels can flop around, making it easy to break some of the cells, the glass rigid panels will stay firmly in place and it is difficult to harm the cells.
These rigid panels even have a makeshift handle in the frame.
Wind resistant
If you live in an area that has a lot of wind, or even an average amount of wind, then the Rigid 100 solar panels will be much easier to work with than the flexible ones. The rigid panels are much more durable when it comes to resisting wind and won’t blow over easily because they are much heavier.
Lifespan
The rigid frame solar panels are what I recommend to most people for more frequent use because they are much more durable. They have an extremely strong tempered glass front and are generally more difficult to damage through everyday use. Because of this, they have a lifespan of about 25 years or more. That is truly impressive when compared to the lifespan of most flexible panels that have a lifespan of about 3 to 5 years of constant use.
Flexible 100 Solar Panel
Weight
One thing that people really love about the Flexx 100 solar panels is that they are very lightweight. You can get about five of them in a carry case, which takes you to 25 pounds. This is less than carrying two of the rigid solar panels.
These make the flexible solar panels the perfect option to take with you on trips or anywhere on the go. If you aren’t staying there permanently, these are perfect to take along with you. A lot of panels can fit in the trunk of basically any car along with a solar generator.
Difficult to Handle
Even though the flexible panels are very lightweight, they are more difficult to handle than the rigid frame solar panels. If you allow them to bend or hold them directly on top of a cell, you could damage some of the cells on the panel. They are fragile, and for this reason, I almost always carry them in the carry case because it will hold them securely and distribute the pressure of me holding them evenly across the surface.
Need A Stand
All solar panels develop micro-cracks over time. The rigid panels develop them a bit slower, which is why I mentioned that their optimal life is about 25 years. After that, they will still work, but they will have a reduced output because of the cracks.
Flexible panels are great because they are portable, but they shouldn’t be allowed to be flexible when they are in use. It is important to make a stand for them so that they are elevated off the ground and held firmly in place. Otherwise, even strong gusts of wind can damage them by creating microcracks.
ETFE Finish
If you have researched a bit about solar panels, you may know about the Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) finish. What this actually is, is a fluorine-based plastic. It is specially made to be durable and to be able to withstand high-temperature changes, which makes it perfect for a coating on solar panels.
Another thing that it does on the Flexx 100 panels is it is manufactured in such a way that it has a texture of tiny bumps on the solar panel. The purpose of this is to act as a kind of magnifying glass, so you actually get more energy from the sun per cell than you normally would if it were just a flat surface.
This is a really neat feature that is in the Flexx 100, but not the rigid frame solar panels. The rigid frame has a glass coating, which provides an even more durable surface. But the ETFE finish is definitely the way to go if you are getting a flexible panel.
ETFE plastic is meant to last 20+ years and does not break down quickly like PET.
Lifespan
Other flexible solar panels have a Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material that is laminated onto the surface of the panel. This is the same plastic that is used in water bottles. It is durable, but not nearly as durable as the ETFE. The PET plastic has a lifespan of about 3 years and ETFE has about a 20-year lifespan.
It can get confusing wondering why flexible panels will only last a few years if they have an ETFE finish. When I talk about lifespan, I am talking about the panel making at least 80% of its original power when new. Since solar panel cells break down over time they will only last so long. Because flexible panels tend to bend and move in the wind, they break down faster than a straight rigid framed solar panel.
Price
When you talk about price, these two panels cost roughly the same. However, you will of course get more bang from your buck if you buy the Rigid 100 panels since they will last for much longer. If you are buying panels for regular everyday use, then you will definitely want to buy the rigid frame solar panels to ensure a longer lifespan.
Conclusion
If you are wondering which solar panels are best for you, it is pretty clear to see that the rigid frame solar panels are the ones that last the longest and are the most durable. They might even just be the easiest for everyday use. They are much less finicky than the flexible solar panels. However, if you are looking for a more lightweight, portable option, then you might be more interested in flexible solar panels.
I have been involved in emergency preparedness for my entire life. I have grown up doing it and truly believe at some point we will all face a moment when being prepared for an emergency would’ve drastically made life 100x easier.
It doesn’t matter if it’s an earthquake, hurricane, flooding, tornado, winter storm, power outage, EMP attack, or any other kind of emergency, having power is a necessity. There are a number of different solar generators out there.
I have been working in the solar generator niche for a number of years now and have tested, played with, compared and evaluated many solar generators. Finally, Point Zero has taken essentially years worth of info and requests from customers and people interested and compiled it into one solar generator, The Titan.
Here is a pre-release video that I was able to make during the production of the Titan. Even as a prototype it’s amazing. A full detailed review will come out soon with the final production unit. But it will essentially look like what you see in the video with a minor change in the screen.
As mentioned in another post there are 11 tips or points for finding the best solar generator. They are:
Areas to Consider
All of these points are vital in determining which unit to go with. Everyone has different needs so that’s another thing to take into account. That being said, the last few years I have been working with hundreds of customers using different solar generators and have heard what most people really want. This is the reason why I like the Titan so much is that it fulfills all those desires of users.
Below I have shown how the Titan Solar Generator measures up against the top 6 competing solar generators in each category mentioned above. A full detailed comparison follows. I also have a more extensive comparison chart with the top 17 solar generators available that you can view through the button below.
The Titan has a 2,000 watt-hour lithium-ion battery that is extremely powerful and light for its capability. The original model of the Titan solar generator had an 1,800 watt battery. Point Zero was able to put in a 2,000 watt battery that was lighter than the 1,800 watt battery which is incredible. The battery is actually rated for more than 2,000wh but it is called a 2,000wh battery because you can for sure use all 2,000wh in it. Other manufacturers will advertise their “nominal” wattage which is actually higher than what you can get out of it. However, with the Titan they are advertising the usable watt-hours.
Most lithium solar generators can only use a max 90% of the total battery capacity. So for example, if a generator had an 1,100wh battery, only 90% (990 watts) would actually usable. The Titan’s battery though has a full 97% usable capacity, or rather, 2,000wh of usable power.
If it had the same efficiency as other solar generators it would only have 1,800wh usable. Since Point Zero worked really hard to get the highest quality battery it means that for all intended purposes the entire battery can be used.
It is important to know that lithium-ion batteries can be damaged and will not have as many life cycles if they are charged too fast. Generally, this number is around 2 hours from 0% to 100%. So if the battery were drained to dead, 0%, and 2,000 watts of panels were connected and charged the unit in 1 hour, it would end up damaging the battery. This is why the Titan is built with a 1,000-watt solar panel charge rate. That means it cannot be charged in less than 2 hours which means the battery never gets damaged and keeps its life cycles longer. Very cool.
This is the toughest part of the Titan, the weight. We have been spoiled with the Kodiak since it only weighed 20lbs. That 20lbs was amazing and the Kodiak was amazing for what it could do, being that lightweight. However, there were many things it’s couldn’t do. The new Apex which replaced the Kodiak now weighs 25lbs because it has some slightly changed features. The Titan though is right in about 65lbs.
65lbs is A LOT of weight to handle. When Point Zero first told me it was going to be 65lbs I was not excited. They invited me to meet with them and see the prototype unit they had made which was really nice of them. I went and saw it expecting this huge box that I wouldn’t be able to move easily. Once I arrived and saw the new unit I noticed 4 clasps around the side, the Titan is two separate pieces!
The top part which holds the plugs, 3,000w inverter, 2MPPT controllers and all the brains separates from the bottom battery piece! This was incredible. I had heard of designs like this but had not seen anyone actually pull it off. The Titan, when split into two pieces, has two 33lb pieces which are very easy to move around. Each piece is only slightly more than the Apex.
As I got to test the prototype Titan unit it was very easy to move around once it was split into two pieces. It is very easy to put back together and there’s no way to put it back together incorrectly. It is 100% foolproof.
I loved that Point Zero did that because it allows the unit to still be very portable and moveable in emergency situations. Simply disconnect the top from the bottom, then move each piece individually or in each hand and move it to wherever it needs to go.
Going back to the point of the battery capacity, since it can be separated that means that more batteries can be sandwiched in between the top and bottom piece which increases its “fuel tank” capacity.
Once a second battery has been added, the unit will have 4,000wh of power. At that point, the Titan will actually automatically allow up to 2,000 watts in solar panels to put on, instead of just 1,000 watts. The Titan has two charge ports and each one easily handles 1,000 watts of solar power. This means once I put more than 1,000 watts of panels on the Titan I simply plug them into the second port.
This is the hardest part for me when it comes to seeing different solar units on the market. Many of them such as the Goal Zero and Humless have decent battery sizes but can’t be charged quickly.
For example, the Goal Zero 1400 Lithiumtakes 4.5 hours to charge with its MAXIMUM amount of solar panels connected. That’s under perfect conditions which are not common. So it barely meets the requirement to charge in 5 hours. If it’s a cloudy day or more power is needed then it is impossible to charge in that 5-hour time frame which means it can’t be charged in a day, that’s a no-go for me.
Same goes the Humless. It’s absolute fastest charge speed is 5.2 hours. Which means even on a bright sunny day it will barely charge in one day and that’s only if conditions are perfect and I’m not using it during the day to run other equipment.
Around the USA there is an average of 5 to 6 hours of light a day where solar panels can make their maximum power. This varies from Summer to Winter but 5 to 6 hours is commonly agreed on. So, for example, theFlexible 100w panels are 100-watt monocrystalline solar panels. They are the best I have been able to find and are extremely rugged. But each day, under ideal perfect conditions, they will only make a max of 100 watts each for 5 to 6 hours.
The time is usually averaged to 5 hours a dayto account for different parts of the USA and time of year. So if I have 500 watts in solar panels I can count on making around 500 watts in panels x 5 hours of light = 2,500 watts generated on bright sunny days.
This means that a Titan that has 500 watts in panels can be charged in about 4 hours from zero to full. That is a perfect setup for emergency power needs running very basic equipment. Or even for RVs and Vans it’s enough power to run essentials and still charge up during the day.
It is even better if the Titan has 1,000 watts in panels because it can be charged in about 2 hours. Even with only 400 watt in panels it will charge in the minimum requirement of 5 hours from 0% back to full 100%. That is not recommended to have that low of panels though because normally I would still need to be running some equipment during the day such as a fridge, chargers or fans. So I still need my panels to make enough power to be charging the battery while still running equipment.
The Titan is able to run equipment while being charged by solar panels, wall outlet, car charger or whatever power source. If I know my battery is at 50% because I used it all night and I need to charge it during the day while running equipment then I need my panel array to be big enough to handle the charge and usage. For example, my battery is at 50% (1,000wh) and I have 500 watts in panels. I know I need to run 250 watts worth of equipment during the day. So if my panels are making 500 watts of power, then 250 watts of that will go to the equipment and the other 250 watts will go to the battery. 250 watts/hr x 4hrs = 1,000wh into the battery in 4 hours. Perfect! I’m golden, I can run my stuff and be charged by dinner time for the night.
Another great feature about the Titan is that the wall charger that comes with it is already a fast charger! With other units, I was required to purchase an additional charger that would get extremely hot and still was only sort of fast. The Titan’s wall charger charges at a rate of 750 watts per hour. So if the Titan were empty it would only take less than 3 hours to charge it back to 100%.
But wait, there’s more! Not only is the AC Wall Chargera fast charger at 750 watts, but the Titan can accept two chargers! When a second battery or more is added to the Titan, a second AC Wall Charger can be added to double the charge speed. So if I have two batteries, 4,000wh, and I double the AC charging speed to 1500 watts then I can still charge it from 0 to 100 in 3 hours.
I don’t know that I would personally want a second charger just for the fact that 750w from a wall charger is already 3x faster than any other solar generator charger on the market. I don’t necessarily always need it to charge super duper fast. It would definitely be nice to have a second one just in case I do need to charge it really fast though, as a backup too.
The charger also has a built-in fan to keep it cool. All the others I’ve used don’t have a fan built into the box on the cord and so it gets crazy hot, to the point I can’t touch it. With the Titan AC Wall Charger it doesn’t get hot though.
This fast charge speed is nice for short term power outages that only last a day or two. With such a large battery I don’t even have to plug in my panels. When the power kicks back on I just charge it back up quickly.
4. Expandability
In the past, it has been very hard to find units that could easily expand with more batteries. In reality, not system out there had an easy expansion option for batteries. Plus pretty much all of them suggest expanding with lead-acid batteries, not my favorite.
The problem of expanding with lead-acid type batteries is that they’re more expensive in the long run when compared to lithium-based batteries. On top of that, it is generally not recommended to drain more than 50% energy from lead-acid batteries and definitely never below 30% because it will damage the battery. Also not to mention that mixing a lithium battery and lead-acid battery is generally not very good. So really expandability with Lithium is best.
The Titan is expandable with lithium batteries and it’s way cheaper than buying a lithium-ion battery elsewhere. The Titan can also expand its solar panel capacity as previously stated. Once a second battery is added to the Titan I can go from 1,000 watts in panels to 2,000 watts in panels.
The Titan can add as many Lithium Titan batteries as desired. Each battery is 2,000 watts. So if 2 batteries are added then it has a battery capacity of 3 x 2,000 = 6,000 watt-hours of power, that’s crazy big! I could run my necessities in my house for about 3 to 4 days no problem with that amount of power, and that’s not using any solar panels.
If I had 2,000 watts in panels combined with that large of a battery bank I could run my emergency essentials such as fridge, freezer, lights, fans, tv, cpap machine, small window A/C unit and other small items probably indefinitely.
So that’s the first way it’s expandable, batteries. The second way is that the solar panel capacity is also expandable. Earlier I mentioned that it’s not wise to charge a lithium battery from empty to full in less than 2 hours. That is why the Titan only allows for 1,000 watts of solar input power. However, once another battery is added the total battery capacity is at 4,000 watts.
So if I have 1,000 watts in panels, it will take about 4 hours to charge, still pretty good since I only have 5 hours a day where I know I can make max power. But if I wanted to keep my charge speed down to 2 hours then I am able to turn on an additional bank of 1,000 watts in solar panels on the Titan. There are two solar input plugs and each plug can handle 1,000 watts in panels for a total of 2,000 watts. The second solar charge plug will be able to be used once the second battery is added. This keeps my charge rate at 2 hours still and doesn’t damage the battery lifecycle.
Because its solar charge speed can be expanded to 2,000 watts I can effectively have 4 or 5 batteries total for about 8,000 to 10,000 watts of power and still charge it in one day, INCREDIBLE!
5. Life Cycle
Lithium batteries are capable of lasting at least 2,000 cycles if the quality is high enough and they are used wisely. So why not just use the highest quality right? That’s what the Titan has. I have seen other manufacturers use lower quality and or lower density Lithium-Ion battery cells and it still doesn’t even bring the price down, so why do it?
The Titan has all the features built into it to make sure that not only safety measures are met but that the battery doesn’t get overworked. Not overworking the battery makes sure it will last the 2,000 cycles fully.
This is one common question I get, “Can I replace the battery once the unit has reached that point?” In the past replacing the battery on a solar generator was not something that could be done on your own at home. It would’ve needed to be sent back to the manufacturer and replaced. This means it would be at the warehouse getting worked on so it’d be gone for a minimum of 2 weeks but probably up to 6 weeks.
The Titan is so easy, all that is necessary is the new battery. The old one clips off, the new one clips on, done. But even still after all those cycles, the battery is still rated to be about 75% to 80% efficient. So rather than being a 2,000wh battery, it would be more like a 1,600wh battery, still better than other generators.
It is important to understand though how hard it is to use all 2,000 cycles. A “cycle” is the process of draining the battery down to a certain amount and then back up. If 2,000 cycles were done on the Titan, one cycle per day, it would take 5.5 years to reach 2,000 cycles. So I’m not too worried about it needing to be replaced anytime soon. Even still, I can always just buy another battery and add it on by stacking it, super easy.
My experience has shown that I do not use all 100% of the battery each day. If I average 50% of a cycle each day that means the battery will last 11 years before needing to be replaced. In the worst-case scenarios of an EMP attack, the US Military has said it would take about 10 years to rebuild. So, in that worst-case scenario, that means the Titan battery would outlast that 10 years rebuild time!
There isn’t a unit out there that is easier to manage the battery and lifecycles than the Titan.
6. Number of Plugs
“A Christmas Story” Lighting the Tree
This is one thing that I love about the Titan, I can plug a lot of things into if I need to. Units of the past have had anywhere from 2 to 4 110/120v plugs (wall outlet plugs). This made it difficult to plug in my fridge, freezer, fans, lights, chargers, TV and so on because of the limitations. I was having to get power strips for single plugs which can easily trip the fuse since so much power is going through one plug. I don’t like feeling like Ralphy’s Dad in “A Christmas Story” where he plugs all the lights of the Christmas Tree into one outlet and sparks fly everywhere.
I find that on almost all solar generators out there, the plugs are way too close together. This made it hard to plug in multiple items, especially if the plug was a big boxy plug. For example, the Patriot 1500 solar generatoris a well-known unit on the market. One of my biggest gripes with it is firstly it only has two 110/120v plugs on it but then they’re literally smashed together. Any plug that has a large box on it covers the other plug.
The Titan has a unique symmetrical looking face that makes it easy to plug a lot of things in at once, including big boxy plugs. Since all the DC plugs are up top and all the wall outlet type plugs are spaced along the middle everything has its own room. Even with my old Kodiak, I would have to use 1ft extension cables so I could plug everything into the front of it even though it had plenty of plugs.
The Titan has 6 110/120v wall outlet plugs. 4 DC plugs w/USB options including USB C. Of course, it has a 30amp RV plug because Point Zero listened to people and they all said they wanted an RV plug. The RV Plug is rated to 25 amps.
The Titan has run welders and electric heaters, both extremely high power items, all at once in its testing phase and never had to use the RV plug for an extra bump in power. Not only that, but it ran 3,000 watts non-stop for 40 minutes! That’s not recommended though. Other units on the market advertise having a 1,500-watt inverter yet the battery can only do 550 watts continuously as seen here in this review. Others like the Bluettican do 900 watts output continuously but that is still lower than what it’s inverter is rated to of 1,000w. The point is, the Titan is a class all of its own.
Running the Titan at 3,000 watts for a long time is hard on the battery. Doing it repeatedly will definitely reduce how many lifecycles it has. It is recommended that if you need to repeatedly run over 1,500 watts off the Titan that a second battery be added. This distributes the workload. To ensure the longevity of the Titan battery it should be run less than 1500 watts. But, this doesn’t mean that if you need to run more than 1500w that you can’t. All it means is if you need to run over 1500w every single day that you should have a second battery or more.
This is an awesome feature that people really undervalue in my opinion. The reason is that I’m in control. If I absolutely need to run 3,000w for 40 minutes for some reason then I can. If I do it once or twice it’s not a big deal. Other units on the market though won’t allow me to do it even if it’s just once. For example, if I had a solar generator that the inverter is rated to 1500w but the battery can only do 550w continuously then I have no control. I can run 1500w but only for a few minutes before the safety mode kicks in. So if I only had to do it one time and was not going to do it repeatedly, it doesn’t matter, I don’t have the option to do it. But with the Titan, if I need to run 3,000w for an extended length then I can. Doing that repeatedly is what is not recommended.
If I have the need to repeatedly run 3,000w then I’d need a second battery anyway to last longer than 40 minutes of running the equipment.
All of those plugs previously mentioned are the output plugs. It also has many input plugs such as 2 solar plugs for a total of 2,000 watts in solar power, 1,000 watts each port. Two wall charging plugs for a total of 600 or 1,200 watts per hour charge speed. A car charger plug as well to charge on the go. The car charger plug is an SAE plug that also works as the battery reset plug.
The car charger is rated to 15 amps because the cigarette lighter DC plugs in most modern vehicles are rated to 20 amps. So it’s at 15 amps so it can still charge as fast as possible without pushing the DC cigarette lighter port to the max. Volts x Amps = Watts. So to figure out how much the car charger puts out in watts we take 12v x 15a = 180 watts. That means if the battery were completely dead it’d take about 11 hours to charge. 2,000wh ÷ 180w = 11hrs. That’s on par if not better than other solar generators on the market since the charge speed is limited to 15 amps.
With the battery reset cable, it is very easy to jumpstart the battery in the case that I run the battery all the way down to zero. If the battery hits rock bottom it automatically goes into “safety” mode and stops working. This means it needs to be jumped. The easiest way to jump it is to simply plug in the wall charger and boom, fixed. But if I’m out camping or the grid is down and my battery drains completely I probably don’t have access to a wall outlet. All I have to do is take one of my 100w solar panels, connect it directly to the reset cable, then plug the reset cable into the SAE port for just a few seconds and it’s reset. Now I can start charging with my solar panels once again.
7. Inverter Size
The average size for a portable solar generator on the market is right around 1,500 watts. That doesn’t mean I can actually use 1,500 watts until the battery is drained, but I digress.
In many cases, this has sufficed since not a lot of heavy-duty equipment was being run. Normally just my fridge, freezer, a fan, a light or two and chargers is what is run on my smaller solar generator. But that also meant that heavy-duty equipment couldn’t really be used. The Titan uses a 3,000-watt continuous inverter. This means 3,000 watts of energy can be used non-stop until the battery runs out. It’s technically a 3,200-watt inverter but it’s rated to 3,000 watts so that it is neveroverworked. Brilliant!
In all the testing that has been done, it has actually been able to handle up to 3,000 watts of continuous use without any problems. It was able to do that nonstop until the battery died about 40 minutes later. It ran a 120v welder and a heat gun without ever slowing down until the battery completely drained.
Even though the continuous wattage is 3,000 the peak wattage is 6,000 watts for 10 seconds! Generally, the peak wattage for an inverter is twice the continuous wattage. This is nice that they kept it at 2x the continuous power output. Surprisingly enough there are other units on the market such as the Renogy Lycan or Humless 1500 that do not have double the peak value.
Not only that the but peak wattage can hold for 10 seconds which is quite long. Sadly many solar generators will only handle 0.1 seconds of peak surge which sometimes is not enough to get large items running.
The Titan uses a Pure Sine Wave Inverter to make sure that anything can be run on it smoothly. Especially in the DIY Solar industry, it seems all too often people use Modified Sine Wave Inverters because they’re cheaper and will run most things. I don’t want to settle and find out something I need to run can’t run on Modified Sine Wave. Pure Sine Wave is the only way to go.
With the Titan, I was able to run my large miter/chop saw which I have not had any other unit use. Meaning if during an emergency I needed to build, repair, cut or whatever with large heavy-duty shop tools, I can do that no problem. Or it also means if I need power out at a job site I can easily run my miter/chop saw, table saw, sanders, air compressor w/nail gun, recharge cordless tool batteries and so on no problem.
Especially with an additional battery and lots of panels I can run all the heavy-duty tools in my shop and build anything I need! Imagine using this at a construction site instead of big heavy diesel or gas generators. Imagine being a contractor and having 2,000 watts of solar panels mounted to the work trailer with the Titan inside. The Titan could have 4 or 5 batteries connected and there would be endless power and never need to run to the gas station. Not to mention no loud generator making noise. Then the music could really be pumped up from the “boom box.”
8. RV Connectivity
There are not many units out on the market that have a 30amp style RV plug. There is one on the Apex generator but it is only rated to 15 amps according to what I’ve been told. The Titan includes a 30amp style RV plug which actually can easily handle 25 amps of power which is enough to run an RV no problem, just like if it were connected at a campsite to the power supply. This is very advantageous to have a fully working 30amp RV plug for those who enjoy RVing, 5th Wheel/Trailer Camping and Vanlife. There’s nothing easier than just connecting the vehicle straight to the RV plug and running the equipment.
Yes, I know people are saying right now “that’s AC power which means there’s a power loss when converted from DC power.” I’m talking about ease of use. Plug it in, and done. With enough panels and even a second battery, inefficiency is taken care of and a moot point.
Some tiny homes, trailers and off grid locations also use a 30amp RV plug to make it easier to connect a generator to it and run everything.
Not everyone is looking for that capability. Some people just need to have the RV plug to run all of their items in their setup.
Because of the large inverter size, battery size and larger fuses the Titan has no problem running the heavier items that smaller units cannot. The Titan can easily run a double Hot Plate, toasters, heat guns and other high wattage items without needing to plug into the larger RV plug and use an adapter to get the higher power needed to run those items.
Some people don’t need an RV plug at all. That’s fine. Having options is one of the many things that makes the Titan such a great unit.
9. Car Charging
It is very common for solar generators to have a car charger option with them. For example, the Kodiak and Apex have car chargers and will charge the Kodiak/Apex in about 5 hours which isn’t bad at all. This means it’s charging at about 15 amps which is pretty high but normal on modern vehicles. Most older vehicles have a 10amp fuse to their cigarette lighter port, others have 15 to 20 amps. We’ll touch more on this in a minute.
Other units such as the Goal Zero 1400 Lithium take 12 hours to charge using the car charger. That means that it is using about 10amps charging speed from the port to charge the Lithium 1400. Again, we’ll touch on this here in a second why this is actually important.
The Titan is able to charge in about 11 hours if charging at 15 amps. This does seem a little longer to charge, and I agree on that. But there is a good reason for it due to what the average car charger port can handle.
Some vehicles have a 20 amp fuse. If you are expecting the Titan to charge in 5 hours then you’re going to be disappointed. The battery is simply much bigger than other units and so it takes longer to charge. If a newer vehicle is charging the Titan then there’s a good chance it will charge in 11 hours from empty. If it’s charging from an older vehicle then you need to make sure that the 12v DC cigarette lighter port is rated to at least 15 amps. If you plug the Titan in and it stops charging from that port then you’ve probably overdrawn the fuse and need to replace it.
One of the cool features of the Titan is that multiple charging ports can be used at the same time. I have never seen this capability on any other unit out there. It has always been that you can only charge from the car, or wall or solar or whatever one at a time. This means on my truck and I could place 3 or 4 panels on my tonneau/bed cover and have them connected to the Titan. Then at the same time have the car charger plugged into as well and charge much faster.
10. Lithium Battery
Lithium has become very common to use nowadays and in my opinion, is definitely the best way to go. There are many Youtube videos and blogs out there that explain how much more cost-efficient lithium-ion is to lead-acid. In many cases, it takes roughly 12 lead-acid batteries to equate to one single lithium-ion battery in terms of power, cycles, and longevity.
A great lithium battery is the Battle Born LiFePo4 battery. Now before you get confused or jump all over me, LiFePo4 is also called “Lithium Iron Phosphate.” Lithium-Ion batteries are also called “Lithium NMC.” The Titan uses Lithium-Ion (Lithium NMC) because it is much lighter weight. A 100ah 12v LiFePo4 Battle Born batterycosts just under $1,000. They are generally found for about $950 online.
12v x 100a = 1,200w. The Battle Born battery has 1,200wh of power in it. The Titan battery has 2,000wh of power in it. If I wanted to add more batteries on my own to the Titan I would likely go with something like the Battle Born because they’re great batteries. But, I would need two Battle Born batteries to get closer to the capacity of just one Titan Expansion battery. I would also need two Battle Born batteries because I would need to link them together to make 24v since the Titan is a 24v system.
Battle Born also has 24v batteries but most people who already have Battle Born batteries have them in 12v. Since the Titan uses a 24v battery I would need two 12v batteries or one 24v battery for external connection. The 24v battery is 50ah which means (24v x 50ah = 1,200wh) it is the same capacity as the 12v battery. Either way, I’d still need two Battle Born 24v batteries to equate to one Titan battery.
This means I would be close to $1,900 to get 2,400wh of capacity, and that’s not factoring in the cost of buying heavy-duty battery cables to connect the batteries together. Plus another heavy-duty cable to connect to the Titan.
I could just save a ton of money, have a lighter battery, not have to connect any heavy-duty battery cables and have the battery stack on top of the other Titan battery. A Titan Expansion Battery is only $1,395. When price comparing, the Titan Expansion Battery is far more affordable and gives me more watt-hours per dollar.
For the Titan to cost the same as buying two Battle Born batteries (not including additional cabling required) It would have to be priced at $1,595. Because, $1,595 ÷ 2,000wh = $0.79/wh. Even then it’s still worth going with the Expansion battery just for the ease of use.
The Titan is a way better bang for the buck than trying to get a third party battery to connect to the Titan. Now if I already had some Battle Born batteries on hand then I could go through the process of getting the cables and making it work. But with how I am, I think I’d rather have the ease of just one battery that easily stacks.
Plus, each Battle Born battery weighs 31lbs. So two of them means 62lbs of battery. Just one Titan Expansion Battery is about 35lbs, so it’s much lighter. I think I would prefer to sell the Battle Born batteries and get the Titan Expansion Batteries just for the sake of easier usage.
The Titan uses Lithium NMC technology and it uses the highest quality grade. The Goal Zero series of lithium units only have 500 cycles. This is why I love the Titan because it has 2,000 cycles, not just 500. That’s 4x the longevity of the battery.
11. Customer Service & Warranty
This is a big one for me. It blows me away that so many companies want to look big which means you have to push 10 different buttons to get to an operator just to answer a question. This was sadly what I experienced with the Patriot Generator. When I was originally doing a lot of my research I looked at the Patriot Power Generator.
It literally took me days to find a phone number to contact Patriot just to clarify some questions since they had never responded to any of my emails. This is a real deal-breaker for me with companies when they won’t help people out. Patriot is not the only company who I have experienced it with, many companies look small but act big. Funny thing is I get emails from customers of Patriot Solar Generator almost daily because they think I can help them more than Patriot’s own customer service, cause you can’t find it! I help where I can as usual but it’s near impossible to even get a user manual for the Patriot 1500 generator so I can only help so much.
This is one major thing I like about Point Zero Energy. Every single time I have called or emailed I have been answered quickly. I never have to go through a huge menu of where to connect my call to, I get straight to someone who can help.
Because I love the Titan so much and am an advocate for it I also take emails from people whether they’re interested or not. I help people figure out what kit size they need, how much power certain items generally run, what the best solution would be for their situation and tons more. I am ALWAYS happy to help where I can. If I don’t know an answer I will find out and get back. I generally answer same day or rarely longer than 24 hours.
The reason I do this is that I used to be the guy who could not tell you what a watt, volt or amp was. I never knew that Volts x Amps = Watts. I never knew the difference between a Series and Parallel solar panel connection, or even what a Series/Parallel connection was. I understood nothing about solar.
My #1 biggest gripe about the solar industry is that companies use lack of understanding against customers. I hate that. It’s not fair or right to take advantage of people who don’t understand electricity, and almost no one understands it! That’s why I started my whole website and was dedicated to having tried, true and tested complete solar kits that were easy to use and would actually run for long periods of time and charge quickly. Is that so much to ask?
Point Zero Energy
That is why I love Point Zero so much. They are of the same mindset and would rather make an inverter that can do 3,200 watts easily but only rate it to 3,000 watts so it’s impossible for me to burn it out. They take the time to put in a redundant heat sensor in the batteries to guarantee they never get too hot so they last longer. It’s common sense kits sizing and personal help. That’s what I like, and that’s what I try to give too.
Point Zero has been very responsive, but they also include a 2-year warranty on the Titan rather than just a 1 year. Every single other unit I have seen anywhere has included a full 1-year manufacturer warranty. Point Zero took it a step further because they truly believe in their product and doubled the warranty. If anything goes wrong with the unit that is due to manufacturing, they will replace it for free no problem. That speaks tons of confidence in their product to me.
There are dozens of solar generators out there on the market now. Every couple of years a new and improved unit comes out that beats previous technology. Point Zero seems to have taken everything they’ve heard and learned the last few years and applied it to the Titan. I am glad they have listened to others and want to provide the highest quality product available.
The Titan is my go-to unit now and have been very pleased with its performance, quality and customer service. I think it will be many years until another comes out that can beat what the Titan can do.
I personally use theTitan 1000 Flexx Kit with One Additional Expansion Battery. The Titan 1000 Flexx Kit is the #1 recommended kit for “go-to” size and capability. It’s large enough to run things all day and still charge the battery to full by dinner time.
I hope you found this helpful. If you have any questions at all please Contact Me Here.
MAXOAK has truly started making a name for themselves in the power station/solar generator world. They now have amazing reviews on their products and good customer service. With the releases of their other units like the AC50, EB150 and EB240they have started capturing the attention of everyone out there looking for dependable backup power.
The Bluetti AC200 has surely caught the eye of every prepper out there, or at least everyone who wants a reliable backup power option. The big question everyone is asking is how well it stacks up against the Titan? What kind of power usage can be expected from it? And how well does it work in real-world usage?
The AC200 is definitely one of the top solar generators out there according to many reviews. They have taken a careful look at what people really want. People do not want to charge their cell phone, camera or drone at the beach while partying with friends as so many of the other solar generator companies like to advertise. People want a serious power backup option for when the lights go out. People want to run their fridges, freezers, CPAP machines, TVs, ice makers, power tools and so on.
People want to be able to run their RVs, campsites, emergency locations and run their essentials without worries. Solar generators are not cheap, so people want to know that it is going to work for them when they need it the most.
Finally, companies like MAXOAK are starting to put real batteries into their units like the AC200. The AC200 has a Lithium Ion (Lithium NMC) battery that is rated to 1,700wh. One of the best features about the battery is that is rated to 51.8v which makes it much more efficient because of the higher voltage. Systems that use 12v are not nearly as efficient as the AC200.
Having a battery with a higher voltage means that there is less efficiency loss between the inverter and battery converting the 51.8v charge into 120v charge. Going from 12v to 120v is much harder and requires more inefficiencies.
The full draw capacity of the battery is 2,000w. This means that even though it has a 1,700wh battery it can pull at a higher rate than what its own capacity is which is incredible. Older systems like theInergy Apex and Kodiak suffered from not being able to run its full capacity and you were limited to a small system. Even the new Inergy Flex says that it can only run 1,500w continuously for up to 80% of the battery capacity. This was a big problem when people showed their reviews of those systems. The AC200 does not fall subject to that issue.
No one really knows how but MAXOAK has somehow figured out how to get the Lithium Ion battery up to a rating of 2,500 lifecycles which is an industry record for lithium-NMC batteries. Since this exceeds all other units out there this may be something to look into further because no one really knows how that would be possible unless that rating is based only draining to system down to 80% or 90% and then back up to 100%. Either way, it is a powerful factor when it comes to how long the battery will last in this unit.
Inverter
The Bluetti AC200 boasts a 2,000w Pure Sine Wave inverter which makes it quite easy to run heavy duty equipment off of it. More common things such as hot plates, coffee makers, personal heaters and so on will be amazingly easy to run off it because of its 2,000w inverter capacity. If you go look at many reviews online it is obvious that 2,000w of inverter capacity is generally enough power for basic things.
Keeping in mind that the battery is limited to 1,700wh but most items such as hot plates, toasters, microwaves, coffee makers and so on generally only use power for short amounts of time. This means that if you run a microwave that is rated to 1,800w for 3 mins you will only use up 90wh of total capacity which is barely anything off of the 1,700wh battery. (1,800w ÷ 60min = 30wh/minute of use).
One of the more interesting points about the AC200 is that is has a huge peak potential for large surges. It is normal and expected that the surge value of any good solar generator is at least two times the continuous running limit. That would mean that the AC200 should have a surge value of 4,000w since it has a continuous rate of 2,000w.
But the AC200 has a surge value of 4,800w! That is 2.4x the continuous running capacity which breaks the mold on having twice as much power for surging. This makes it easier to run heavier items such as chop saws in the shop, small A/C units and other items that surge really high.
One of the major flaws with their other units like the EB150 and EB240 was that the inverters were rated to 1,000w of continuous draw and only 1,200w of peak capacity which is nothing! Many times, while testing those units I would have my fridge and freezer surge at the same time which would cause the system to overload and stop working. The worst part is it does not really tell you that it is overloaded, and it just stops working and later you find that your fridge is warm. That is a big problem.
The AC200 does not have that problem because it has such a high peak rating. They finally got that one right. Being able to run something like a 5,000BTU window A/C unit can be extremely helpful during blackouts and emergencies, especially during hurricane season when it is very warm outside.
The MAXOAK Bluetti AC200 comes with an MPPT charge controller which is to be expected in today’s solar generators. No longer can companies come out with a “great system” that has a PWM charge controller such as the Goal Zero Yeti 1400. MPPT charge controllers get much more power from solar panels on sunny days and especially cloudy days.
The AC200 MPPT charge controller has a solar input rating of 35-150v and 12a. It is rated to let up to 700w of solar go through it. The beauty of having such a large charge parameter is that it is capable of “over-paneling.” That means that I can install more than 700w of solar panels on the system to ensure I am getting the full 700w charge and that I can lengthen how many peak solar hours I get each day.
The AC200 solar charge input is nothing to what the Titan can do but it’s still pretty good. The Titan’s solar input rating is 35-145v and 30amps. So, it is a little more than twice as powerful. But then on top of that, the Titan has two MPPT charge controllers and can input up to 2,000w of solar which is unmatched by anyone out there.
That being said, the AC200 still has the second-best solar input of any other solar generator out there. Unless you consider the Inergy Flex system which has an expandable solar input capability. The downside to the Inergy Flex’s solar input expandability is the cost. It is cost-prohibitive, meaning it costs so much to get more solar power going into the Flex that it is not worth the investment to do that.
With the AC200 I can easily take seven 100w solar panels which on average will make about 21v and 6a. When I string seven of them together in series, I will make 147v and 6a. That allows me to easily be within the charge parameter.
But wait there’s more! Since the charge controller on the AC200 can go up to 150v and 12a I can easily add a second string of seven panels and have a total of 14 panels. This makes a series/parallel combo connection and would put my solar charge rate at 147v and 12a which is right at the limit of the charge parameter.
The beauty of doing that is that I will be able to make 700w of power very easily and I can do earlier in the day and later into the evening when compared to just having 700w of solar panels connected. Having the two strings of 700w in panels allows me to ensure I am making 700w of power for up to 8 hours a day during the summer months. That is quite impressive.
That means it has the ability to charge and run up to 5,600wh per day, during the summer. That is enough to charge the battery over three times. This means it is quite easy to be running my fridge, fans, chargers, and devices all day long while still getting a full charge on the battery. Normal power production of 5 peak solar hours a day is about 3,500wh which is still plenty to run devices all day long and having a full battery at the end of the day.
It can charge from 0% to 100% in as little a 2.4hrs if nothing is being run on it while charging. It can charge the battery while running other devices.
Connections & Outlets
One of the things I do not like about the system is the solar panel connection type. I really prefer companies to use non-proprietary or rare connections. Companies should use standard connections in my opinion in order to make life easier for users. The AC200 uses an Aviation SA201 connector and XT60 connectors.
Those connectors can be found online fairly easily, but, most solar panels use PV Connector connectors which is very standard, and it is harder to find SA201 to XT60 and or XT60 to PV Connector connectors. And by “harder” I mean that they do not exist. You must get extras from MAXOAK. Which means if I ever lose the adapter then up the creek without a paddle. I would have to contact MAXOAK and order a new cable directly from them which means I am 100% dependent on their response speed, shipping, and fulfillment.
MAXOAKdoes a fair job of responding to people quickly, according to reviews, but if you go to their website, you will see that there is no option to buy that connector/adapter easily.
As far as outlets go, the Bluetti AC200 pretty much has it covered. With six 120v house styled outlets it is easy to plug and play with anything you need to plug in. It can run up to 2,000w continuously from the 120v outlets.
It has multiple DC outlets such as a 12v/10a DC cigarette lighter-styled port for running things like tire pumps, DC fridges, and more. It includes two 5.5×2.1mm 12v ports that can run up to 3 amps for running things like a CPAP machine or two.
It has five USB outlets. There are four USB-A styled outlets rated to 5v and 3a and then a single USB-C 60w high-speed port which allows charging on items such as Apple laptops and other lightning charging devices.
It also has two wireless charging pads on the top of the unit which allow phone to be placed on top of it and be charged up quickly and easily. Of course, your phone has to have that capability but most modern phones now have that option.
One new plug that is unique is the 12v/25a high output DC plug which uses a special plug which means you’ll need adapters in order to be able to use it.
It does not have an RV plug though. I really wish it did. This is a perfect size unit for small RVs and for people who are not using A/C very often at all and just need to run the basics. You could get a simple adapter plug as I’ve used in the past, but those plugs are not designed to run up to 2,000w which means power will still be limited if using that plug.
Wall and Car Charging
It has a car charger! Not that it will charge quickly but it’s always nice to have a backup source if push comes to shove. It will charge in 17 hours from a car charger. That means it is charging at about a rate of 100w per hour.
The wall charger is quite fast and will charge the unit up in about 4 hours from any wall outlet or even off of a gas or diesel generator. Having a fuel generator is a great backup for a solar generator like the Bluetti AC200.
Weight and Dimensions
The AC200 is not a skinny little unit. It boasts fairly big power and for that reason, it is a bit heavy. Weighing in at 57lbs this unit is not for the faint of heart, literally. It’s heavy. The handles on the unit are very ergonomic which makes it easy to grip and move around but that is only if you can handle the weight.
That is why I love the Titan systems so much is that the battery disconnects from the main unit and the weight can be easily cut in half, so it is easy to move. The AC200 is still absolutely worth it and is a great unit but you may want to consider a furniture dolly to move it around easier.
The dimensions are 16.5in x 11in. x 15.2in. This image shows how it fits in the front seat of a car to give an idea of how large it is. It’s not small, and that’s a good thing. It is capable of powering so much which requires weight and size.
Warranty
MAXOAK gives the AC200 a full 2-year manufacturer warranty. That means if there is anything that goes wrong, breaks, or doesn’t work properly on the system they will replace or repair it for free for up to two years. That doesn’t include dropping it and breaking it, spilling liquid on it or anything like that. If it has a defect that pertains to the manufacturing process, then that is covered but not accidents.
MAXOAK states that it should be charged every 3 months to keep the batteries healthy and charged up. This was a bit surprising, seeing that it has a 2,500-lifecycle rating. Generally speaking, if a battery has that many cycles it shouldn’t have to be topped off on the battery multiple times a year.
Either way, MAXOAK is generally pretty good about handling cases for people and getting people squared away with their orders and products.
It is not protected against events such as an EMP Attack or Solar Flare. If that is something you’re concerned about you should consider purchasing at least one if not two XXL EMP Faraday bags to store the AC200 in to protect it from EMPs.
Expandability
The Bluetti AC200 has no expandability. What you see is what you get. It cannot accept external batteries being added onto it. It cannot expand its solar input capability. It cannot double together with other AC200’s and make a 4,000w inverter or 220/240v power. All of those items would’ve been nice to see but the system as it sits is quite good and is better than the vast majority of other units out there.
X-Factors
What is it that makes the Bluetti AC200 stand out above the crowd? Besides it’s good battery size, strong inverter, and fairly good solar input capability, it stands out for a few reasons.
It is the only unit to have two wireless fast charging phone pads on the top of it. This allows two people’s phones to be charged very quickly at the same time which is always a nice bonus.
It has an extremely intelligent screen onboard. There are so many features and specs that can be changed, tracked, and verified that no other system on the market has. The screen allows people to fine tune their system if they really want to. Or they can just leave it alone and know exactly how much power they’re making, using and how long they have left on their battery very easily.
It is the only unit currently that has a 25amp 12volt plug which many people who use items such as HAM radios can find quite helpful.
Pricing
This really is one of the absolute best features of the Bluetti AC200, it is in a very affordable price range for solar generators. Retailing at $1,799 it costs about the same as a Goal Zero Yeti 1400 unit, but you get nearly twice the unit as you would with a GZ Yeti 1400.
The AC200 can truly stand on its own. There are three main factors to consider when looking into a solar generator. 1. Battery Capacity. 2. Inverter Size. 3. Solar Charge Rate.
The Bluetti AC200 has a good battery capacity of 1,700wh which is comparable to other units on the market such as the Titan which has a 2,000wh battery. The Titan can expand its battery capacity but for most people a single 1,700wh is plenty big for running simple things like a fridge, freezer, lights and fans during an emergency.
The Bluetti AC200 has a great inverter size. Some people don’t need more than 1,500w but since this unit has a 2,000w draw capacity it ensures that you can run your fridge while running the toaster and you don’t have to unplug everything else just to run one big device.
And lastly, the AC200 has one of the largest solar charge rates of all the solar generators out there. The EcoFlow Delta, Bluetti EB240 and Inergy Apex were all limited to about 400 or 500w of solar input. The AC200 can be over-paneled and put in a true 700w of solar capacity which is great! The only unit currently that beats that charge rate is the Titan with a total of 2,000w solar input capability. But for a system of this size of the AC200, 700w of solar input is extremely good.
It truly stands out as one of the absolute best solar generators currently available.
Typically, it is preferred to have a larger solar generator or power station as an emergency backup power source. Or it can be used for camping, RVing, off-grid locations and so on. But especially for camping and traveling the larger solar generators can be too big. That is why it is also nice to keep on hand a very small and simple solar generator or power station. It should still be able to be charged by solar in at least one day.
The MAXOAK Bluetti AC50 is a very good option and generally my #1 choice for a very lightweight option. It weighs in exactly at 13lbs 7oz. It is a very affordable, lightweight and easy to use system that is very handy when doing some light camping. It’s definitely not big enough to run a fridge, freezer, or TV for very long. But it does work well for CPAP machines, inflatable beds/air pumps, laptops, and other smaller items.
Inverter
The Bluetti AC50 has a pure sine wave inverter that allows up to a 300-watt continuous draw. The peak draw on it is 450 watts. On most solar generators the peak draw can be run for a couple of seconds. On the AC50 though it can run 450 watts for up to 2.5 minutes! If a little extra power is needed for a short burst, it will be able to handle it no problem.
It has a 500wh Lithium NMC (Lithium-Ion) battery that is capable of a 90% capacity draw. What that means is that 90% of the battery is usable. 500wh x 90% = 450wh usable capacity. I find that I can get more than that depending on what I am using. If I am using a small draw like a phone, camera or laptop I can get a bit more draw out of the battery. But, 450wh is what should be considered the usable amount of battery.
It does allow for the full 300 watts from the inverter to be used until that 450wh is used up which is nice.
Lifecycles
It is very normal for a Lithium-Ion battery to have about 500 cycles on it. That is how many times it can be drained and recharged fully. After 500 cycles the battery efficiency is about 80%. The best way of extending the lifecycles is to not use the 300-watt draw every single time it’s used and to charge it slower.
The AC50 actually has 1,000 cycles. So it’s twice the standard. The best way to reach that 1,000 cycles is to charge it slowly and discharge it slowly.
Charging
The easiest way to charge the Bluetti AC50 is by using the wall AC adapter but it charges pretty slow. That may be good for the battery to charge slow but it can be a bit of an annoyance to have to wait hours for it to charge all the way up.
It also can be charged by solar. The solar input rating is 14v-40v and 10 amps. It says it’s capable of using one 120w panel to charge. I almost always use 100w solar panels because they are lighter, easier to move and are affordable.Stringing two 100w solar panels together in series will make about 38v and 6 amps of power which is within the safe limit of the Bluetti AC50. I find this is the fastest way of charging it on bright sunny days because it creates much more power than the wall charger.
Charging it from a car really isn’t possible since it uses a 24v battery internally and cars use 12v batteries. You can technically get it to work but it won’t charge the battery fully which makes it pointless in my mind. The best thing to do if it needs to be charged on the go is to have a small 300-watt 12v car inverter and use that with the DC cigarette lighter port in the car.
It can be charged and used at the same time. It does have an MPPT charge controller in it though which is great. An MPPT charge controller makes it charge much more efficiently than a PWM. I am glad MAXOAK is putting quality parts into their units.
Outlets
One neat feature is that it does have a wireless charging pad on the top of the AC50 which is nice to use when outdoors. It makes it easy not to worry about forgetting a charging cord for a phone or tablet and it can be placed right on top for charging.
It also includes two 120v AC outlets which can be used up to 300w continuous draw. The 4 USB A ports are rated to 3 amps which means they will do “fast charging.” The single USB C port is rated to 45 watts and will charge much faster for anything that has a USB C charging port such as a laptop.
One of my favorite features of the Bluetti AC50 is that it has two 5.5×2.1mm barrel ports. To most people, these ports rarely ever get used. But when camping I love to bring the MAXOAK AC50 and a few Inergy Basecamp lights. The lights are extremely bright, lightweight and string together to easily light up the entire campsite. Since the AC50 has two of these ports I can easily string up to 6 or even 12 lights around my campsite and make it extremely bright.
The MAXOAK Bluetti AC50 also has a standard DC cigarette lighter port that is rated to 10 amps. Which means it will pull a maximum of 120 watts from it. The downside of the AC50 is that the DC ports are not regulated. Meaning that as the battery gets drawn lower the output voltage of the DC ports goes down. At 100% the voltage is at 12.4v but as the battery gets drained that voltage will drop. This means at 100% it can make 12.4v x 10a = 124 watts. But at 50% when the voltage is at 10.8v it can only make 10.8v x 10a = 108 watts. This is why it’s nice to have a regulated DC port like the MAXOAK Bluetti EB150 which is the big brother to the AC50.
As mentioned above it does have a wireless charger which is really nice for phones. But it also has another unique feature in that it has a nice light built into the back of it. This is helpful when at a cabin, in a tent, in the back of the truck or wherever. It has a high, low and SOS setting. It can be a little bright in the eyes when pointing outwards but I typically point it at a wall, tent wall or away from me and lights things up very well.
Conclusion
All-in-all I like the Bluetti AC50. I don’t know why MAXOAK decided to name all of their solar generators or power stations “Bluetti” and then change the letters that come after that. It makes it a little confusing. But I do like taking the AC50 with me on camping trips with my family to power the small things in the tent. I typically use it for the air pump for the air mattresses, phones, laptop, speaker, tablets, lights, cameras and so on. If I am going camping for a few days I will bring my two solar panels with me and keep it charged up all day long so it’s ready by the evening.
It comes with everything in the box to connect to wall outlets, solar panels and so on. It also comes with a small bright colored carry case which I find a bit cheesy but is quite helpful. The colors are straight from the ’80s but makes it nice to keep everything together in a nice tight bag.
Overview
power source, like a wall outlet.
General Info
capacity. This power station can’t be modified but is quite powerful on its own.
battery which is incredible. The battery is actually rated for more than 2,000wh but it is called a 2,000wh battery because you can for sure use all 2,000wh in it. Other manufacturers will advertise their “nominal” wattage which is actually higher than what you can get out of it. However, with the Titan they are advertising the usable watt-hours.
65lbs is A LOT of weight to handle. When Point Zero first told me it was going to be 65lbs I was not excited. They invited me to meet with them and see the prototype unit they had made which was really nice of them. I went and saw it expecting this huge box that I wouldn’t be able to move easily. Once I arrived and saw the new unit I noticed 4 clasps around the side, the Titan is two separate pieces!
Same goes the Humless. It’s absolute fastest charge speed is 5.2 hours. Which means even on a bright sunny day it will barely charge in one day and that’s only if conditions are perfect and I’m not using it during the day to run other equipment.
smoothly. Especially in the DIY Solar industry, it seems all too often people use Modified Sine Wave Inverters because they’re cheaper and will run most things. I don’t want to settle and find out something I need to run can’t run on Modified Sine Wave. Pure Sine Wave is the only way to go.
There are not many units out on the market that have a 30amp style RV plug. There is one on the Apex generator but it is only rated to 15 amps according to what I’ve been told. The Titan includes a 30amp style RV plug which actually can easily handle 25 amps of power which is enough to run an RV no problem, just like if it were connected at a campsite to the power supply. This is very advantageous to have a fully working 30amp RV plug for those who enjoy RVing, 5th Wheel/Trailer Camping and Vanlife. There’s nothing easier than just connecting the vehicle straight to the RV plug and running the equipment.
Not everyone is looking for that capability. Some people just need to have the RV plug to run all of their items in their setup.
