diy solar

diy solar

Bluetti AC200P AC200 As Fridge Freezer Backup + UPS + Keeping it Topped Off

I'm no expert, so hopefully I'm not blowing anything up :)

2 x 2 of these panels is ~ 74 v (working) and the AC200P limits the input watts to 700w (I've seen it get to 750w), so that's only about 10.2 amps (750 / 74).

If the Bluetti was NOT limiting the input wattage, then my panels (full-sun perfect conditions) would be delivering 360w with 4 panels... or 1,400 watts total at 74v... which would be almost 20 amps!

So, I'm *pretty-sure* I'm not going over 12A with this setup... but I welcome feedback and correction!
The AC200p is not going to pull in more than 12A even if the panels are capable of more than that. It should be fine is your Voc on a cold day is less than the max voltage input spec. Think of it this way, your wall AC plug is cabals of say 12A (1500w) but it won’t blow up your 5w iPhone charger because it device won’t pull all that current in.
 
The AC200p is not going to pull in more than 12A even if the panels are capable of more than that. It should be fine is your Voc on a cold day is less than the max voltage input spec. Think of it this way, your wall AC plug is cabals of say 12A (1500w) but it won’t blow up your 5w iPhone charger because it device won’t pull all that current in.
Brilliantly stated and great comparison, thanks!
 
I'm enjoying playing with my setup!

... but I still have some anxiety around using this unit on a daily basis. Sure, the batteries may last 3,000+ cycles, but that doesn't mean all the other bits (fans, charge-controller, inverter, display, etc. etc. etc.) will last anywhere close to that.

So, I'm back to my original question: Good / Bad idea to use this as the daily power-supply for my PC?
 
Good / Bad idea to use this as the daily power-supply for my PC?
I'd say its a great idea to get comfortable using it and confident in whats it can and cannot do. So when you need it in an emergency, its not a learning experience.
Will you ever come close to providing enough energy to pay for itself? Very unlikely.
 
I'd say its a great idea to get comfortable using it and confident in whats it can and cannot do. So when you need it in an emergency, its not a learning experience.
Will you ever come close to providing enough energy to pay for itself? Very unlikely.
Spot on and good answer. Yes, the internal LiFePo4 batteries may last 3000+ cycles (longer if cycled to 80-90% SOC) but it is arguably misleading when manufacturers promote 3000+ life cycles on the units themselves.

I would like to see manufacturers offer a 3-year warranty on components and 5+ years on the internal LiFePo4 cells, with the option to upgrade or replace components at local service centres for a nominal fee (post warranty period).

As for your question regarding daily cycle, that would depend on your circumstances. If you’re living off-grid or and RVer then probably yes. If you’re an enthusiast like me then frequent use may be healthy and helpful for those emergencies.

Having said that I believe many users/solar enthusiasts would upgrade to a newer power station (aka solar generator) during the lifespan of their unit(s). We live in a world of consumerism where new features and technologies are very appealing. If you see yourself making another purchase in the next years you may wish to often cycle the Bluetti to get the most out of your purchase/investment.
 
I'm enjoying playing with my setup!

... but I still have some anxiety around using this unit on a daily basis. Sure, the batteries may last 3,000+ cycles, but that doesn't mean all the other bits (fans, charge-controller, inverter, display, etc. etc. etc.) will last anywhere close to that.

So, I'm back to my original question: Good / Bad idea to use this as the daily power-supply for my PC?
So, I am doing what you have done but using my 2 on a daily or, weekend basis and will see how it goes. Let's follow eachother on this and pave the answers to whomever follows us. I am having fun with what I do as a weekend hobby
 
So, I am doing what you have done but using my 2 on a daily or, weekend basis and will see how it goes. Let's follow eachother on this and pave the answers to whomever follows us. I am having fun with what I do as a weekend hobby
Sounds awesome!

I've been reluctant to use it on a daily basis since I have no idea on the longevity of the various bits and would hate to burn something out / use something up when I don't really "need" the unit... but then not have it available for the rare times that I do.

That said, I continue to use it on days that are extra hot and use the solar/AC200P combo to run my window AC unit... which is pretty fun!

Side note: I wish there was a way to have the AC power out always be on when the unit is turned on. Kinda frustrating to have to turn on power and then touch the screen twice every time.
 
Been using an AC200 and AC200P for almost a year now in a similar fashion without issue. Currently using two 270W panels and wish I had more. Have regularly pulled over 1000W and at times up to 1900W. Only limiting factor is the 2048WH battery and the 2 panels.
 
It's a little after midnight here in the Bay Area. I was about to head to bed when !BOOM! - Power went out.

"OK BOYS... THIS IS WHAT WE TRAINED FOR!!!!"

;)

... but seriously, I don't really even stress about the power being out, especially when everyone else is asleep, unless it's down for a few hours... which RARELY happens.

For my PC (that I'm typing on now) I have an old-school UPS with an extra big lead-acid battery replacement. I plugged in my USB / WIFI adapter and turned on the hotspot on my phone... and I'm back in action.

PG&E shows the outage.... TINY area, only about 60 customers impacted:
1630308088590.png

Again, not a big deal, but then I see this:
1630308130390.png

Ugh, that's 6 hours from now.

The interwebs say that food in fridge can go about 4 hours without power. The "woohoo, I get to use my AC200P" part of me is ready for action.

... the lazy part of me is like: "Meh, not worth the trouble since the food will be fine until power is back up".

Well, even as I type, I'm realizing I should play it safe and also really test things out and go plug in my solar unit.

So, I did it. I dragged the unit over, plugged in my fridge and... BUSINESS!

Peak startup watts: 555
Avg. running watts: 87

So, basically it will run my fridge for quite a long time! ;)
 
You're really treating the AC200 with kid gloves. I use mine to run my side by side fridge, washer and propane dryer along with lights and TV etc. I use a 6 circuit manual transfer switch that interconnects with my main panel and switch on as needed. No need to move the AC200.
 
Well, just as I suspected... about an hour after I lugged the beast into the kitchen, power came back on.

I decided to just leave it plugged in until morning to see what would happen.

The fridge used 65% of the battery during the 8 hours it was plugged in:

1630347860043.png
 
You're really treating the AC200 with kid gloves. I use mine to run my side by side fridge, washer and propane dryer along with lights and TV etc. I use a 6 circuit manual transfer switch that interconnects with my main panel and switch on as needed. No need to move the AC200.
I have mine plugged thru a transfer switch to my service panel. So far, everything works great from sun up to sun down.
 
I used a jackery 1500 with an interlocked backfeed breaker into the panel, then flip on any circuits I want to power after the panel is disconnected from the grid. Have to watch the watts since the jackery is only capable of 1800 watt continuous, but can surge to 3000 watts for up to 30sec sec.

If needed be, I can charge the jackery with 2x315W panels during the day or 2x280w AC adapter at night that is powered from an inverter connected to my EV (100kWh battery). I can’t power my panels directly from my EV as I don’t want to draw more than 1000W from it as the 12V system may signal a fault.

This gives me about 560w of steady power with 1.5kwh buffer.
 
The advantage with using a critical loads manual transfer switch panel is that you never need to turn off your main breaker, you can use both grid power and solar at the same time.
 
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