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New portable/modular systems - Inergy Flex, Bluetti, EcoFlow , Titan - what to choose?

mattleonard

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Mar 8, 2020
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71
Location
Oakland, CA
Seems like there's a slew of portable/modular units about to come out (Inergy Flex, Ecoflow DeltaPro & Max, Bluetti AC300/200 pro, Titan 2.0 etc)- with expandable batteries becoming the norm. I'm curious people's opinions on the latest beyond the obvious stated specs - but practical usage, build quality, reliability, warranty etc. I have an old Inergy Kodiak (primarily bought due to expandable battery option - but only lead-acid!) and have been using various 3kw DIY LiFeP04 rigs in milk crates (cheaper, more powerful) - but the form-factor and features of these prefab units is hard to beat, especially when a random person is operating.

I actually ordered two of the Inergy Flex units (and an extra battery) - but after more-than-a-year of delays and excuses - there are more options on the market, and I'm debating canceling my order. But - with all their delays they have added in nice warranties (10-yr battery, 2-year system) -so that's a consideration.

My use case/priorities:
  • Primarily for small outdoor sound systems and dry rentals - so having a simple unit that is portable and operable by a layperson is key.
  • Minimum 1500w continuous (110vac) and an expandable battery bank strongly preferred. I'd rather have multiple 1500w units than a single 3kw unit - as individual loads are typically small even if my combined loads add up (and this allows modularity). Run-time/watt-hours are a bigger concern for me.
  • Rugged/transportable: Ideally under 50lbs (per component). Wheels are nice, but I could build a dolly/wheelboard/cart. But cheap plastic that is going to crack easily in transport is not good, and these are mostly used outdoors.
Anyone have opinions to share? Thanks!
 
I’d look over Will Prowse YouTube reviews on them, he doesn’t review Kickstarter stuff much, but his opinion is solid. Hobo tech does a decent testing video on stuff, but tends to positive review more than average… kinda feels disingenuous… others also review them…

many are now offering LiFePO4 instead of the shorter lifespan LiNMC… that’s a plus.
 
1500 watts continuous and 50 lbs … this is hard.

A Goal Zero Yeti 3000 gives 2000 watts continuous and it comes complete with a stable cart. Bad point - NMC chemistry and expensive, bit it works as aspected and can really deliver 2000 watts continuous until the battery is empty.

If the battery is dead, it can replaced by Goal Zero.

Or a Jackery Explorer 2000. It‘s cheaper, very fast charging, but NMC. And actual out of stock.
 
I personally don't own one but the Bluetti AC200P is a great contender, though it weighs in at a touch over 60lbs. Can’t comment on manufacturer’s warranty; stories on both sides.

I agree hard to get LiFePo4 portable power station under 50lbs. The Leoch 2048Wh power station seems to be good bang for the buck but there’s been considerable delays in shipping and reported OCP issues. Leoch say they are working on solving this technical problem. I am a backer and waiting for my unit to arrive.

Jackery would be the next best option, though as pointed out they use NMC cells. In the UK (where I’m from) the Jackery are relatively new and the Jackery 1000 is currently the largest of the Jackery family available in the UK market. I’d like to wait till they adopt LiFePo4 cells but I’m tempted to bite the bullet on the 1000 to test its performance.

Techman
 
Ecoflow Delta meets your requirements for output and weight, but if you are really consuming 1500w continuous it’ll run empty pretty quick.
Bluetti’s new modular system looks great, but won’t be available for a while- and you’ll have to supply your own cart.
 
Well, I decided to cancel my Inergy Flex pre-orders. I had two full Flex/battery combo's and a spare battery on order - it's been a year of excuses and delays, and I think there are now better products en route. They didn't even blink when I called to cancel - I'm guessing a lot of folks are doing this.

The Bluetti AC 200 Max seems like the best fit for me - 2kw continuous, expandable battery capacity, and the price per watt is good. Two of these gives me ~4kwh for about the same price as ~3kwh from the 2 Flex units, with a larger inverter, and the additional batteries are cheaper from Bluetti A little heavier than I hoped - but that's the trade-off. The WattAnd units seem to spec well - but hard to trust an unknown company. If the Delta Max was LFP I'd lean that way - but I just don't need more than a 110vac/20a for any individual circuit/load, and don't need the bigger inverters and their price.

I also have a 24v/3kw rig with (4) Lion UT1300 batteries - which may end up getting sold for additional AC200 Max units!

Capture.JPG
 
Bluetti and Ecoflow certainly seem to be the front runners in this new market of (relatively) affordable home power banks.
Never heard of WattAnt, and I can’t really find much on that battery chemistry either (LiNi02) aside from scientific papers published years ago. Looks good on paper but can you actually buy those batteries?
The new Generark has a good form factor for a specific use case, and the most attractive if that’s worth anything, but hard to trust a 5-year warranty from a company on their first real product which isn’t retail yet (their existing power bank and panels look like rebadged Jackery)

Speaking of Jackery, I wonder what they’ve got in the pipeline?
 
The Goal Zero Yeti 1000 Core is now released on Amazon. Specs aren’t that exciting for recharging (“fast” charge is 4 hours and requires a separate optional power adapter), but 1200W continuous is nice.

The main thing it has going for it is the price… $899 with the $100 discount on Amazon. Not bad for 1000wh storage. They don’t specify the battery type other than “lithium” so seriously doubt it’s LFP. Rockpals 1000 is still $100 cheaper and uses LFP.
 
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