Great Solar “Power Stations”
I’ve written about the use of gas generators and getting the most efficient ones for your preps. But the advent of larger capacity solar generators has given us yet another option for portable emergency power.
Electric gen sets are the rage right now as they are used for everything from emergency lighting, camping, and for stand-by power. These gen sets are small and surprisingly pack a punch in terms of power. Most can be charged with a solar charger making power generation continuous.
While these sets are awesome in terms of practical use, they are still developing in terms of peak power applications. That’s because they are not really gen sets but are more like a deep cycle high quality battery with limited capacity. It's all in the battery. Let's take a look at a few sets recommended for real back country use.
Jackery is a leading producer of electric power stations. The company produces several models for various demands. The smaller stations or the 290–300 series offer you 300 watts of output power for the campsite at a mere 9 pounds in weight. Need more than that and you can go all the way up to the SG3000 model, with 3000 watts of continuous and 6000 watts of peak power for many of your needs in a pinch. All can be solar charged in the field and all of them come with a solid warrantee to give you piece of mind. The company really stands behind their products.
The field of great power stations has really expanded in recent years with many great products in the industry. Ecoflow has a great choice of electric solar charged generators. The iconic black and grey color scheme give it a very modern edge. The front grab handle makes it look more like a CPU than anything else. The Ecoflow Delta Max is a force with 5000 watts of peak power and 2400 watts of continuous running power. At 28 pounds it is still light enough to move around but strong enough to power your refrigerator and then some. For smaller loads opt for the 1000 watt River 2 Max 500. The 13 pound unit can power 11 devices and recharge to full capacity within an hour. Both can be solar charged when the power grid is down.
The Bluetti company packs a lot into a small package. The EB3A model is a 600 watt powerhouse that can recharge from 0–80% in 30 minutes. The quick charging model is excellent for those moments where charging can’t wait. Its nine outlets are enough to power all of your needs in a pinch. The AC200P offers 2000 watts of power at a modestly priced $1200. With a Battery lifecycle of 3500, it will last about ten years when properly maintained. The company offers more powerful and reasonably priced units, so do your research to determine your power needs before buying.
There are many others in the market right now, so you have many choices to choose from. Look for quality brands that put a lot of research and development into their product. There is no sense in buying something that has not been tried and tested. Check the reviews and talk to friends that have units to compare performance. Because in a shit hit the fan situation you want a quality product that won't let you and your family down. Safe trails out there…
