Download the spreadsheet here: cityprepping.tv/3UnFivb ... join our preparedness community: cityprepping.com/ ... GIVEAWAY -- sign up here: courses.cityprepping.com/solar-guide-opt-in-page/ #################### CHAPTERS IN THIS VIDEO #################### 2:01 - What is a solar generator? 3:28 - Considerations before you buy 15:28 - Tests I performed on the units 16:39 - Overview of each product w/test results 31:37 - Solar panel options 33:28 - How to maintain & protect these devices 34:29 - Overview of calculator to determine power needs 40:09 - Announcing the winner for 2024 #################### PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO #################### ###Anker### * Anker SOLIX C1000: cityprepping.tv/3UvffmU / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3Jzb4QN * Anker SOLIX F1500: cityprepping.tv/3Ju6Tpl / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4aRpKXC * Anker SOLIX F2000: cityprepping.tv/40wmz1X / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3ni9j2M * Anker SOLID F2600: cityprepping.tv/4aK1yGJ / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4aFLF3X ###Bluetti### * Bluetti AC180: cityprepping.tv/49UDY8R / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4dfznBc * Bluetti AC200Max: bit.ly/3jeEruv / with solar panels: bit.ly/3vaM3nI * Bluetti AC200P: cityprepping.tv/3TIhamb / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3G0vtwM * Bluetti AC200P L: cityprepping.tv/3UAUW80 / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3UhEmZl * Bluetti AC240: cityprepping.tv/44gRKSb / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3w73sC2 ###EcoFlow### Sales happening right now: cityprepping.tv/3UJ2tQG Enjoy 5% cash back and get a chance to win an EcoFlow RIVER Pro through the EcoFlow Referral Program: cityprepping.tv/3UxXvWQ Get the EcoFlow DELTA Series portable power station for up to 35% off. Click the links below and use my code 24EFRVCITYP for an extra 6% off all EcoFlow products. Valid until June 29th. * Ecoflow Delta Mini: cityprepping.tv/4bjoxIQ / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4amQBJU * Ecoflow Delta: cityprepping.tv/3V1kL1b / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3ygJtSa * Ecoflow Delta II: cityprepping.tv/4bffQ21 / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3yc7vO4 * Ecoflow Delta Max: cityprepping.tv/3Klc9fL / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4dDjyEs * Ecoflow Delta II Max: cityprepping.tv/3JYqm1V / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3wCXIjJ * Ecoflow Delta Pro: cityprepping.tv/4bsITPA / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3K1iAUX * Ecoflow River 2: cityprepping.tv/3JZ7QGv / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3yiDgoR * Ecoflow River 2 Max: cityprepping.tv/4bzK7IT / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3UI8oW7 * Ecoflow River 2 Pro: cityprepping.tv/4bwJwHG / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3yrnnfD ###Jackery### * Jackery 1000 Pro: cityprepping.tv/3K2Kr7T / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3nyN7Sc * Jackery 1000 Plus: cityprepping.tv/3xWjqzk / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4d7IZxE * Jackery 1500 Pro: cityprepping.tv/4aMbr6G / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3mnF86F * Jackery 2000 Pro: cityprepping.tv/38JRsLe / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3zg73wL * Jackery 2000 Plus: cityprepping.tv/3w5DLSo / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3Uts416 * Jackery 3000 pro: cityprepping.tv/3ZdNTBd / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3KgSGgH ###Pecron### * Pecron 1500LFP: cityprepping.tv/3FQbWzm / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3Yf87v7 * Pecron E2000LFP: cityprepping.tv/3d5A45m / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3JrLPz7 ###Point Zero### * Titan: cityprepping.tv/42Oi6cY / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/40IH0Zv * Titan 240SP: cityprepping.tv/4aO0wJN / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/40IH0Zv ###Solar Blankets### * Solar blankets: cityprepping.tv/49VKpbD - use coupon code "cityprepping" for 10% off your order. Follow me on: Instagram - instagram.com/cityprepping Facebook - facebook.com/cityprepping Twitter - twitter.com/cityprepping Website: www.cityprepping.com
Last year i had an Ecoflow unit die. I was not able to ship it back to them for warranty due to shipping restrictions on Li batteries. However they did honor the warranty and sent me a new unit free of charge.
Gave my dad, who lives in Lake Lure NC, my Jackery 1000 and Honda 2200. Between these two machines he has been able to weather the aftermath of Helene. The Honda runs his fridge and freezer. The Jackery charges everything else.
@@karenredding9439 the Jackery has a 100w solar panel. My dad lives in a heavily wooded area, so he sometimes supplements the solar with the Honda, particularly if cloudy outside.
This is one of the most complete, concise and useful videos on the internet. Your research is fair, unbiased and comprehensive. No hysteria, no hyperbole, just facts and a great explanation. If only others would follow your lead. I forwarded this to everyone I know.
I’m 9 minutes in and know more now about watts as well as power than ever! This has to be the best formatted video on UA-cam. Loving it. Subscribed immediately & looking forward to learning so much more. Thank you. Onwards with the video :)
3:20 harvest the energy directly from the sun - what an interesting point 4:30 *capacity* 4:38 watts are a unit of power 4:50 the number of watts needed to power an object is listed on the side of the objects 6:20 *output capability* 7:33 run at 50-70% operating capacity 8:05 temporary spike to get motor running then comes down 10:20 lithium ion versus lithium iron 11:40 expandability of batteries Jackery no until 1000 model 34:50 battery capability calculator 37:40 you slowly add on ea device at a time to not surge all at the same time.
I've just got power back from Hurricane Beryl. Trying to sleep in 90+ degree heat is not fun. A couple of years ago, we nearing froze from the 2021 Texas freeze. No more getting caught off-guard. Time to invest in a generator.
Same here in Humble. Too bad there’s not yet a solar generator for central a/c. Never leaving the welfare of my family to Centerpointless ever again! I’m getting solar mini-split a/c’s!
Delta EcoFlow seems like a great brand. I know several households that made that choice and they made their purchase when the company was offering a promotion. The person with the failure that said they honored the warranty and shipped the replacement free is really nice to hear.
Something else to add is the ability to have pass through power. During the day I can power things with the panel by having it connected to the power station. Once the sun sets then the power station can take over until the sun comes back up.
This video is a GODsend! Thank you so much! I'm a 55 yr old female. I have been trying to understand all this stuff for some time now. I recently decided I wanted solar, not gas. I live in South Ga USA, so it's HOT! I bought a portable AC that's 8000 btu. I hope to a power that for sure. A huge concern for me is portability. I prefer one with a handle and wheels. Otherwise, I won't get optimal use from it. Of course I'll get the best I can. I have around $2500 I've been overwhelmed with this stuff! You have no idea how much I appreciate the work you have done here! 🔥🙌🏻to God be the glory🙌🏻🔥
Go lower. Go to a Window AC at max 6000 btu's. The lower btu's will draw significantly less on your solar gen. You can close off a small room and be very comfortable.
You need a generator that can handle the intermittent SURGE of your AC. According to my research it takes 3 to 5 times the capacity of the generator to handle the SURGE every time the AC compressor cycles on. And I'm not sure, but I think 8K BTU is continuous running but the surge may be higher. However, if the compressor surge IS only 8K, times three MINIMUM is right at 24,000 volts. You need a generator that can handle a 24K Volt SURGE over and over without damaging the generator or whatever else you ALSO have plugged into your power conditioner. Good luck finding that for your budget! My 14,000 BTU free standing unit with the hot outflow tube INSULATED barely cools my well insulated 265 sq foot bedroom at 98 to 103 degree heat and is NOT sufficient in 109 to 113 degrees.
@@ServantOfJesusChrist777 thank you so much! I am screenshotting this comment. I will go learn some stuff and I'll try to remember to come back and comment again.
well not many people have the budget to try em all out so thanks for the video! I personally use Ecoflow. I have a delta, a delta pro, I got the remote, I got the EV connector to charge at an EV station, a 110w solar panel(not that impressive), and I just ordered the 800w alternator charger! So far ecoflow has really IMPRESSED me👌
Next year I am going to travel the country for a couple of years in a truck pulling a fifth wheel and I wanted to buy one so I can use truck stops and rest stops when traveling to my next destination, plus If I wanted to stay somewhere that was off the grid I would need a power source for all three scenarios. After searching, watching and reading till I couldn't research it anymore I have to say this video convinced me on what to buy. Since today was the last day for tax free hurricane items here in Florida I bit the bullet and ordered a EcoFlow Pro with a 400 watt solar panel. The Eoflow Pro is 3500.00 and was on sale for 2499.00 the solar panel is 999.00 and then I found a Pro with the solar panel on Amazon for 2899.00 plus saved 188.00 from the tax free holiday so I feel I got a great deal. Out of all the things I read and videos I have seen the EcoFlow was always one of the top choices or number one and when this guy said "it's the only one I don't give away or sell I keep them" I was sold.
I have 2 Bluetti AC50S and 1 EB70S solar generators. I let one of the AC50S deplete the battery below the 10.3 level and it would not charge up. I contacted Bluetti and they walked me through a reset procedure. In order to do this I had to disassemble the solar generator. The fix didn't wake it up. They sent me a new unit and a paid shipping label to return the non working unit
Yup battery packs have safeguards once you drop below a certain level. I’ve got tool batteries to come back by applying a charge through a similar device. I bet if you sent a direct charge through a large gauge wire it will come back online.
Glad to hear some of these companies are standing behind their product. They are exactly where I will go if I can ever get past the fact we can build a same system for so much less. Would love to see a video comparison on these and what a bit of work can produce with the same money one of these "generators" will run you.
@@greaterbwI've done 18650 that way as well with the touch of a 9V radio type battery. I have some chargers (some of which were very cheap) that would do that automatically.
I sent my Bluetti back twice to be repaired, returned with fault so gave up. I then purchased an ecoflow instead with no issues after 1 year. Bluetti looks nice but I will not buy another.
I need to buy a solar “generator” but even though I have been researching several different systems, I find it confusing. Since I will be using it to charge from solar, I need it to charge more quickly than what I’m seeing. Some units take 8-12 hours to charge but I don’t get 11 hours of sunlight in the winter. I need something to run a small fridge and may even a small freezer and a few lights. If I can get something to run the hot water heater, too, that would be great. What can I buy that will charge quickly. I have seen several ads for Jackery that says it charges in 2 hours using solar and it shows someone setting up 2 panels, but the fine print says it would take 6 panels. I contacted Jackery and they confirmed that it would take 6 panels. I don’t really have the money or the space to set up 6 panels. Can you, or anyone on here, help me with this. What system would charge fairly quickly using only solar?
I have been subscribed forever and stopped getting any info or anything from your channel. Glad you’re over 1 mil subs and still here. Cheers from Texas!
I don't get what you are saying. "stopped getting any info or anything from your channel" yet you seem to praise the channel with "have been subscribed forever..." Care to clarify WHAT you are trying to say?
Bought that 2000w jackery and used it in a blackout last night. Worked great. Very nice to have this. Before I moved to town I had a whole house gas generator. You had to run it once a month for maintenance. Keeping gas with sta-bil on hand sucked… rotating it out etc. None of that with solar.
This was very informative with one exception. These Solar Generators are all lacking when it comes to cold weather performance. If the temperature drops below freezing, you will not be able to charge them. I live in a cold weather region and found out the hard way that the Bluetti AC200 will not operate below freezing temperatures. When it comes to being prepared, be careful with Solar Generators because they will leave you out in the cold, and aren't any better then a boat anchor at that point.
Definitely something to be mindful of if you live in extreme climates (heat included). There are some brands that can function down to -4 Fahrenheit, sometimes it can be hard to dig that info out of them. On the other end of the spectrum a lot of them are rated to only function up to 107, have to be careful if you're out in the desert in summer!
I noticed the new Pecron e1000lfp I ordered has a battery heating feature. Maybe that is something they will be rolling out across all models. Seems like they listen to feedback.
Thank you, I used this video to finalize my selection for a set up that we could use for short term power loss at home, and also be able to be taken on the road in our camper. I selected the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max with 220W solar panels and the Wave 2 portable AC in a recent 40% bundle sale on the EcoFlow website. I can take my time expending for longer power outages knowing I can add two extra batteries and an extra 220W panel set.
I bought my pecron,cables, and some cheap used house solar panels for less than 1100 dollars. I tested it to power 2 firdges and a small freezer with no problem.
@@CarlJacobs-dz2hv I have never tested it in charge mode more than a 6 hour blackout we had this spring. It was putting out around 1000 watts at full sunlight. I don't know more than that.
I thought about buying two of these just to run a chest freezer bc together that’s about 7200wh. The chest freezer is 207watts so that would run it for 24h if fully charged but I figure if I have solar panels going through the day and running off about half that over night it could keep going indefinitely. Does that sound about right to you?
If the freezer ran continuously, you’d get 32-33 hours. It will likely average more like 125w so probably around 48 hours run time with no panel attached. If you have occasional sun, it may run indefinitely
Chest freezers Packed full of frozen food can go two days without any power before things thaw.. bet you would only need to run a few hours a day to keep frozen
@jayeisner8849 I wasn't there to monitor, so I'm not sure how often they ran. For sure they ran mostly overnight -- the sun by itself charged the generators during daytime hours
I got an Ecoflow Delta II this summer and have been testing it with different appliances. I've narrowed down what can run safely during a summer vs. winter outage, and this will be a lifesaver. I have home solar and need to get a connection allowing daytime charging of the battery in a power outage, to be set to survive for multiple days. And since it's portable, I've gotten some day-trip use from it, too. I wish this video had been around when I was researching and shopping. Excellent explanations, thank you!
Yes, I love the way yours give us the prices instead of saying the prices is down below that looks for our prices ourselves. You give us the price on screen. I appreciate that LA la channels don't do that.
I live in a very small town, far “upstate” NY. It’s common for power outage many times during the winter. I have a pretty good gas/propane generator but I decided to try a solar generator. I purchased a set of 2 EcoFlow Delta Pro’s, along with 2 400w solar panels on Dec 2023. 3600w each. I chose this set because I would be needing 240v for my water pump and water heater. Very heavy but so far, they have worked perfectly. Of course, during the winter season, the farther north a person lives, the shorter that the days become. Plus, the sun doesn’t shine directly over head, even on a supposedly, sunny day. I’ve never tried any other solar generator along with solar panels before but it does seem to be a good choice.
I also own a Ecoflow Delta Pro and the EV charging option came in really handy when my neighborhood power went out but I was still able to drive to a EV charging station a few miles away to recharge it. It was also raining so my solar panels were useless.
I'm sorry you got screwed, but thanks for letting the rest of us know. I've heard that so often that I marked them off my list to consider buying from. I've heard the exact opposite about EcoFlow, so I'm going with them. (Bluetti, are you listening? Keep up this shirty customer service and you won't be on top for much longer. IF you still are now.)
@@mikam8801 It was an EB3A, and I got a red light that says SHORT, they asked me to send them a picture of the packaging material I was going to send it back with, so I sent them a picture of it in the original factory shipping material. No word back., so I've called numerous times, I guess the girl on the phone can't communicate with the rest of her company or do anything about it. I've had other people I know whose Bluetti quit on them too, with same results.
sorry, that sounds bogus to me. you should provide more info for context... you don't say what died on it. you don't say why they won't honor it, etc.. sounds fake.
I bought a Jackery last year when it was on sale and have been happy so far. Based on the reviews i might buy another and the spreadsheet is very helpful.
lots of good info. I did a ton of research before i bought a jackery1000 two years ago and after using it camping and on hunting trips with my camper i discovered three things are important to me.....1. How much the inverter can handle, turns out i want it to mimic a house circuit of about 1800w so it can run usual counter appliances while camping. 2. Can i recharge a depleted unit in a day say 5 full solar hours so a 2kwh battery needs to accept at least 400w. And 3. how heavy is it so that i can move it without risking injury. Personally i dont like the apps and have noticed at a well attended camping area that there are multiple signals which i feel ups the risk of some tech savy nurd messing with my system. For me the Bluetti 180 is a good fit and so far love it.
I have a homemade 3000w (ac) solar generator with a 300ah battery (capable of 3.6kWh peak), and 3x200w renogy solar panels charge the battery from 60% to 100% in about an hour. It’s pretty mind blowing that we can harness that much power for free from the sun.
@@GioGuitarDudeHow much did this system cost you please ? That's a lot of battery and expensive panels, plus the charger and inverter and more. Wish I had the money to build that.
I built it myself because a similar wattage unit off the shelf is like 2-4x that… and the internal parts aren’t really serviceable. So if the battery goes caputz then the whole thing is a $3500+ paper weight.
For me the pecron e1500lfp is the winner for my small apartment use & the price is the cheapest if you look at the specs & features.. the packaging also includes almost all accessories you might need..
I bought an AllPowers 700 and it arrived "sort of" charged ( not discharged as advertised). However, it would not power anything. I had to send it back, and since they did not have a replacement available, they refunded my money. It's disappointing since I was really looking forward to it for van travel.
@@dross24MA what do you mean sort of charged what does that mean? you tried to charge it up and it didn't charge up, your comment was not really making sense
I bought a Grecell 1000 with a 100W solar panel for about $ 650.00 on Amazon. I imagine prices have gone up some, but the units in the test are extremely expensive but maybe with higher capacities and solar input wattage. My Grecell does everthing I need in an power outage for emergency lights, fans and powerbank/cellphone charging for many days.
Oh! NO! we could not have this In our educational system, it would teach children how to be independent.And we certainly wouldn't want that now would we...
I have been shopping for a solar generator for some time. Thank you for creating this spread sheet to make comparing them to each other so much easier. Also thank you to all who have commented with your experiences with the units you purchased because I do not know anyone who has purchased any kind of generator.
The amount of time you put in on the excel its extraordinary. Its really comprehensive and easy to use. Makes it easy to understand what you need. Enjoy your content, thanks!
This video couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been researching a lot of these for a couple of weeks and the this is the most up to date and comprehensive video I’ve seen yet. Thank you so much for the time and effort that went into this and kudos for doing that outstanding spreadsheet.
Here in Arizona solar is a great way to go. For me the Pecron E600LFP is my sweet spot for price vs watts vs capacity. At 1200 watts it can easily power my coffee maker and 614 watt hours is more than enough to power my refrigerator (it pulls 125 watts when running) while I charge my second one. The only caveat is needing to get a high voltage solar panel to charge the unit. The 36 volt/200 watt Edostory panel works well and is budget friendly. I have videos on my UA-cam channel if anyone wants to take a look.
Gotta say my heart sank when I saw the opening shot and there was no Segway Cube 2000. All my research into bang for buck, quality of components and expandability leads me to this unit again and again
Our 200 watt jackery panels have been absolute headaches. The small screws come out allowing the wiring to come loose. We used the warranty and sent one back but the repair didn’t last long. The panels still work to a certain extent but have to be handled very carefully… We have difficulty pairing two panels to charge the generator and usually just have to use one which takes forever for a 2000 watt generator recharge. The panels are fairly efficient regardless of all the durability issues.
Regarding the DIY route, I did that because I wanted to power a 100W HF radio with noise-free power sometimes and power an 1800W AC appliance other times. If it wasn't for that specific use case, I would've saved time and money by buying one of these commercial units. They really are a good deal for what you get.
I have the same setup. It feels like such a waste to run the generator all night when my fridge isn't actually pulling current all night. Plus, I can top off the batteries during regular maintenance runs for my ICE generator.
@KillaNola No worries! The fridge pulls current at night, but only when the compressor turns on. My fridge's total energy draw over the course of 24 hours is under 2kWh. Why run a gas generator to power a fridge all day ($60 or more in gas when gas stations are potentially inaccessible) when I can top off the EcoFlow with the generator for $3, then run the fridge off the EcoFlow?
@KillaNola during emergency situations a fridge can hold a food-safe temperature for 24 hours if it remains closed. What I used to do was run the fridge a few hours during the day with a gas generator to bring it back up to temp, then lock up the gas generator to save fuel. This isn't the way a fridge is meant to run though, and can add unnecessary wear shortening the life span of a rather expensive appliance. Power stations do not have this limitation, so I instead top my power station off during the day with solar (and the gas generator if needed), then plug my fridge into my power station and let it run normally. This saves a TON of money in both maintenance and fuel costs.
Thank You for this amazing video!! I’m in the shopping for a solar generator now. Best & most informative video I’ve ever seen on UA-cam. You absolutely nailed it with your presentation. Thank you seriously for the spreadsheet to top it off.
I have the Delta 2 which ran my refrigerator and freezer during Hurricane Beryl in July with the help of my Generac generator I used to recharge it. Since then I have purchased the Delta Max with the extra battery. My next purchase will be an extra Max battery and the smart dual-fuel propane generator.
A cheap oil drum full of sand and a heating element and an insulated jacket is a fantastic way of avoiding curtailment AND having efficient heat without having to convert it back into electric. Humans can always make heat from electric at 100% efficiency, but making electricity from heat is more like 20-30%. couple hours of sun blasted into an oil drum during the day gives a really warm comfortable evening with no lithium.
@@gigabane7357 @gigabane7357 Great idea using an oil drum and sand as a heat bank! It's a smart way to store heat from the sun during the day and release it slowly in the evening, keeping things cozy without electricity. The insulated jacket is a nice touch to keep that heat from escaping too quickly. Maybe adding a solar air heater could boost the warmth even more. Love the creativity in using simple materials effectively!
I got a Delta 2 Max in January and love it so far. I got it for house backup and for camping in our squaredrop RV trailer. I'm also very intrigued with Ecoflow's new alternator charge controller thing.
This is the stuff I can only dream about, in Australia the Bluetti Ac 200L costs $2800 and the Ecoflow delta 2 max is $3000, and on a disability pension that’s unobtainable.
I just bought a second delta 2 for $460. To run a 55 quart dual zone alpicool I still use a 5 year old 300w rocpals with 100w panel. Keeps beer cold while camping
We purchased an Ecoflow Delta 2 and battery for powering field test equipment at work. It has been a powerhouse and is so easy to use. One of the best pieces of equipment we’ve purchased in quite some time.
That was a great review. But the problem is you say it should be stored at 50%, which doesn't make sense to me. I bought the AC 200 Max with two batteries as an emergency power source. But if they are stored at 50% and the lights go out suddenly, then you only have a 50% charge. So what's the use of spending all this money and get 50% of what you paid for.
It's a delicate balance to maximize the life of the batteries. You can keep it full just could cause a little more degradation. Or you could keep it full and works just fine, they are weird that way. Its one of the flaws with batteries in general
This was the first time I ever heard to keep them at 50%. I've only ever heard to store at 80%. That being said, I store mine at 100% for the exact reason you just said. I'd rather my unit degrade and need replaced after 5-10 years than spend hundreds of dollars on something that doesn't work for the very thing I bought it for. (Well, I actually bought it for camping but power outage is #2)
Long-term like if you store it and don't use it for more than 3 to 4 months at a time..... you guys got a little too micro in the thought process. He didn't fully explain it in that little 30 seconds but again if you're using it every 3 to 4 months sure you can fully store it at 100% if you don't use this thing for a year 9 months or more yeah you likely best keep it charged at 50% and then when you know you're about to use it and put it back to 100% in that quarter of a day to charge or whatever. So if you're wanting to keep this just in case of emergencies and leave it at 100% sure but then break it out set an alarm on your phone or on your calendar and put it through my day of usage plug your television into it your fridge or something and then turn down the battery and then recharge it
They`re supposed to be used with solar. But if you charge a lithium battery to 100% and store it you get needless degradation. So if you plan to store one drain it to 50%. Charge before storms. I store mine at 80% to 90% in spring storm season and if storms are coming all get fully charged. If you learn how to care for these batteries they might last 15 to 20 years vs 5 to 8. Heat at a 100% charge or charging in freezing weather or running them to zero and leaving them or charging at very high rates are the worst.
I’m in the market for a solar generator and this video has been incredibly helpful. Thank you for all the time you put in to testing and filming. I love your channel.
10/10 for covering maintenance related topics. I always hesitated buying these cause I never knew how long/how to make them last. Unlike the RV guys or off the grid guys, I’m not going to be using mine 7 days a week 12 months a year so I was having a hard time figuring out if they can be fine just sitting there. (Since most reviews are reviews from people using the devices pretty consistently).
I want to thank you for the time and effort that you put into getting all the info. I’ve been falling your channel for more than a year now and last year I bought a Delta Max 2 and it’s great to see that is still recommended one of the best.
The problem with all these battery units is rhe amount if time they can supply power. If you need one to keep a fridge going ir a freezer, they are good for about 8 hours max before they die and need recharging. Example: If you have a 2000 watt hour unit and your refrigerator needs 200 watts to run, that generator will supply power for only 10 hours . At 100 percent Efficiency.
That’s a hungry fridge freezer! Mine is 15 years old, and it uses 74 Watts (and it’s a decent sized 130/74 litre unit). Moreover its thermostatic duty cycle is typically about 30%. So all of a sudden you have a battery that can run for 36-48 Hours. I did a 48 hour test with a Bluetti EB240 about 2 years ago. I was able to run fridge freezer, internet router, a couple of light bulbs, my laptop and my central heating with the help of a single 375 Watt solar panel in February in mixed weather conditions. It worked! I had to be careful with starting current surge from the fridge compressor, and I had to unplug items when not in use to manage depletion rates, but it was a very acceptable performance and certainly orders of magnitude better than not having the battery at all.
What a great video! I'm shopping for a generator to run my oxygen concentrator. California is turning into a third-world country with power outages every two to three months. In the last year, I've been out two hours, six hours, and five days. Disgusting and expensive with the loss of food. I love your information, will watch it again and downloading the spreadsheet. Thank you so much!
I have a little beaudan it was great and all I could afford at the time. Now I have Bluetti a325 and it worked great when I lived in a cargo trailer. Now I'm in a house but keep it charged in case electric goes out. But won't work for long. But it will charge my phone in emerg.
Just purchased a EcoFlow Delta2 1,024w. Did a discharge test from a full charge with the floor fan and got 512 watts before it completely discharged. Sending it back!
My Mom uses Ecoflow and it's been amazing for her so far. She travels around in a bus and has really never needed anything else. The have pretty good sales so you can get even more bang for your buck from time to time. :). Also, thanks for all the time and effort you put into these resources...that spreadsheet is great!
The Delta II Max with extra battery is a great setup. Dual solar plugs up to 500W each is a great feature. At 51 pounds it is very “portable.” (Extra battery is 41 pounds)
I can't thank you enough for doing these videos. I have a brain clog when it comes to understanding these things, and can actually figure it out given the way you explain it.
These are excellent units to power some household appliances but are limited unless you buy additional batteries,I’m definitely going to build my own unit! Two reasons are cost and ease of component replacement!
Hey, thank you for posting all this helpful information. Just recently got hit by a severe thunderstorm storm and dust storm in the Spokane area knocked out power out for 8hrs. I’m normally not concerned about outages due to the fact that 7 years of living in rural area outside town, we have only lost power once to twice a year for 30 minutes at a time. Recently our power company has changed its safety policies that are going to lead to longer power outages before they will turn power back on due to fire danger. This video has been a huge help on what unit will fit my needs. Thanks
We had our Rockpals die after 1 1/2 yrs. Unfortunately, I can't find any customer service to try to get help. We really found your videos informative. Thank you.
Great video. I was considering making my own electrical system for a van that I want to build out in the future, and the bottom line is…. I don’t have time for that. This video is great for helping anyone wrap their minds around how to choose the right solar “generator” for their needs.
I appreciate all of the information your video has provided, it was easy to understand and well presented thank you. I have signed up for your spread sheet and will look at the more in-depth information before purchasing any unit.
I've been really researching these solar generators for 2 years now. Your video was very informative but still considering my options. It's nice there is some good competition in this market
Only issue with ecoflow is the fans are a bit noisier and the efficiency is not as good, the ability to fast charge from the car is way over priced and can be done much cheaper, expansion on all these units is expensive and much cheaper with a DIY setup to compliment these units.
With all do respect Sir, you have great detailed information, but it’s all very complicated for someone that knows nothing about any of this. All I want to know is what unit do I need to run my refrigerator effectively if my electricity was to go out for two weeks? Does my refrigerator need to run continuously for 24 hours like it is on my electricity system? What unit best serves that purpose?
Just got an EcoFlow Delta 2 Max with a solar panel for $1200 on QVC memorial special. Getting the additional battery for $799 to qualify for the tax credit.
I agree with the other viewers. This was one of the best-done videos explaining any topic I've seen on UA-cam. I also immediately subscribed . Such an honest and well done video which shows a lot of work was put into making it. Will now go back and watch all his videos. thanks for all the info.
Download the spreadsheet here: cityprepping.tv/3UnFivb ... join our preparedness community: cityprepping.com/ ... GIVEAWAY -- sign up here: courses.cityprepping.com/solar-guide-opt-in-page/
####################
CHAPTERS IN THIS VIDEO
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2:01 - What is a solar generator?
3:28 - Considerations before you buy
15:28 - Tests I performed on the units
16:39 - Overview of each product w/test results
31:37 - Solar panel options
33:28 - How to maintain & protect these devices
34:29 - Overview of calculator to determine power needs
40:09 - Announcing the winner for 2024
####################
PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO
####################
###Anker###
* Anker SOLIX C1000: cityprepping.tv/3UvffmU / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3Jzb4QN
* Anker SOLIX F1500: cityprepping.tv/3Ju6Tpl / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4aRpKXC
* Anker SOLIX F2000: cityprepping.tv/40wmz1X / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3ni9j2M
* Anker SOLID F2600: cityprepping.tv/4aK1yGJ / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4aFLF3X
###Bluetti###
* Bluetti AC180: cityprepping.tv/49UDY8R / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4dfznBc
* Bluetti AC200Max: bit.ly/3jeEruv / with solar panels: bit.ly/3vaM3nI
* Bluetti AC200P: cityprepping.tv/3TIhamb / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3G0vtwM
* Bluetti AC200P L: cityprepping.tv/3UAUW80 / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3UhEmZl
* Bluetti AC240: cityprepping.tv/44gRKSb / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3w73sC2
###EcoFlow###
Sales happening right now: cityprepping.tv/3UJ2tQG
Enjoy 5% cash back and get a chance to win an EcoFlow RIVER Pro through the EcoFlow Referral Program: cityprepping.tv/3UxXvWQ
Get the EcoFlow DELTA Series portable power station for up to 35% off.
Click the links below and use my code 24EFRVCITYP for an extra 6% off all EcoFlow products. Valid until June 29th.
* Ecoflow Delta Mini: cityprepping.tv/4bjoxIQ / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4amQBJU
* Ecoflow Delta: cityprepping.tv/3V1kL1b / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3ygJtSa
* Ecoflow Delta II: cityprepping.tv/4bffQ21 / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3yc7vO4
* Ecoflow Delta Max: cityprepping.tv/3Klc9fL / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4dDjyEs
* Ecoflow Delta II Max: cityprepping.tv/3JYqm1V / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3wCXIjJ
* Ecoflow Delta Pro: cityprepping.tv/4bsITPA / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3K1iAUX
* Ecoflow River 2: cityprepping.tv/3JZ7QGv / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3yiDgoR
* Ecoflow River 2 Max: cityprepping.tv/4bzK7IT / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3UI8oW7
* Ecoflow River 2 Pro: cityprepping.tv/4bwJwHG / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3yrnnfD
###Jackery###
* Jackery 1000 Pro: cityprepping.tv/3K2Kr7T / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3nyN7Sc
* Jackery 1000 Plus: cityprepping.tv/3xWjqzk / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/4d7IZxE
* Jackery 1500 Pro: cityprepping.tv/4aMbr6G / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3mnF86F
* Jackery 2000 Pro: cityprepping.tv/38JRsLe / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3zg73wL
* Jackery 2000 Plus: cityprepping.tv/3w5DLSo / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3Uts416
* Jackery 3000 pro: cityprepping.tv/3ZdNTBd / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3KgSGgH
###Pecron###
* Pecron 1500LFP: cityprepping.tv/3FQbWzm / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3Yf87v7
* Pecron E2000LFP: cityprepping.tv/3d5A45m / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/3JrLPz7
###Point Zero###
* Titan: cityprepping.tv/42Oi6cY / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/40IH0Zv
* Titan 240SP: cityprepping.tv/4aO0wJN / with solar panels: cityprepping.tv/40IH0Zv
###Solar Blankets###
* Solar blankets: cityprepping.tv/49VKpbD - use coupon code "cityprepping" for 10% off your order.
Follow me on:
Instagram - instagram.com/cityprepping
Facebook - facebook.com/cityprepping
Twitter - twitter.com/cityprepping
Website: www.cityprepping.com
Promotion?
Excellent
I don't see a link to the river 2 pro max contest page. Not in the vid description or the pinned post. Good video!
@@SteelWolf13 I can’t find it anywhere either
Scroll up to the top, it's the second paragraph for the "giveaway." Hope it helps.
Last year i had an Ecoflow unit die. I was not able to ship it back to them for warranty due to shipping restrictions on Li batteries. However they did honor the warranty and sent me a new unit free of charge.
That's good to know, hoping they continue to be good on warranty.
Ecoflow has incredible customer service, unlike Bluetti.
That speaks volumes.
@@stacky512aI got burned by Bluetti too.
That’s strange. I was able to return a River 2 without any issues.
Gave my dad, who lives in Lake Lure NC, my Jackery 1000 and Honda 2200. Between these two machines he has been able to weather the aftermath of Helene. The Honda runs his fridge and freezer. The Jackery charges everything else.
Does Honda run in battery ?
@@jayajora what do you mean? Is it battery powered? If that is your question, then no. It is gas powered.
@@hedge313 thnx
I think what jajora meant was-does the Honda generator kept the Jackery battery changed? Does the Jackery have solar panels?
@@karenredding9439 the Jackery has a 100w solar panel. My dad lives in a heavily wooded area, so he sometimes supplements the solar with the Honda, particularly if cloudy outside.
This is one of the most complete, concise and useful videos on the internet. Your research is fair, unbiased and comprehensive. No hysteria, no hyperbole, just facts and a great explanation. If only others would follow your lead. I forwarded this to everyone I know.
Totally agree
. . . 💯💯💯💯💯
I genuinely appreciate and realize the amount of work that went into putting this together. And to put it out here for free is HUGE! Thank you!
I’m 9 minutes in and know more now about watts as well as power than ever! This has to be the best formatted video on UA-cam. Loving it. Subscribed immediately & looking forward to learning so much more. Thank you. Onwards with the video :)
3:20 harvest the energy directly from the sun - what an interesting point
4:30 *capacity*
4:38 watts are a unit of power
4:50 the number of watts needed to power an object is listed on the side of the objects
6:20 *output capability*
7:33 run at 50-70% operating capacity
8:05 temporary spike to get motor running then comes down
10:20 lithium ion versus lithium iron
11:40 expandability of batteries
Jackery no until 1000 model
34:50 battery capability calculator
37:40 you slowly add on ea device at a time to not surge all at the same time.
Lithium vs iron starts at 9:30
I’ve learned from overlanding in winter, that water resistance is an absolute must have. Moisture killed my Jackery 1000 within four months.
I live in the PNW so moisture is def a thing here. I always wanted a jackery but this makes me rethink a bit
THIS GUY ALWAYS OVERDELIVERS....SUCH GREAT INFORMATION!!
💯💯💯💯💯
I've just got power back from Hurricane Beryl. Trying to sleep in 90+ degree heat is not fun. A couple of years ago, we nearing froze from the 2021 Texas freeze. No more getting caught off-guard. Time to invest in a generator.
Same here (Humble, Tx).
Which system would you go with to power things ?
Same here….South Houston. Day 5 No Power. Projected to be 2 more days. Crazy
@@doghairdontcarelindaniel7531 aw man, hopefully power for yall soon.
My wife just ordered an EcoFlow from Amazon.
Same here in Humble. Too bad there’s not yet a solar generator for central a/c. Never leaving the welfare of my family to Centerpointless ever again! I’m getting solar mini-split a/c’s!
Same here. Which are you guys going with?
Delta EcoFlow seems like a great brand. I know several households that made that choice and they made their purchase when the company was offering a promotion. The person with the failure that said they honored the warranty and shipped the replacement free is really nice to hear.
Something else to add is the ability to have pass through power. During the day I can power things with the panel by having it connected to the power station. Once the sun sets then the power station can take over until the sun comes back up.
I agree. For me pass through is important
Assuming you have solar…
Yeah I really wish he would have covered passthrough in the video but a Google search will have to do
When you run things during daytime, do you limit power consumption to approximately 50% of generated watts? (Please anyone answer)
My Bluetti PS will give priority to solar. So I leave in plugged in. Solar power by day, line by night, battery charged for power outage.
This video is a GODsend!
Thank you so much!
I'm a 55 yr old female. I have been trying to understand all this stuff for some time now.
I recently decided I wanted solar, not gas.
I live in South Ga USA, so it's HOT!
I bought a portable AC that's 8000 btu. I hope to a power that for sure.
A huge concern for me is portability.
I prefer one with a handle and wheels.
Otherwise, I won't get optimal use from it. Of course I'll get the best I can. I have around $2500
I've been overwhelmed with this stuff!
You have no idea how much I appreciate the work you have done here!
🔥🙌🏻to God be the glory🙌🏻🔥
@@mscatnipper2359 ah yes! Thank you for sharing this.
Go lower. Go to a Window AC at max 6000 btu's. The lower btu's will draw significantly less on your solar gen. You can close off a small room and be very comfortable.
@@gregory4154 thank you for your response. I will do just that
You need a generator that can handle the intermittent SURGE of your AC. According to my research it takes 3 to 5 times the capacity of the generator to handle the SURGE every time the AC compressor cycles on. And I'm not sure, but I think 8K BTU is continuous running but the surge may be higher. However, if the compressor surge IS only 8K, times three MINIMUM is right at 24,000 volts. You need a generator that can handle a 24K Volt SURGE over and over without damaging the generator or whatever else you ALSO have plugged into your power conditioner. Good luck finding that for your budget! My 14,000 BTU free standing unit with the hot outflow tube INSULATED barely cools my well insulated 265 sq foot bedroom at 98 to 103 degree heat and is NOT sufficient in 109 to 113 degrees.
@@ServantOfJesusChrist777 thank you so much! I am screenshotting this comment.
I will go learn some stuff and I'll try to remember to come back and comment again.
I love my Bluetti's - so solid and no issues 3 yrs running so far...
well not many people have the budget to try em all out so thanks for the video! I personally use Ecoflow. I have a delta, a delta pro, I got the remote, I got the EV connector to charge at an EV station, a 110w solar panel(not that impressive), and I just ordered the 800w alternator charger! So far ecoflow has really IMPRESSED me👌
Next year I am going to travel the country for a couple of years in a truck pulling a fifth wheel and I wanted to buy one so I can use truck stops and rest stops when traveling to my next destination, plus If I wanted to stay somewhere that was off the grid I would need a power source for all three scenarios. After searching, watching and reading till I couldn't research it anymore I have to say this video convinced me on what to buy. Since today was the last day for tax free hurricane items here in Florida I bit the bullet and ordered a EcoFlow Pro with a 400 watt solar panel. The Eoflow Pro is 3500.00 and was on sale for 2499.00 the solar panel is 999.00 and then I found a Pro with the solar panel on Amazon for 2899.00 plus saved 188.00 from the tax free holiday so I feel I got a great deal. Out of all the things I read and videos I have seen the EcoFlow was always one of the top choices or number one and when this guy said "it's the only one I don't give away or sell I keep them" I was sold.
Interested in using the Eco Flow in my shuttle bus. Would you do hard panels or soft? Would it power an AC?
I have 2 Bluetti AC50S and 1 EB70S solar generators.
I let one of the AC50S deplete the battery below the 10.3 level and it would not charge up.
I contacted Bluetti and they walked me through a reset procedure.
In order to do this I had to disassemble the solar generator.
The fix didn't wake it up.
They sent me a new unit and a paid shipping label to return the non working unit
Yup battery packs have safeguards once you drop below a certain level. I’ve got tool batteries to come back by applying a charge through a similar device. I bet if you sent a direct charge through a large gauge wire it will come back online.
Glad to hear some of these companies are standing behind their product. They are exactly where I will go if I can ever get past the fact we can build a same system for so much less. Would love to see a video comparison on these and what a bit of work can produce with the same money one of these "generators" will run you.
@@greaterbwI've done 18650 that way as well with the touch of a 9V radio type battery. I have some chargers (some of which were very cheap) that would do that automatically.
I sent my Bluetti back twice to be repaired, returned with fault so gave up. I then purchased an ecoflow instead with no issues after 1 year. Bluetti looks nice but I will not buy another.
I need to buy a solar “generator” but even though I have been researching several different systems, I find it confusing. Since I will be using it to charge from solar, I need it to charge more quickly than what I’m seeing. Some units take 8-12 hours to charge but I don’t get 11 hours of sunlight in the winter. I need something to run a small fridge and may even a small freezer and a few lights. If I can get something to run the hot water heater, too, that would be great. What can I buy that will charge quickly. I have seen several ads for Jackery that says it charges in 2 hours using solar and it shows someone setting up 2 panels, but the fine print says it would take 6 panels. I contacted Jackery and they confirmed that it would take 6 panels. I don’t really have the money or the space to set up 6 panels. Can you, or anyone on here, help me with this. What system would charge fairly quickly using only solar?
I have been subscribed forever and stopped getting any info or anything from your channel. Glad you’re over 1 mil subs and still here. Cheers from Texas!
I don't get what you are saying. "stopped getting any info or anything from your channel" yet you seem to praise the channel with "have been subscribed forever..."
Care to clarify WHAT you are trying to say?
@@FIRED13long time fan of the channel. Didn’t get feed info. Once I did, I told em’😊
Bought that 2000w jackery and used it in a blackout last night. Worked great. Very nice to have this. Before I moved to town I had a whole house gas generator. You had to run it once a month for maintenance. Keeping gas with sta-bil on hand sucked… rotating it out etc. None of that with solar.
This was very informative with one exception. These Solar Generators are all lacking when it comes to cold weather performance. If the temperature drops below freezing, you will not be able to charge them. I live in a cold weather region and found out the hard way that the Bluetti AC200 will not operate below freezing temperatures. When it comes to being prepared, be careful with Solar Generators because they will leave you out in the cold, and aren't any better then a boat anchor at that point.
Definitely something to be mindful of if you live in extreme climates (heat included). There are some brands that can function down to -4 Fahrenheit, sometimes it can be hard to dig that info out of them. On the other end of the spectrum a lot of them are rated to only function up to 107, have to be careful if you're out in the desert in summer!
I noticed the new Pecron e1000lfp I ordered has a battery heating feature. Maybe that is something they will be rolling out across all models. Seems like they listen to feedback.
Thank you, I used this video to finalize my selection for a set up that we could use for short term power loss at home, and also be able to be taken on the road in our camper. I selected the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max with 220W solar panels and the Wave 2 portable AC in a recent 40% bundle sale on the EcoFlow website. I can take my time expending for longer power outages knowing I can add two extra batteries and an extra 220W panel set.
I bought my pecron,cables, and some cheap used house solar panels for less than 1100 dollars. I tested it to power 2 firdges and a small freezer with no problem.
Approximately how many watt-hours does your system generate daily?
@@CarlJacobs-dz2hv I have never tested it in charge mode more than a 6 hour blackout we had this spring. It was putting out around 1000 watts at full sunlight. I don't know more than that.
@@mike4769 thanks for info
I've been running 2 EcoFlow Delta Pro units with solar panel nonstop since Thursday (5 days) and topping off with their gas smart generator. Loving it
I thought about buying two of these just to run a chest freezer bc together that’s about 7200wh. The chest freezer is 207watts so that would run it for 24h if fully charged but I figure if I have solar panels going through the day and running off about half that over night it could keep going indefinitely. Does that sound about right to you?
If the freezer ran continuously, you’d get 32-33 hours. It will likely average more like 125w so probably around 48 hours run time with no panel attached. If you have occasional sun, it may run indefinitely
Chest freezers Packed full of frozen food can go two days without any power before things thaw.. bet you would only need to run a few hours a day to keep frozen
@jayeisner8849 I wasn't there to monitor, so I'm not sure how often they ran. For sure they ran mostly overnight -- the sun by itself charged the generators during daytime hours
I got an Ecoflow Delta II this summer and have been testing it with different appliances. I've narrowed down what can run safely during a summer vs. winter outage, and this will be a lifesaver. I have home solar and need to get a connection allowing daytime charging of the battery in a power outage, to be set to survive for multiple days. And since it's portable, I've gotten some day-trip use from it, too. I wish this video had been around when I was researching and shopping. Excellent explanations, thank you!
Yes, I love the way yours give us the prices instead of saying the prices is down below that looks for our prices ourselves. You give us the price on screen. I appreciate that LA la channels don't do that.
Well prices always change so the problem with that is his info became outdated vs a link always keeps current pricing
As someone who just bought a delta 2 max with 2 x 220w solar panels from costco, this only reinforces my decision to go with them!
This was the best overall explanation of anything I’ve seen and have looked around for a LONG TIME. Great job!
Thank you for the spreadsheet. Very helpful. Thank you for also including the weight of each generator!
I live in a very small town, far “upstate” NY. It’s common for power outage many times during the winter. I have a pretty good gas/propane generator but I decided to try a solar generator.
I purchased a set of 2 EcoFlow Delta Pro’s, along with 2 400w solar panels on Dec 2023. 3600w each. I chose this set because I would be needing 240v for my water pump and water heater.
Very heavy but so far, they have worked perfectly. Of course, during the winter season, the farther north a person lives, the shorter that the days become. Plus, the sun doesn’t shine directly over head, even on a supposedly, sunny day.
I’ve never tried any other solar generator along with solar panels before but it does seem to be a good choice.
You chose wisely.
Try that in a small Town!! 🎶 🎵
I also own a Ecoflow Delta Pro and the EV charging option came in really handy when my neighborhood power went out but I was still able to drive to a EV charging station a few miles away to recharge it. It was also raining so my solar panels were useless.
My Bluetti died after 7 months, and they will not honor their warranty, so I would avoid Bluetti.
Very good to Know!
I'm sorry you got screwed, but thanks for letting the rest of us know. I've heard that so often that I marked them off my list to consider buying from. I've heard the exact opposite about EcoFlow, so I'm going with them.
(Bluetti, are you listening? Keep up this shirty customer service and you won't be on top for much longer. IF you still are now.)
You should add more details. How do we know you’re not a competitor, or you weren’t negligent with your power station?
@@mikam8801 It was an EB3A, and I got a red light that says SHORT, they asked me to send them a picture of the packaging material I was going to send it back with, so I sent them a picture of it in the original factory shipping material. No word back., so I've called numerous times, I guess the girl on the phone can't communicate with the rest of her company or do anything about it. I've had other people I know whose Bluetti quit on them too, with same results.
sorry, that sounds bogus to me. you should provide more info for context... you don't say what died on it. you don't say why they won't honor it, etc.. sounds fake.
I bought a Jackery last year when it was on sale and have been happy so far. Based on the reviews i might buy another and the spreadsheet is very helpful.
lots of good info. I did a ton of research before i bought a jackery1000 two years ago and after using it camping and on hunting trips with my camper i discovered three things are important to me.....1. How much the inverter can handle, turns out i want it to mimic a house circuit of about 1800w so it can run usual counter appliances while camping. 2. Can i recharge a depleted unit in a day say 5 full solar hours so a 2kwh battery needs to accept at least 400w. And 3. how heavy is it so that i can move it without risking injury. Personally i dont like the apps and have noticed at a well attended camping area that there are multiple signals which i feel ups the risk of some tech savy nurd messing with my system. For me the Bluetti 180 is a good fit and so far love it.
I have a homemade 3000w (ac) solar generator with a 300ah battery (capable of 3.6kWh peak), and 3x200w renogy solar panels charge the battery from 60% to 100% in about an hour. It’s pretty mind blowing that we can harness that much power for free from the sun.
@@GioGuitarDudeHow much did this system cost you please ? That's a lot of battery and expensive panels, plus the charger and inverter and more. Wish I had the money to build that.
@@ServantOfJesusChrist777 It was right around $2000 with the 3 solar panels included in that price.
I built it myself because a similar wattage unit off the shelf is like 2-4x that… and the internal parts aren’t really serviceable. So if the battery goes caputz then the whole thing is a $3500+ paper weight.
@@GioGuitarDude can you provide a list of components that you used? I'm interested in putting one together at our cabin and I like your idea.
For me the pecron e1500lfp is the winner for my small apartment use & the price is the cheapest if you look at the specs & features.. the packaging also includes almost all accessories you might need..
I bought an AllPower R1500 and a 200W panel and so far love it. Camping and hunting working great.
I bought an AllPowers 700 and it arrived "sort of" charged ( not discharged as advertised). However, it would not power anything. I had to send it back, and since they did not have a replacement available, they refunded my money. It's disappointing since I was really looking forward to it for van travel.
@@dross24MA Hmmm dang. Sorry.
@@dross24MA what do you mean sort of charged what does that mean? you tried to charge it up and it didn't charge up, your comment was not really making sense
I bought a Grecell 1000 with a 100W solar panel for about $ 650.00 on Amazon. I imagine prices have gone up some, but the units in the test are extremely expensive but maybe with higher capacities and solar input wattage. My Grecell does everthing I need in an power outage for emergency lights, fans and powerbank/cellphone charging for many days.
This is the kind of education with need in high school.
Yes solar charges and sustainable energy should be in all high schools.
Just a Blessed thought we should also include MidWifery starting in elementary school.
Oh! NO! we could not have this In our educational system, it would teach children how to be independent.And we certainly wouldn't want that now would we...
I have been shopping for a solar generator for some time. Thank you for creating this spread sheet to make comparing them to each other so much easier. Also thank you to all who have commented with your experiences with the units you purchased because I do not know anyone who has purchased any kind of generator.
I love my Bluetti solar generator bought a couple years ago. Your channel was influential in this decision. Please keep up the great work.
You bought 1 a couple yes ago.. a Post above you said Bluetti won't honor a 1 month old purchase..
@@burkena okay and opinions are like booty holes, we all have one.
@@wayne2411 as I'm doing my research for a brand another vid pops up ..bluetti complete failure and 3 days in use FULL VIDEO..Bung hole..
@@wayne2411 I wish I could link you to i
@@wayne2411 post link...@ jesse Schotch bluetti eb3a
Posted 3 months ago..
" complete failure" his words im just searching..
The amount of time you put in on the excel its extraordinary. Its really comprehensive and easy to use. Makes it easy to understand what you need. Enjoy your content, thanks!
Appreciate the time taken for your annual assessment.
This video couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been researching a lot of these for a couple of weeks and the this is the most up to date and comprehensive video I’ve seen yet. Thank you so much for the time and effort that went into this and kudos for doing that outstanding spreadsheet.
What did you end up settling on?
@@maggew I went with the anker c1000. It packs quite a punch for the weight and size. I’m very happy with it.
I like the Jackery, for quality, reliability, efficiency, ease to use, and customer support.
Here in Arizona solar is a great way to go. For me the Pecron E600LFP is my sweet spot for price vs watts vs capacity. At 1200 watts it can easily power my coffee maker and 614 watt hours is more than enough to power my refrigerator (it pulls 125 watts when running) while I charge my second one. The only caveat is needing to get a high voltage solar panel to charge the unit. The 36 volt/200 watt Edostory panel works well and is budget friendly. I have videos on my UA-cam channel if anyone wants to take a look.
Gotta say my heart sank when I saw the opening shot and there was no Segway Cube 2000. All my research into bang for buck, quality of components and expandability leads me to this unit again and again
Our 200 watt jackery panels have been absolute headaches. The small screws come out allowing the wiring to come loose. We used the warranty and sent one back but the repair didn’t last long. The panels still work to a certain extent but have to be handled very carefully… We have difficulty pairing two panels to charge the generator and usually just have to use one which takes forever for a 2000 watt generator recharge. The panels are fairly efficient regardless of all the durability issues.
Regarding the DIY route, I did that because I wanted to power a 100W HF radio with noise-free power sometimes and power an 1800W AC appliance other times. If it wasn't for that specific use case, I would've saved time and money by buying one of these commercial units. They really are a good deal for what you get.
Excellent video. A must watch for anyone considering a solar generator.
I just purchased the Ecoflow Delta 2 as a portable backup to my ICE gas/ propane generator…Love it so far!
I have the same setup. It feels like such a waste to run the generator all night when my fridge isn't actually pulling current all night. Plus, I can top off the batteries during regular maintenance runs for my ICE generator.
@@dogishappy0 why doesn't a fridge pull current at night? Newbie here learning.
@KillaNola No worries! The fridge pulls current at night, but only when the compressor turns on. My fridge's total energy draw over the course of 24 hours is under 2kWh. Why run a gas generator to power a fridge all day ($60 or more in gas when gas stations are potentially inaccessible) when I can top off the EcoFlow with the generator for $3, then run the fridge off the EcoFlow?
@KillaNola during emergency situations a fridge can hold a food-safe temperature for 24 hours if it remains closed. What I used to do was run the fridge a few hours during the day with a gas generator to bring it back up to temp, then lock up the gas generator to save fuel. This isn't the way a fridge is meant to run though, and can add unnecessary wear shortening the life span of a rather expensive appliance.
Power stations do not have this limitation, so I instead top my power station off during the day with solar (and the gas generator if needed), then plug my fridge into my power station and let it run normally. This saves a TON of money in both maintenance and fuel costs.
You always explain, without talking down. Thank you.
Thank You for this amazing video!! I’m in the shopping for a solar generator now. Best & most informative video I’ve ever seen on UA-cam. You absolutely nailed it with your presentation. Thank you seriously for the spreadsheet to top it off.
Wow - another great presentation - and EVEN BETTER and more detailed than last year. Thank you so much!
I have the Delta 2 which ran my refrigerator and freezer during Hurricane Beryl in July with the help of my Generac generator I used to recharge it. Since then I have purchased the Delta Max with the extra battery. My next purchase will be an extra Max battery and the smart dual-fuel propane generator.
Solar is an excellent option. I wish the batteries weren't so expensive
A cheap oil drum full of sand and a heating element and an insulated jacket is a fantastic way of avoiding curtailment AND having efficient heat without having to convert it back into electric.
Humans can always make heat from electric at 100% efficiency, but making electricity from heat is more like 20-30%.
couple hours of sun blasted into an oil drum during the day gives a really warm comfortable evening with no lithium.
@gigabane7357 that's interesting have a plan???
Lithium batteries are cheaper than they use to be. Solar panels are also. Plus the tech has improved.
@@billbradley2480 yeah the tech has come a long way.
@@gigabane7357 @gigabane7357 Great idea using an oil drum and sand as a heat bank! It's a smart way to store heat from the sun during the day and release it slowly in the evening, keeping things cozy without electricity. The insulated jacket is a nice touch to keep that heat from escaping too quickly. Maybe adding a solar air heater could boost the warmth even more. Love the creativity in using simple materials effectively!
I got a Delta 2 Max in January and love it so far. I got it for house backup and for camping in our squaredrop RV trailer. I'm also very intrigued with Ecoflow's new alternator charge controller thing.
This is the stuff I can only dream about, in Australia the Bluetti Ac 200L costs $2800 and the Ecoflow delta 2 max is $3000, and on a disability pension that’s unobtainable.
Just gotta save up, even tho it takes time
Diesel jenny ftw...
I have an AC180 and it'll do most things, as a more portable unit
That's in Australia dollars so it's definitely more expensive but not what most Americans reading this think it is.
Time to move to the US...
I just bought a second delta 2 for $460. To run a 55 quart dual zone alpicool I still use a 5 year old 300w rocpals with 100w panel. Keeps beer cold while camping
We purchased an Ecoflow Delta 2 and battery for powering field test equipment at work. It has been a powerhouse and is so easy to use. One of the best pieces of equipment we’ve purchased in quite some time.
Loved how you gave time stamps. I’m limited on time a lot, so being able to go right to what I’m curious about…. Gold.
Instant subscribe.
That was a great review. But the problem is you say it should be stored at 50%, which doesn't make sense to me. I bought the AC 200 Max with two batteries as an emergency power source. But if they are stored at 50% and the lights go out suddenly, then you only have a 50% charge. So what's the use of spending all this money and get 50% of what you paid for.
It's a delicate balance to maximize the life of the batteries. You can keep it full just could cause a little more degradation. Or you could keep it full and works just fine, they are weird that way. Its one of the flaws with batteries in general
This was the first time I ever heard to keep them at 50%. I've only ever heard to store at 80%.
That being said, I store mine at 100% for the exact reason you just said.
I'd rather my unit degrade and need replaced after 5-10 years than spend hundreds of dollars on something that doesn't work for the very thing I bought it for. (Well, I actually bought it for camping but power outage is #2)
Long-term like if you store it and don't use it for more than 3 to 4 months at a time..... you guys got a little too micro in the thought process. He didn't fully explain it in that little 30 seconds but again if you're using it every 3 to 4 months sure you can fully store it at 100% if you don't use this thing for a year 9 months or more yeah you likely best keep it charged at 50% and then when you know you're about to use it and put it back to 100% in that quarter of a day to charge or whatever.
So if you're wanting to keep this just in case of emergencies and leave it at 100% sure but then break it out set an alarm on your phone or on your calendar and put it through my day of usage plug your television into it your fridge or something and then turn down the battery and then recharge it
They`re supposed to be used with solar. But if you charge a lithium battery to 100% and store it you get needless degradation. So if you plan to store one drain it to 50%. Charge before storms. I store mine at 80% to 90% in spring storm season and if storms are coming all get fully charged. If you learn how to care for these batteries they might last 15 to 20 years vs 5 to 8. Heat at a 100% charge or charging in freezing weather or running them to zero and leaving them or charging at very high rates are the worst.
@@baneverything5580 I'm 75 so I'm not worried about 10 or 20 years into the future
Remember to multiply watt-hours by efficiency to get USABLE watt hours. If you do that the AC180 is 1,000wh to Ecoflow 830wh. For AC.
I'm pretty sold on the Ecoflow Delta II Max. Really appreciate all of the work that goes into your solar generator videos. Very helpful. Thank you.
One good thing about those brands is that their marketing depends on social media, and this makes them put special care to good customer satisfaction.
I’m in the market for a solar generator and this video has been incredibly helpful. Thank you for all the time you put in to testing and filming. I love your channel.
10/10 for covering maintenance related topics. I always hesitated buying these cause I never knew how long/how to make them last. Unlike the RV guys or off the grid guys, I’m not going to be using mine 7 days a week 12 months a year so I was having a hard time figuring out if they can be fine just sitting there. (Since most reviews are reviews from people using the devices pretty consistently).
I want to thank you for the time and effort that you put into getting all the info.
I’ve been falling your channel for more than a year now and last year I bought a Delta Max 2 and it’s great to see that is still recommended one of the best.
Can you charge AC and DC same time and do pass tru charge while using? Please LMK thanks
I've been putting off a solar generator for too long. 2024 is the year I make it happen.
The priority after food and water is energy.
@@henrymorgan3982 5 priorities for living, food, shelter, clothing, communication, transportation.
i think goal zero will have a LOT better offerings through 2024, they're finally catching up.
That is a very good idea for a few reasons. Shoot to have it done by Fall.
Hi everyone I’m a new subscriber! Great content 😊
Just got a Bluetti AC180 plus an expansion battery, Love it!
If you don’t mind me asking… What does it run for how long? Trying to figure out what to get.
I got it too.Check for capacity and found out it have only 768 watts. Sent it back and got Anker.
@@leokolevincorrect, thats the watt-hours for the AC70
I just bought 3 Bluetti's
@@leokolev
AC180 | 1800W, 1152Wh, Power Station
The problem with all these battery units is rhe amount if time they can supply power. If you need one to keep a fridge going ir a freezer, they are good for about 8 hours max before they die and need recharging.
Example: If you have a 2000 watt hour unit and your refrigerator needs 200 watts to run, that generator will supply power for only 10 hours . At 100 percent Efficiency.
That’s a hungry fridge freezer! Mine is 15 years old, and it uses 74 Watts (and it’s a decent sized 130/74 litre unit). Moreover its thermostatic duty cycle is typically about 30%. So all of a sudden you have a battery that can run for 36-48 Hours.
I did a 48 hour test with a Bluetti EB240 about 2 years ago. I was able to run fridge freezer, internet router, a couple of light bulbs, my laptop and my central heating with the help of a single 375 Watt solar panel in February in mixed weather conditions.
It worked! I had to be careful with starting current surge from the fridge compressor, and I had to unplug items when not in use to manage depletion rates, but it was a very acceptable performance and certainly orders of magnitude better than not having the battery at all.
Thanks Kris - I subscribe because you have a lot of very practical reviews and information and I have come to trust your content.
What a great video! I'm shopping for a generator to run my oxygen concentrator. California is turning into a third-world country with power outages every two to three months. In the last year, I've been out two hours, six hours, and five days. Disgusting and expensive with the loss of food. I love your information, will watch it again and downloading the spreadsheet. Thank you so much!
Kris, another outstanding job in explaining a fairly complex subject.
in less than 10 mins i learned more about this this than i have watching 10 videos. THANKS ALOT. Great explainer
Excellent video, very informative for anyone considering a Portable Power Station/Solar Generator, Solar Panels or Solar Blankets.
I have a little beaudan it was great and all I could afford at the time. Now I have Bluetti a325 and it worked great when I lived in a cargo trailer. Now I'm in a house but keep it charged in case electric goes out. But won't work for long. But it will charge my phone in emerg.
Just purchased a EcoFlow Delta2 1,024w. Did a discharge test from a full charge with the floor fan and got 512 watts before it completely discharged. Sending it back!
44 min well spent, awesome video, cheers from Mexico
That spreadsheet is the best, great effort and thanks
Thank you for the well thought out reviews. We are looking for a solar generator right now. This was perfect timing!
Been using an EcoFlow Delta for a few months now and I'd loved it as well.
My Mom uses Ecoflow and it's been amazing for her so far. She travels around in a bus and has really never needed anything else. The have pretty good sales so you can get even more bang for your buck from time to time. :). Also, thanks for all the time and effort you put into these resources...that spreadsheet is great!
So glad to see this update. Sharing with my husband. 😃 Thank you, Kris!
The Delta II Max with extra battery is a great setup. Dual solar plugs up to 500W each is a great feature. At 51 pounds it is very “portable.” (Extra battery is 41 pounds)
I can't thank you enough for doing these videos. I have a brain clog when it comes to understanding these things, and can actually figure it out given the way you explain it.
I’m the same way
These are excellent units to power some household appliances but are limited unless you buy additional batteries,I’m definitely going to build my own unit! Two reasons are cost and ease of component replacement!
How’s that going?
Next time please include Country Of Manufacture. Awesome video though.. love the time stamps
Sadly they are all made in China.
Hey, thank you for posting all this helpful information. Just recently got hit by a severe thunderstorm storm and dust storm in the Spokane area knocked out power out for 8hrs. I’m normally not concerned about outages due to the fact that 7 years of living in rural area outside town, we have only lost power once to twice a year for 30 minutes at a time. Recently our power company has changed its safety policies that are going to lead to longer power outages before they will turn power back on due to fire danger. This video has been a huge help on what unit will fit my needs. Thanks
Great timing on this video. Some friends and I were talking about generators just this past Monday.
I can't thank you enough for providing this information to people like me. You are a blessing. Take care my friend.
Thx for doing this, filming it and sharing it with us.
We had our Rockpals die after 1 1/2 yrs. Unfortunately, I can't find any customer service to try to get help. We really found your videos informative. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the spreadsheet you created! I have been trying to find that kind of information for a while now.
Great video. I was considering making my own electrical system for a van that I want to build out in the future, and the bottom line is…. I don’t have time for that. This video is great for helping anyone wrap their minds around how to choose the right solar “generator” for their needs.
I appreciate all of the information your video has provided, it was easy to understand and well presented thank you. I have signed up for your spread sheet and will look at the more in-depth information before purchasing any unit.
I was glad I found this video. Others just really didn’t go through things as well.
I've been really researching these solar generators for 2 years now. Your video was very informative but still considering my options. It's nice there is some good competition in this market
Only issue with ecoflow is the fans are a bit noisier and the efficiency is not as good, the ability to fast charge from the car is way over priced and can be done much cheaper, expansion on all these units is expensive and much cheaper with a DIY setup to compliment these units.
With all do respect Sir, you have great detailed information, but it’s all very complicated for someone that knows nothing about any of this.
All I want to know is what unit do I need to run my refrigerator effectively if my electricity was to go out for two weeks?
Does my refrigerator need to run continuously for 24 hours like it is on my electricity system? What unit best serves that purpose?
Just got an EcoFlow Delta 2 Max with a solar panel for $1200 on QVC memorial special. Getting the additional battery for $799 to qualify for the tax credit.
Thank you so much for explaining this throughly.
I agree with the other viewers. This was one of the best-done videos explaining any topic I've seen on UA-cam. I also immediately subscribed . Such an honest and well done video which shows a lot of work was put into making it. Will now go back and watch all his videos. thanks for all the info.