"Solar Generator" initial impressions.

[mvweebles]

When portable solar generators first appeared a couple years ago, I thought it was a crock of dung. No way a small battery could match the energy density of dead dinosaurs, right?

But I've slowly evolved as I considered use case and how each would be used. The Venn diagram intersects mildly but far from completely. Internal combustion engine (ICE) generators are great for sustained hi-load requirements such as running AC or running power tools for a jobsite. Where they don't work as well is for either (1) sustained low load applications (charging electronics and power tools); or (2) short duration moderate loads such as a coffee maker or microwave.

What is a portable solar generator? It's a compact device with a LFP battery, an inverter, a battery charger (roughly equal to 90-amps at 12v so it really charges quickly), an MPPT for solar, and of course AC outlets. The Ecoflow I purchased from Costco has 1kwh of battery storage (roughly equal to one 100ah 12v battery), an 1800 watt inverter (2700 watt surge), a 1200-watt battery charger (roughly 90-amps at 12v!!! Really charges fast): an MPPT capable of up to 500-watts solar, plus the monitoring and circuit protection all in a 27-lb package. The Costco bundle included a pair of portable solar panels totaling 220 watts. All for $750 after a $50 sale discount. Pretty good deal when you consider what it would take to replicate the components.

What will I use it for? First an unusual application. Our house is being drywalled as I write so much of the electricity is off. But our outdoor landscaping needs watering so I'll plug the controller into the Solar Generator. I'll bet it runs a month or more without solar panels, indefinitely with the panels. Second, when we were out of power altogether, would have used it to run a small fridge which would have run indefinitely with the 220w solar and sunny conditions. Finally, I kept a lot of DeWalt 20clc tools charged.

To my eyes, these are very common use cases, none of them are efficiently served by an ICE generator, even a small Honda that would need gas ever 8-hours or so (BTW - gas was difficult to find right after Helene and Milton).

So I'm a convert to solar generators. What are others doing with them besides running Christmas lights on their RV?

Here's the link to the Costco one I purchased, but there were other brands. Temu has no-name ones with twice the battery, but who knows how they spec out.

https://www.costco.com/EcoFlow-DELTA-2-Portable-Power-Station-with-2-piece-110W-Solar-Panel.product.1836563.html?sh=true&nf=true

Peter

 

[Bmarler]

Will it jump start the car too?
Actually, that’s pretty cool. I have a little place at the coast here that loses power regularly in the winter. I don’t really want to install a backup generator, so this might be a solution. It would need to be a bit bigger though, to run the well pump.

 

[CharlieO.]

I've actually considered building my own.

Our boat is put up for the winter, so I took my Lifepo4 battery home and put it near my pellet stove. I have a small inverter and plan to use it to power my pellet stove if the power goes out.

 

[mvweebles]

I went the diy route too. I had a spare 100ah LFP battery that didn't fit in Weebles, and a 1000w PSW inverter. So I purchased a 100w panel and a Victron MPPT. I also had a spare circuit breaker. And cables. So for about $1200 in parts, I have about what I paid $750 for from Costco. Two big differences. The ecoflow is in a compact form and can be easily transported. And it includes a beefy battery charger so can be plugged into a 120vac outlet (1200 watt charger) or a cigarette lighter (180 watt charger). And I didn't have to pull out the hydraulic crimper.

Peter

 

[CharlieO.]

I went the diy route too. I had a spare 100ah LFP battery that didn't fit in Weebles, and a 1000w PSW inverter. So I purchased a 100w panel and a Victron MPPT. I also had a spare circuit breaker. And cables. So for about $1200 in parts, I have about what I paid $750 for from Costco. Two big differences. The ecoflow is in a compact form and can be easily transported. And it includes a beefy battery charger so can be plugged into a 120vac outlet (1200 watt charger) or a cigarette lighter (180 watt charger). And I didn't have to pull out the hydraulic crimper.

Peter

Good to know. Thanks.

 

[mvweebles]

My DIY system compared to the new ecoflow. Specs aren't identical but fairly close. I forgot to mention the smartshunt I bought for DIY which is needed to give similar monitoring capabilities as solar generator. Biggest plus for DIY is it's very expandable which explains it's higher cost. Biggest plus for the solar generator is it's very portable (picture included with it in carry bag) and includes a robust battery charger.

 

[BoondocksHawks]

Dang, that EcoFlow is a solid buy. Good post.

 

[ksanders]

Here is the solar generator I installed at my house in Mexico. it sits out in the sun so does it count as "solar"???

When the grid goes down I don't even know it happened unless i walk outside and hear the engine running.

 

[twistedtree]

Peter, you took all the words right out of my mouth. I just bought a Bluetti version of similar specs for $500. My use case for a small generator is very occasional, short duration, typically powering some sort of power tool out in the woods or otherwise away from power. I love it.

Previously I had a Honda 3000 inverter generator, thought to be the greatest generator ever to grace the earth. For me, it was a total, utter, unmitigated POS. Never in the 10 years that I owned it, not once, ever, did it start when I went to use it. Sorry, I'm exagerating. It did start the day I bought, but never again. Every time I needed to use it I ended up spending a hour or two removing and cleaning the carb. Now you might blame it on the gas, and surely it played a role in the fiasco, but I use the same gas in my chain saws and they start every time, no exceptions, even after sitting for years. I have one big saw that I only rarely use, and it starts every time. I just used it the other day for teh first time in probably 4 years and it popped right off. So the Honda was a complete failure, was too heavy for me to lift into the back of my UTV, and never worked anyway. So I sold it and bought the Bluetti. I have used it three times now to sharpen the blades on a mulcher with a 7" grinder, and it's still at 45% capacity.

 

[Barking Sands]

Very nice. In the begining they were a bit gimmicky. But the one you describe sounds fantastic.

 

[KnotYet]

Peter, you took all the words right out of my mouth. I just bought a Bluetti version of similar specs for $500. My use case for a small generator is very occasional, short duration, typically powering some sort of power tool out in the woods or otherwise away from power. I love it.

Previously I had a Honda 3000 inverter generator, thought to be the greatest generator ever to grace the earth. For me, it was a total, utter, unmitigated POS. Never in the 10 years that I owned it, not once, ever, did it start when I went to use it. Sorry, I'm exagerating. It did start the day I bought, but never again. Every time I needed to use it I ended up spending a hour or two removing and cleaning the carb. Now you might blame it on the gas, and surely it played a role in the fiasco, but I use the same gas in my chain saws and they start every time, no exceptions, even after sitting for years. I have one big saw that I only rarely use, and it starts every time. I just used it the other day for teh first time in probably 4 years and it popped right off. So the Honda was a complete failure, was too heavy for me to lift into the back of my UTV, and never worked anyway. So I sold it and bought the Bluetti. I have used it three times now to sharpen the blades on a mulcher with a 7" grinder, and it's still at 45% capacity.

TT, I have a similar Honda generator and I had starting issues after long lay-ups.
That can be helped by conscientious Stabil dosing but even that's no silver bullet.
There's no avoiding the noise and fumes they make or the high purchase price.

 

[O C Diver]

Peter, you took all the words right out of my mouth. I just bought a Bluetti version of similar specs for $500. My use case for a small generator is very occasional, short duration, typically powering some sort of power tool out in the woods or otherwise away from power. I love it.

Previously I had a Honda 3000 inverter generator, thought to be the greatest generator ever to grace the earth. For me, it was a total, utter, unmitigated POS. Never in the 10 years that I owned it, not once, ever, did it start when I went to use it. Sorry, I'm exagerating. It did start the day I bought, but never again. Every time I needed to use it I ended up spending a hour or two removing and cleaning the carb. Now you might blame it on the gas, and surely it played a role in the fiasco, but I use the same gas in my chain saws and they start every time, no exceptions, even after sitting for years. I have one big saw that I only rarely use, and it starts every time. I just used it the other day for teh first time in probably 4 years and it popped right off. So the Honda was a complete failure, was too heavy for me to lift into the back of my UTV, and never worked anyway. So I sold it and bought the Bluetti. I have used it three times now to sharpen the blades on a mulcher with a 7" grinder, and it's still at 45% capacity.

The best technique for maintaining the generator is running it out of fuel. A buddy of mine maintains small generators that his boss rents after storms. With a siphon, he sucks all the fuel out of the tank and then runs the generator dry.

For his own use, he buys ethanol free gasoline before each storm in 5 gallon jugs. If he doesn't need to use the generator, he pours the fuel into his pickup and stores the container open, upside-down until all the gas is evaporated. Gasoline is like milk, relatively short life and PIA to clean up after it goes bad.

For your home use, get in the habit of dumping stored gasoline into you vehicle and refilling the gas can.

Ted

 

[mvweebles]

I had a Chinese knock off inverter generator for about 12-years. I only used it a few times. On the plus side, it never ceased to amaze me that I could get it started even after sitting for a few years.

The perfect use case for a small gasoline generator is providing 4-8 hours of sustained power roughly equivalent of a single 15-20 amp circuit. Running an AC or running a food truck comes to mind. Where they suck is for low power draw items such as charging power tools or electronics (certainly can do it, but total overkill); or on the other side of the curve they are annoying for 10+ hour outages which we see in Florida (and I see in Mexico). #1 demand is to keep the fridge cold. #2 is charging cellphone for comnunications. Noise, toxic emissions, and replenishing gas are the Achilles Heel. The small solar generator I purchased with 1kwh of battery will power a small fridge overnight but a larger capacity generator would be needed for a larger fridge.

There are applications for both gas and solar generators. Honestly, I'm surprised I purchased a solar generator as I thought they were a gimmick, though to my defense, the way they are often marketed is a gimmick - they are not a direct replacement for the energy density of gasoline. But there are a lot of use cases where gas power sorta works but is annoying. Post hurricane, finding gasoline is difficult and means a long wait. Solar generator - especially with addition of a couple portable solar panels - fills the gaps quite nicely.

Peter

 

[Skeetsdad]

I have the same EcoFlow 1800w unit in my boat. I use it to run microwave, coffee maker, tv, tv antenna, AC lights etc. IOccasionally I'll use it to run a power tool or a small space heater. I find I only use my Westerbeke generator to charge the EchoFlow run a/c or run the house bank 30amp charger to top off my batteries.

 

[mvweebles]

Peter, you took all the words right out of my mouth. I just bought a Bluetti version of similar specs for $500. My use case for a small generator is very occasional, short duration, typically powering some sort of power tool out in the woods or otherwise away from power. I love it.

Previously I had a Honda 3000 inverter generator, thought to be the greatest generator ever to grace the earth. For me, it was a total, utter, unmitigated POS. Never in the 10 years that I owned it, not once, ever, did it start when I went to use it. Sorry, I'm exagerating. It did start the day I bought, but never again. Every time I needed to use it I ended up spending a hour or two removing and cleaning the carb. Now you might blame it on the gas, and surely it played a role in the fiasco, but I use the same gas in my chain saws and they start every time, no exceptions, even after sitting for years. I have one big saw that I only rarely use, and it starts every time. I just used it the other day for teh first time in probably 4 years and it popped right off. So the Honda was a complete failure, was too heavy for me to lift into the back of my UTV, and never worked anyway. So I sold it and bought the Bluetti. I have used it three times now to sharpen the blades on a mulcher with a 7" grinder, and it's still at 45% capacity.

Guessing this is the Bluetti you purchased. $500 is a good value in this market. Shows how prices are reducing. Very similar to the Ecoflow I linked - Slightly larger battery than the Ecoflow; slightly smaller charging capacity (1000w vs 1200 for ecoflow). .

BLUETTI AC180 Solar Portable Power Station | 1,800W 1,152Wh

Stay powered up wherever you go with BLUETTI AC180 Portable Power Station. With 1152Wh capacity perfect for camping, outdoors, and emergencies.

www.bluettipower.com

For those unfamiliar with Bluetti, solid reputation. Their core is largish off grid battery systems.

Peter

 

[Mainship Pilot]

I have the same EcoFlow 1800w unit in my boat. I use it to run microwave, coffee maker, tv, tv antenna, AC lights etc. IOccasionally I'll use it to run a power tool or a small space heater. I find I only use my Westerbeke generator to charge the EchoFlow run a/c or run the house bank 30amp charger to top off my batteries.

Skeets,How long can you run a small space heater on it at low power, let's say at 200W?

 

[SeaWoof]

I have a Bluetti EB70S (716wh) that I use for camping and home backup here in the PNW where we get a few outages a year. We also have a larger AC300+B300K+B300K (5528wh / 120ah) system running the basics in our off-grid cabin. I am actually using the EB right now, as I forgot the wall wart for my laptop, but had a USB C cable handy, which plugs directly in for a 100w charge.

While these systems are great and have their applications, they also have some cons as well, which includes heavy no-load draw when the AC inverter is on, but not necessarily in use. If you JUST have the DC on, they can idle for very long periods. The AC300 inverter is a bit of a hog and will run the system dry in 4-5 days. We have 1600 watts of solar plugged in, so this buffers things out (it will run our small cabin fridge *almost* indefinitely) but still have to crank the gas generator on every so often in the winter. The other limiting factor is that the solar maxes out around 2400w on this particular system, which seems like a lot, but on cloudy days you might only be producing 100-200w. An extra battery would certainly help our cause, but they are not cheap!

All in all, it's a great packaged system if you need something tidy, decently portable and no-fuss to get going. But if I would likely build out my own component based system tailored to use for a boat or if I were to upgrade the cabin.

 

[twistedtree]

TT, I have a similar Honda generator and I had starting issues after long lay-ups.
That can be helped by conscientious Stabil dosing but even that's no silver bullet.
There's no avoiding the noise and fumes they make or the high purchase price.

I always add Stabil immediately after purchasing gas. And my gas station claims their premium is ethanol-free. And the catch is that every other machine using the exact same gas (chain saws, lawn tractor, outboards) always start just fine.

 

[twistedtree]

Guessing this is the Bluetti you purchased. $500 is a good value in this market. Shows how prices are reducing. Very similar to the Ecoflow I linked - Slightly larger battery than the Ecoflow; slightly smaller charging capacity (1000w vs 1200 for ecoflow). .

BLUETTI AC180 Solar Portable Power Station | 1,800W 1,152Wh

Stay powered up wherever you go with BLUETTI AC180 Portable Power Station. With 1152Wh capacity perfect for camping, outdoors, and emergencies.

www.bluettipower.com

For those unfamiliar with Bluetti, solid reputation. Their core is largish off grid battery systems.

Peter

Yes, thats the one. It was discounted quite a bit off normal price, which is often an indication that the model is about to get replaced by something else. But I'm fine with that.

 

[mvweebles]

Yes, thats the one. It was discounted quite a bit off normal price, which is often an indication that the model is about to get replaced by something else. But I'm fine with that.

I had the same thought that some big change was coming. But I always remember buying my first PC back in the late 1980s. There was always a new something on the horizon. I waited for a couple cycles and then realized I needed a good PC now vs a better PC in 4-months.

I'd love to have a 2000wh battery, but not the additional weight so the 1000wh of the ecoflow (and your Bluetti) are fine.

One thing I'd like on the ecoflow would be a single handle vs two side handles. It's 27lbs so could be easily carried with one hand, though they would interfere with the expansion battery placement. For those considering a solar generator of some sort, ergonocs of transport might be important.

Peter

 

[Barking Sands]

I always add Stabil immediately after purchasing gas. And my gas station claims their premium is ethanol-free. And the catch is that every other machine using the exact same gas (chain saws, lawn tractor, outboards) always start just fine.

This is why I spent the money for the new Honda 3200 Gen that is fuel injected. In theory it should be unaffected buy dried up fuel in the fuel bowl. We will see. Maybe in a year ill end up having to change out or clean more expensive fuel injectors and fuel pumps...lol. I have a few other Honda clone carb'ed generators. For those carb'ed units I keep spare carbs on hand and swapping them was always about a 20 minute job and the carbs are about $30. We will see.

 

[Kaniksu]

This is why I spent the money for the new Honda 3200 Gen that is fuel injected. In theory it should be unaffected buy dried up fuel in the fuel bowl. We will see. Maybe in a year ill end up having to change out or clean more expensive fuel injectors and fuel pumps...lol. I have a few other Honda clone carb'ed generators. For those carb'ed units I keep spare carbs on hand and swapping them was always about a 20 minute job and the carbs are about $30. We will see.

My Honda small engines, lawnmower, EU2200i and 2.3 hp outboard do well with minimum care provided I use non ethanol gas and splash some seafoam in the gas. I am not remotely fastidious in my care other than the above and changing the oil and spark plug.

 

[nwboater]

When portable solar generators first appeared a couple years ago, I thought it was a crock of dung. No way a small battery could match the energy density of dead dinosaurs, right?

But I've slowly evolved as I considered use case and how each would be used. The Venn diagram intersects mildly but far from completely. Internal combustion engine (ICE) generators are great for sustained hi-load requirements such as running AC or running power tools for a jobsite. Where they don't work as well is for either (1) sustained low load applications (charging electronics and power tools); or (2) short duration moderate loads such as a coffee maker or microwave.

What is a portable solar generator? It's a compact device with a LFP battery, an inverter, a battery charger (roughly equal to 90-amps at 12v so it really charges quickly), an MPPT for solar, and of course AC outlets. The Ecoflow I purchased from Costco has 1kwh of battery storage (roughly equal to one 100ah 12v battery), an 1800 watt inverter (2700 watt surge), a 1200-watt battery charger (roughly 90-amps at 12v!!! Really charges fast): an MPPT capable of up to 500-watts solar, plus the monitoring and circuit protection all in a 27-lb package. The Costco bundle included a pair of portable solar panels totaling 220 watts. All for $750 after a $50 sale discount. Pretty good deal when you consider what it would take to replicate the components.

What will I use it for? First an unusual application. Our house is being drywalled as I write so much of the electricity is off. But our outdoor landscaping needs watering so I'll plug the controller into the Solar Generator. I'll bet it runs a month or more without solar panels, indefinitely with the panels. Second, when we were out of power altogether, would have used it to run a small fridge which would have run indefinitely with the 220w solar and sunny conditions. Finally, I kept a lot of DeWalt 20clc tools charged.

To my eyes, these are very common use cases, none of them are efficiently served by an ICE generator, even a small Honda that would need gas ever 8-hours or so (BTW - gas was difficult to find right after Helene and Milton).

So I'm a convert to solar generators. What are others doing with them besides running Christmas lights on their RV?

Here's the link to the Costco one I purchased, but there were other brands. Temu has no-name ones with twice the battery, but who knows how they spec out.

https://www.costco.com/EcoFlow-DELTA-2-Portable-Power-Station-with-2-piece-110W-Solar-Panel.product.1836563.html?sh=true&nf=true

Peter

Good to read your post on portable “solar” generators. I’ve using and advocating for acceptance of these portable power stations since 2020. For me it began with my purchase of an American Tug 34 that was originally delivered as an “east coast” boat…generator to power air conditioning and electric range. Typically, this configuration does not include an inverter or batteries to make it useful. I purchased the boat in 2020 and had it trucked from Galveston to Anacortes. When I got quotes for installing a 3kw inverter, new wiring, extra batteries, and monitoring, I was shocked, and decided to look for other options. I had seen a few solar batteries on YouTube, so had a vague familiarity. What I did was to purchase a large 4.5kw unit by Hysolis that came with a low-frequency 3kw inverter, MPPT controller and a 1200 watt built in charger. I located it inside a cabinet in the saloon and hardwired a marine 30 amp power cable from the Hysolis to an opening in the aft cockpit where I simply plugged into the shore power inlet. It worked brilliantly and reliably until I sold the boat this year to downsize to a 25’ powercat. The new boat also lacked an inverter or sufficient battery capacity, so no surprise, I purchased a small 1.5kw power station w/2000 watt built in inverter and solar input. This lightweight unit is by Yoshino and marketed as being solid state. At only 35 lbs, it provides all our onboard power needs without messing with the factory house battery installation. I love these solar generators!