Convert sunlight into power for all your outdoor adventures.
Use BLUETTI’s PV200 solar panel to charge a portable power station and never run out of power. It can convert up to 23.4% of sunlight into solar energy, even charging in less than ideal weather.
What’s in the box:
The PV200 solar panel weighs 16 lbs. When folded it measures 23.2 × 24.8″ and unfolded it’s 23.2 × 89.2″ – over 7 feet long!
There’s a carry handle on one end and a large zippered pocket on the back that holds the charging cable. The panels feel very sturdy. Use the adjustable kickstands on the back to angle towards the sun.
Nothing else comes with the unit other than the instruction manual. We also had the opportunity to try Bluetti’s AC60 portable power station which came with a solar panel connector cable.
BLUETTI PV200 Specs:
- 200W power
- Standard MC4 Connector
- Monocrystalline Silicon
- Cell Efficiency: Up to 23.4%
- Scratch and water resistant
- 12 Month Warranty
The panels feature a long-lasting ETFE coating to withstand scratches. A IP65 junction box keeps it water resistant (but avoid rain and don’t soak in water).
The four sections of panel easily fold up and are fastened with straps on both sides. The connected cable fits into the zippered pocket on the back.
A cable to connect from the panel’s cable to a portable charger will fit in the pocket as well.
Adjust the kickstands on the back of the panel to an angle that will maximize the sun exposure. A strap threads through the kickstand and is snapped to one of multiple points.
Charging with the PV200
We used the solar charging cord that was included with the AC60 power station. We also tested the panel with BLUETTI’S EB3A power station. Both utilize the same same charging cord and can handle solar input up to 200W.
It took just minutes to unfold the PV200, plug it into the front of the EB3A or the side of the AC60, and start charging.
Turn on the unit and that’s about it, the unit will just soak up the sun. The units seemed to charge fast and continued to charge when clouds rolled in, just at a lower level.
To optimize the solar input, it helps to move the panels as the direction of the sun changes. This is pretty easy to notice if you’re sitting out with them, or check the app for an input dip.
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I specifically tested days that varied from cloudy to full sun. In bright sunny conditions I noticed readings around 140-160W of solar input while during cloudy periods I still saw around 20-25W. In very cloudy conditions or late afternoon when the sun angle was lower the input went to almost nothing, as expected.
The EB3A is supposed to take two hours to fully charge with the PV200. In just over one hour I topped off the unit from 76% to 98% in these part sunny/cloudy conditions.
In another test I had the AC60 charging with solar while using two tablets plugged in and charging a phone off and on, in full sun early then going to mostly cloudy. The AC60 started out at 38% capacity and ended at 55% after 6 hours – while using the devices the entire time and getting cloudy solar input for about half of that.
The display on the front of a power station such as the AC60 or EB3A shows the level of power intake. Optionally, use the BLUETTI mobile app to easily monitor charging and battery level of the power station via Bluetooth (within 10 meters).
The controls are easy enough to use on the units we tested but this is a nice added feature. I found it convenient (and fun, to be honest) to monitor the input level while working at my desk while the power station and solar panel were chugging away out on the deck.
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Overall
This is a great addition to get with, or add to, an existing power station. Camping and RV enthusiasts would certainly get a lot of use out of a solar panel, but they could be handy to have with a power backup solution for outages at home due to weather events.
Optionally expand your system later – multiple PV200 solar panels can be linked together to one power station to really up the amount of sunlight you can capture (making sure the total amount of voltage doesn’t exceed the capacity of the power station, of course).
BLUETTI has a line of solar panels and portable power stations for many different configuration options.
Disclaimer: BLUETTI provided a complimentary unit for review, but did not provide compensation or exercise control over the content of this post.