Bluetti 1500 vs 2400 + Solar panel?

[Pro 1]

Been researching these portable solar units for a few days and would like to have the experts feedback please. Feel free to answer 1 or all questions.
Also saw Will's youtube vide on bluetti. At one point he recommends the Goal Yeti but read on this site he isn't recommending it anymore.

Looking for a unit under $2500 that could backup a fridge or chest freezer, maybe TV/Microwave etc and obviously phones.

1. Bluetti 1500 vs 2400?
I've seen the Titan is on backorder so what are recommendations for next best available? The Goal Zero seems to be crossed off the list now too.
Has anyone bought the 2400 Maxoak Bluetti or do most people just have the 1500?

2. Solar Panels?
This is where I have no experience (obviously). Maxoak has one 120w panel for sale on their website. Is this what people buy or are there better recommended panels? I don't want a bunch so how quickly would a 120w panel charge the 1500 or 2400? Any suggestions/feedback on panels would be great.
What is the average cost for a quality panel? The MaxOak website doesn't even sell their solar panels and the link to Amazon doesn't work. Concerned about the quality of their site and being a newer company.

Other questions:
- Is there another portable generator under $2500 that you would recommend other than Bluetti?
- Why do people worry about charging their computer in a blackout when the wifi wouldn't even work, the bluetti has a MacBook port but w/out WiFi it wouldn't matter.

Thanks

 

[Forbisher]

2. Solar Panels?
This is where I have no experience (obviously). Maxoak has one 120w panel for sale on their website. Is this what people buy or are there better recommended panels? I don't want a bunch so how quickly would a 120w panel charge the 1500 or 2400? Any suggestions/feedback on panels would be great.
What is the average cost for a quality panel? The MaxOak website doesn't even sell their solar panels and the link to Amazon doesn't work.

A 120 watt panel at ~ 83% output of 100 watts will take 15 hours to charge the 1500 Bluetti and 24 hours for the 2400 under ideal conditions so would actually take longer.
100 watt panels are ~ 22 volts open circuit so you can series connect 3 panels at ~66 volts maxing out the 68 volt limit.
three 100 watt panels at a more realistic 70 watts each (210 watts total) would take about 7 hours to charge the 1500.

Solar/AC Recharge: 1)This Power Generator Can be Recharged from the Sun with Solar Panel (Not Include, Input Voltage must be 16V～68V). 2) This Power Station Can be Fully Charged in 15 Hrs by being Plugged into the Wall Outlet. Charge Time Varies on the Solar Panel(Higher Power of the Panel, Shorter Charge Time you will Get).

Do you want light weight more expensive flexible panels or can you use aluminum framed glass panels?

I hear that the Bluetti is coming out with a higher powered inverter which is its weak point now for me.

 

[tictag]

Bluetti 1500 vs 2400?

This decision really just comes down to how much energy storage do you need, and that is informed by your consumption. Most people in an off-grid scenario try to replenish their daily consumption every day, leaving their battery to provide a level of autonomy during bad weather spells. You need to do an energy audit to figure out how much you consume in a typical day, for example:

ENERGY OUT

Device	Rating	Time	Energy (per day)
Fridge	150W	12h	1,800Wh
Microwave	1,300W	0.5h	650Wh
TV	110W	6h	660Wh
Phones	30W	5h	150W
"	"	"	"
		TOTAL	3,260Wh

Note: energy meters can be invaluable in determining your consumption:


ENERGY STORAGE
Most people plan for three days' autonomy i.e. bad weather, so your battery in this example will need to store 3,260Wh x 3 days = 9,780Wh of energy (or 815AH at 12V).

ENERGY IN
In order to retain three days' autonomy, you need to replenish your daily consumption every day. To replenish 3,260Wh of energy over, say, 5 hours of 'good sun' you'll need a 652W array (there is more involved in this calculation, not least time of year; this is 'ballpark').

In short, you need to do an energy audit to determine how much storage you need. Based on the example values above, neither the 1,500Wh or 2,400Wh will be suited to your needs.

Is this what people buy or are there better recommended panels? I don't want a bunch so how quickly would a 120w panel charge the 1500 or 2400? Any suggestions/feedback on panels would be great.

There are soooooo many PV panel manufacturers, you absolutely do not need to buy Maxoak just because you're considering a Maxoak solar generator. I would recommend watching some of Will's reviews on various panels, and checkout his Blueprints page, to determine your best option here.

What is most important is that you need to replenish your consumption every day, so in the example above, that's 3,260Wh, and you only have the daytime to do this, so you'll need the solar generator to be able to support the full output of your array e.g. 652W. For example, the Bluetti EB150 is only rated to support PV arrays up to 500W (specified max PV voltage = 60V, specified max PV current = 10A, that's 600W, not sure why they only specify 500W...)

What is the average cost for a quality panel?

These days you can buy cheap solar PV for around $0.50 per Watt e.g. a 120W panel should cost around $60.

- Is there another portable generator under $2500 that you would recommend other than Bluetti?

Will's videos are the best place to start, he has reviewed quite a few e.g. Renogy, GoalZero, Jackery etc.

Why do people worry about charging their computer in a blackout when the wifi wouldn't even work, the bluetti has a MacBook port but w/out WiFi it wouldn't matter.

Why would WiFi be down? Power the router from your off-grid supply, or better still, use your smartphone's WiFi hotspot feature and use the mobile network for more remote locations. Or for further afield, there are many satellite data services too.

 

[tictag]

p.s. To be honest, if you are looking to power fridges, microwaves etc, I respectfully think you're looking in the wrong direction towards these consumer-level solar generator products. They really are only designed for very light loads over relatively short timeframes. I do think you should take a look at some of Will's Blueprints for DIY Solar PV systems. I know it can be daunting, and the solar generator concept so simple, but I do believe such a system would be better suited to your needs.

 

[Lessismore]

I have a small cabin in the desert. At a previous location I had a fixed solar system and the batteries suffered significantly in the desert heat when I was not there. When I was there, I ran a 5k btu a/c during daylight hours which would keep inside the cabin < 80F. The problem was while gone the batteries would see temps of 110+ deg.

Now I have a Bluetti. With pass-thru from the panels I can still power the a/c during daylight. When I leave, I take the Bluetti with me and heat is not a problem. My problem is unique, but there are situations that a portable solar generator is the only practical solution.

 

[tictag]

I have a small cabin in the desert.

Perhaps not suitable for your PV array but have you considered burying your batteries? They'll thank you for the consistent temperature and would perhaps be more convenient than lugging around a solar generator.

 

[Lessismore]

In the Summer the desert has monsoon season requiring a waterproof vault. For me, I wouldn't want to mess with that. My power requirements are pretty low. The Bluetti can handle the a/c with solar pass-thru and if it's a really hot evening, I have a Honda 2k generator.

My previous setup had 6 200Ah agm batteries that I never took below 20% DOD. Even at that they died in under 6 years from the heat. I was using less than 3000 Wh a day from the batteries and I wasn't real trying to conserve. With a portable system I can use it in the cabin, in my trailer and as additional back-up should the grid go down at my house. For someone who needs to utilize and abundance of modern appliances it may be a poor solution.

 

[MargieC]

I'm confused about what solar panels to buy for my new Bluetti EB 240 (2400Wh with 1000w inverter). I don't want to get on my roof as a 105 lb. woman aged 67 with osteoporosis. So I'd like portable panel solutions. I finally gave up and ordered two affordable non-suitcase 100W panels without controllers to have to mess with. Not looking forward to setting up outside each time I park, as there are no kickstands, but I have to be out the door by 5/13/20. I've asked around but the answers in jargon stops me learning about using suitcases with the EB240. Here are my questions to which I'd appreciate answers:
1) Does a single solar suitcase come already in series? Are they two 6V panels already in series to make them a 12V suitcase? Or is each of the seemingly two panels 12V, and can I series-connect a 2-panel single suitcase to make 24V? (Are the two panels of a suitcase considered one panel?)
2) If I buy two suitcases of 12V each, can I optimize charge input time by connecting the two suitcases (with 2 panels each) in series? (This depends on answers to Question #1. My problem is I don't understand if a single suitcase is considered a single panel or a single suitcase is two panels already connected in series!!)
2) Does the EB240 require higher than 12V input, or is higher voltage simply an option? I wish someone would tell me directly if two solar suitcases of 120watts each (and I'm guessing 12V each, connected in series to = 24V) would provide much power storage/day, and how I can optimize them by connecting in series and/or parallel. Thank you very much for simple answers!

 

[Forbisher]

Simple answer is your eb240 can accept 3 100 watt panels in Series.
Stop describing panels as 12 volts or 24 volts and use the watts like 100 or 175 or 200 watts..
There is no such thing as a 6 volt panel and 12 volt and 24 volt are only loose terms to describe the battery voltages the panels are used with.
A 12 volt panels puts out about 18 volts and has an open circuit voltage of about 21 volts.

100 watt panel actually has an open circuit voltage of about 21 volts.
Your eb240 has a max volts input of 65 volts. If you exceed 65 volts it gives an error code and shuts off so there is no damage.
Look at the back of your panels for the Voltage and Amp specs.

100 watt panels at about 21 volts each x 3 panels in Series is less than 65 volts max input of an EB240.
There are several of my posts about this here on this forum if you search for them and they have videos that explain how it works.

 

[Forbisher]

I guess you do not have the 2 100 watt panels right now.
What brand are they?
I will answer your suitcase panel questions later as they are more involved.
Your EB240 has a Solar Charge Controller built in so you can not use another SCC in a suitcase panel on top of that built in SCC.
Please describe suitcase units by their watt designation and brand.

 

[MargieC]

Simple answer is your eb240 can accept 3 100 watt panels in Series.
Stop describing panels as 12 volts or 24 volts and use the watts like 100 or 175 or 200 watts..
There is no such thing as a 6 volt panel and 12 volt and 24 volt are only loose terms to describe the battery voltages the panels are used with.
A 12 volt panels puts out about 18 volts and has an open circuit voltage of about 21 volts.

100 watt panel actually has an open circuit voltage of about 21 volts.
Your eb240 has a max volts input of 65 volts. If you exceed 65 volts it gives an error code and shuts off so there is no damage.
Look at the back of your panels for the Voltage and Amp specs.

100 watt panels at about 21 volts each x 3 panels in Series is less than 65 volts max input of an EB240.
There are several of my posts about this here on this forum if you search for them and they have videos that explain how it works.

Thanks for your prompt reply. I'm new here and just getting used to how to search, so I will look for videos.

 

[Forbisher]

Thanks for your prompt reply. I'm new here and just getting used to how to search, so I will look for videos.

Just search for posts on the Maxoak Bluetti EB 240 made by me. I inserted Youtube videos in my posts.

 

[MargieC]

Just search for posts on the Maxoak Bluetti EB 240 made by me. I inserted Youtube videos in my posts.

Thank you very much.

 

[MargieC]

Thanks for your prompt reply. I'm new here and just getting used to how to search, so I will figure out how to find your videos.

Now I'm even more confused because Will's book has a diagram and explanation, "In a series configuration, the voltage increases, but the amps do not change" and "In a parallel configuration, the voltage does not change but the amps increase." Hopefully your vids will help me figure it out.

 

[MargieC]

Thank you very much.

 

[MargieC]

Jeeeeez! I put "Maxoak Bluetti EB 240" with and without you as the Member and get nothing. Also tried both in "Advanced search." Can you give me some more clues as to how to use this forum?

 

[Forbisher]

Did you see this test trying to exceed 67 volts on the EB240?
It just cuts off with Error 17

This video explains the voltage limit on the EB 240 and how many panels you can hook up.
It is 67 volts limit on the EB 240 and not 65 volts. Sorry my short term memory is not good.

The video starts half way through to prove the cut off error code on 3 panels in Series.
You can also watch the whole video which may answer some of your questions.

All you have to know is that you can Series connect 3 100 watt panels together safely on your EB240.

You already bought 2 100 watt panels so are you going to return them and buy suitcase units?

 

[MargieC]

Yes, I did see that vid Tom made, and he inspired me to go with the EB240 rather than trying to put a whole system together. I did cancel my solar panel order and am back to my original plan to buy suitcase panels. I would like the Sungold Power 130 Watt suitcase he reviewed except I don't have time to mess with dismantling the controller on it; and getting deliveries is taking far more time than it used to. I have to be out of my house by 5/13. I guess it's time to go shopping again. Your vids are on Youtube, aren't they? I could find them there if I knew your handle there or a title of a vid. Maybe you have some suitcase panel suggestions there?

 

[MargieC]

This video explains the voltage limit on the EB 240 and how many panels you can hook up.
It is 67 volts limit on the EB 240 and not 65 volts. Sorry my short term memory is not good.

The video starts half way through to prove the cut off error code on 3 panels in Series.
You can also watch the whole video which may answer some of your questions.

All you have to know is that you can Series connect 3 100 watt panels together safely on your EB240.

You already bought 2 100 watt panels so are you going to return them and buy suitcase units?

Also interesting is Will Prowse's test of the EB240 with "over-paneling" and he found it caused no harm, just took in the max power it can.

 

[Forbisher]

Now I'm even more confused because Will's book has a diagram and explanation,
"In a series configuration, the voltage increases, but the amps do not change" and
"In a parallel configuration, the voltage does not change but the amps increase."

This is correct and is what I was saying about 3 100 watt panels in Series.
21.x volts x 3 100 watt panels in Series = about 65 volts total which is less than the EB240s 67 volt max limit.
The amps on those 3 panels in Series is the same as one panels amps so about 6 amps in total.

Also interesting is Will Prowse's test of the EB240 with "over-paneling" and he found it caused no harm, just took in the max power it can.

The over paneling worked because the total open circuit voltage of all the panels was under the 67 volts max.
I am only using 100 watt panels as an example because you already bought 2 100 watt panels.
170 watt panels would be better but they are larger and heavier so you probably would not prefer them.

Do you understand what I posted so far?
OK, now I see that you Returned the 100 watt panels and only want info on suitcases.