The Sungzu 1000 Solar Generator is the Underdog No One Knows About

The Sungzu 1000 is made by Shenzhen Sungzu Elite Technology Co., Ltd. Established in 2007. They are based in Shenzhen, China. They have been around for a long time, and yet hardly anybody knows about them. They could definitely work on their marketing. The Sungzu 1000 is impressive at its price point and is worth considering versus other generators that are the same size like the Patriot solar generator.

Let me say here that some people get nervous when they see that it is made in China. A majority of electronics are made overseas, in China and in other countries. That doesn’t mean that they are of poor quality. Some companies make cheap electronics, and some companies make quality electronics. I believe Sungzu makes a quality solar generator, and have been impressed with its performance.

The Sungzu 1000 is the biggest of the models offered by Sungzu Elite Technology, and when it comes to solar generators, I believe bigger is almost always better. Today I will be looking at what the Sungzu 1000 offers, and how it compares to similar size generators like the Patriot 1800 and the Jackery 1000. If you would prefer to watch my video review of the Sungzu 1000, you can check that out here.

Click Here to Buy the Sungzu SKA1000

Battery Capacity

The size of the battery determines how long I can run my appliances. The Sungzu 1000 uses a 1,010Wh Lithium-ion 24V battery. Lithium-ion is a huge improvement in battery performance over lead acid type batteries. I’ll go more in depth on that later.

In my testing of it, I was able to run my DC fridge through the night with no issue. I was also able to do my lightbulb test and pull close to 1,000W continuously until the battery was empty almost an hour later. In some of my testing with other generators, when the battery gets close to empty it can’t do the full draw. It’s good to see that the Sungzu 1000 can maintain 1,000W until empty, which shows the quality of the battery and the inverter.

The Patriot 1800 solar generator, which has similar features to the Sungzu 1000, uses a 690Wh battery. That 300Wh makes a difference. As an example, If I’m running an appliance that uses 50W, then the Sungzu 1000 will be able to run that appliance for 6 hours longer than the Patriot 1800. And what’s crazy is the Patriot 1800 costs 3 times as much!

Weight/Portability

One of the big benefits of solar generators is how portable they are. And unlike gas generators, I can use solar generators in my house without any toxic fumes. This means I can move it from room to room as I need it and not have to run power cords from outside to meet my power needs.

The heaviest component of the solar generator is the battery, but one of the big benefits of Lithium-ion is how much lighter they are than lead-acid. The Sungzu 1000 weighs in at 25 pounds and has a built-in carry handle on top. I like my solar generators to weigh under 40 pounds, as heavier than that can get unwieldy. 25 pounds is a great weight and one of the lighter ones on the market with that size battery. The only one that beats it that I know of is the Jackery 1000, which comes in at 22 pounds.

Charge Speed

One of the main reasons people even consider solar generators is because you can harvest free energy from the sun. But how fast can the sun charge a solar generator? That depends on the charge controller used, the number of solar panels, and the amount of solar input that the solar generator can take in.

The Sungzu 1000 can take in 300W of solar input, meaning it can charge from 0% to 100% in about 3.3 hours. That is great. I like to be able to charge in around 5-6 hours because that is the amount of optimal sunlight in a day. That means I can be charging the Sungzu during the day and be running a few appliances, and still go into the evening hours with a battery at 100%. Then the next morning I can start gathering that solar power again and start over.

The Jackery 1000 can only charge at half that speed, meaning in a 5-6 hour window I wouldn’t be able to fully charge the battery. That is a big negative of the Jackery 1000 and really makes the Sungzu 1000 shine in this category.

It can also be charged via wall outlet in about 5-6 hours with the included wall charger.

Expandability

Some solar generators have the ability to expand the battery capacity. Usually, this is done by connecting an additional lead-acid battery, or in the case of the Point Zero Titan, the expandable battery stacks underneath the existing battery with no extra cables required. Unfortunately, the Sungzu 1000 has no expandability option, but to be fair most generators this size don’t either.

Life Cycle

A life cycle is when the battery goes from 100% to 0 % and back to 100%. As great as Lithium batteries are, like all batteries they have a shelf life. That shelf life is determined by how many life cycles it goes through. It’s harder on a battery to get completely depleted, so running it to 0% shortens that shelf life.

The Sungzu 1000 is rated for 800 life cycles according to their website, which is more than the 500 cycles of the Jackery 1000. Most of the time I don’t run my batteries to 0%. If I was running my battery to 50% and recharging every single day, that means I could go 1600 days before the battery starts to deplete. That doesn’t mean the battery is toast, just that it loses some capacity, usually down to 80%. So instead of a 1,010Wh battery, it would be more like an 800Wh battery. Still usable.

Number of plugin ports

The Sungzu 1000 is limited in plugin ports. It has 2 110/120V wall outlet plugs, 4 USB A plugs, and 2 12V/8A ports. It does not have a 12V cigarette port, or a 30-amp style RV plug. 2 110/120V wall outlets is decent for a unit this size. I think they need to add a 12V cigarette port and some USB C plugs at a minimum to keep up with the competition, like the Jackery 1000.

One of the things I don’t like is the solar input port. They went with a proprietary plug instead of say an Anderson plug that a lot of companies use. I would like to see them use more standard plugs in the future.

Click Here to Buy the Sungzu SKA1000

Inverter Size

The inverter is the engine of the solar generator and determines what kind of equipment can be run. Its job is to convert Direct Current (DC) from the sun into Alternating Current (AC). That is what most electrical appliances run on. A good inverter is a Pure Sine Wave inverter, which without getting into the weeds just means that all appliances will run on it. Cheaper companies use Modified Sine wave, which I would strongly advise to stay away from.

The Sungzu 1000 uses a 1000W continuous Pure Sine Wave inverter with a 2000W surge capacity. I like it when the inverter size is matched to the battery. The 1000W inverter can continuously pull 1000W from the 1010Wh battery until the battery is empty. I tested this myself in my video review of it. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but a lot of solar generators won’t pull the full amount when the battery gets down around 20%. The fact that the Sugnzu 1000 can pull 1000W all the way to empty is a big deal.

It has a 2000W surge capacity. Most solar generators have a surge capacity double that of the continuous capacity. This is just for getting appliances started. A lot of appliances take more energy to start and less to stay running.

Car Charging Capability

This is probably one of the bigger disappointments about the Sungzu 1000. It has no car charging capability. The size of the Sungzu 1000 makes it a really good option for road trips, RVing, VanLife, etc., and not being able to charge while driving is a big frustration. I hope the company pays attention to its customers and incorporates this into their next models.

Customer Support and Warranty

The Sungzu 1000 is warrantied for one year. Because the company is based in China, getting products taken care of if something is wrong might be expensive. I’m not sure if they pay shipping both ways, but even if they do, it is still going to take a long time. These can be bought

Final Thoughts

Performance wise the Sungzu 1000 is impressive. It has a good battery and strong inverter. It could use a few more features to really compete, but what puts it ahead of the others is its price point. They only cost $750, compared to the Jackery 1000 that comes in at $1000 and the Patriot 1800 that is at an astounding $2500. If you are looking to get into a solidly built solar generator at a great price point, and don’t need car charging capability, the Sungzu 1000 might be the one for you.