Solar powered generators

[BigRed323]

Anyone ever used one and if so, what did you think of it? Recommendations for a specific one?

Hurricane season is around the corner and our problem down in the RGV is flooding. Trying to find a solution where I don’t have to rely on gasoline or propane in the event that flooding or electricity outages does not allow me to access those resources.

[Voodoo]

I use this equipment but I live small and like portability. My emergency stuff would be portable for camping and hunting too is what I’m saying. Some kin folk in Louisiana like the hardwired Tesla and Generac stuff.

https://us.ecoflow.com/

I could live just fine with led lights, a small freezer, on demand water pump, box fan, and a 5,000 BTU A/C. My TV only draws 14 watts. I think all of them running at once full bore is 500 watts

[FCoDxDart]

I don't know if this is quite what your looking for but we have a Tesla solar system installed on the house, 16kw. and 3 powerwalls with it. The three powerwalls combined will power everything in the house except the electric furnace. Runtime is heavily dependent on how much you use but if you limit it to lights and fridges/freezers, even tv and internet equipment, easily 18 hours +. That doesn't include the solar you'd hopefully be generating during the day.

[FCoDxDart]

I use this equipment but I live small and like portability. My emergency stuff would be portable for camping and hunting too is what I’m saying. Some kin folk in Louisiana like the hardwired Tesla and Generac stuff.

https://us.ecoflow.com/

I could live just fine with led lights, a small freezer, on demand water pump, box fan, and a 5,000 BTU A/C. My TV only draws 14 watts. I think all of them running at once full bore is 500 watts

Now that is really cool. I've never seen anything like it before in such a compact system. I'm so tempted to get me one to take when we go out camping.

[91cavgt]

I use this equipment but I live small and like portability. My emergency stuff would be portable for camping and hunting too is what I’m saying. Some kin folk in Louisiana like the hardwired Tesla and Generac stuff.

https://us.ecoflow.com/

I could live just fine with led lights, a small freezer, on demand water pump, box fan, and a 5,000 BTU A/C. My TV only draws 14 watts. I think all of them running at once full bore is 500 watts

You might need to go back and check the wattage with a KillAWatt. A 5k BTU window unit alone will pull 450 watts. I’ve been trying to find one that pulls less wattage for this very reason. Anything that uses an electric motor will have a VERY large initial surge of power needed to start that electric motor. Typically at least double its running wattage is what they need. Realistically, if all that you listed is running full bore than it is going to be around 1,000 watts. I just wanted to clarify for others in case they wanted to run the same devices so they don’t end up with unrealistic expectations.

[91cavgt]

The all in one units you can buy are really nice, but are WAY overpriced in my opinion. If you want a project, and aren’t scared of doing a little wiring yourself then you can build one for considerably less money. I built one that had the following;

Dewalt 1,000 watt continuous, 2,000 watt peak power inverter
32 amp/hr of lithium batteries
200 amp BMS
EPEVER Tracer 10 amp MPPT solar charge controller
AM/FM/Bluetooth radio
A pair of 4” speakers and a pair of tweeters
12 volt power outlet
USB outlets

Granted, this one is bigger and doesn’t look nearly as good as the prefabricated ones, but it still works the same, and if a component went bad I know how to fix it. Here’s a video showing it…..


[ame="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7xolXTlk3Qk"]DIY Portable Power Center - YouTube[/ame]

[Voodoo]

I do check my stuff with meters, and the power device tells me how much its pulling. I’ve been using 5k A/C for over 30 years and typically I’ve never seen one pull over 425 watts on surge plus its not pulling full load for the whole hour. I started off using golf cart batteries in series.

These Ecoflow devices can support any tool I’ve used so far and a Kuierig coffee maker.

There are many ways to pull this off but basically I arrived at what works for the wife and I for comfort. A space big enough for a queen or king sized bed that can be cooled by a 5k A/C and lit with LED lights with a small TV and DVD.

I don’t need anything more than 400 watts of Solar panels to power my world during the day.

Plus on my tiny campers, a white tarp over it during the day works wonders in keeping the heat down.

My opinion is to forget price and live small but I understand everyone has different needs at first.

[PYBUCK]

My wife bought one. I tried it working on a deer blind. Wouldn't even turn my circular saw over 1 revolution. Hunk of junk. Might power up a string of small LED Christmas lights, but not for long.

[91cavgt]

That’s good! I just don’t want people getting the false impression that they could buy a 500 watt power inverter and do all of that reliably. While a 500 watt inverter MAY run it, you would be pushing it pretty hard which isn’t good for long term reliability.

I too started with flooded lead acid batteries. At the time they were just about the best you could get. Now that lithium is coming down in price, it is almost a no brainer to use lithium. But lithium still has its downfalls.

If most people were to really condense things down, just like what you found, 400 watts of solar could provide for most everything they need. Having a little extra buffer is always nice though. Not just for solar, but batteries, and the power inverter too. That’s my philosophy anyway. Overbuild and oversize. I’ve been thinking about adding a 5k BTU window unit to my cargo trailer conversion. However, it doesn’t have much solar on the roof and the lithium battery in it is effectively only about 100 amp/hr.

[91cavgt]

My wife bought one. I tried it working on a deer blind. Wouldn't even turn my circular saw over 1 revolution. Hunk of junk. Might power up a string of small LED Christmas lights, but not for long.

Some have very small batteries in them along with a very small power inverter. A circular saw on the other hand is going to have a huge surge to get the blade turning. It’s not necessarily a hunk of junk, it is just too small for what you need.

[Voodoo]

Its why I said you need to forget about price in many cases, do you want stuff with balls or not is the question.

Started out with the old school stuff has really made me appreciate the higher dollar, high surge, higher capacity stuff.

This stuff I use powers my Hammer Drill through HillCountry Rock and makes me coffee, good to go.