Final time, I lined one half of the Energizer Final Powersource Professional Photo voltaic Bundle that I first launched you to again firstly of August and bought for myself firstly of September (and, satirically, is on the market once more as I write these phrases on November 6, at Meh’s companion SideDeal website):
If you happen to haven’t but learn that premier submit on this collection, the place I detailed the professionals and cons of the Energizer PowerSource Professional Battery Generator, I encourage you to pause right here and return and peruse it first earlier than continuing with this one. This time I’ll be discussing the different half of the bundle, Energizer’s 200W Transportable Photo voltaic Panel. And as earlier than, I’ll begin out with “inventory” photographs from the bundle’s originator, Battery-Biz (right here once more is the hyperlink to the person handbook, which covers each bundled merchandise…maintain paging via till you get to the photo voltaic panel part):
Right here’s one other related inventory picture from Meh:
Candidly, there’s lots to love about this panel, mannequin quantity ENSP200W (and no, I don’t know who initially manufactured it, with Energizer subsequently branding it), reflective of the broader enchancment pattern in photo voltaic panels that I beforehand lined again in mid-September. The next specs come straight from the person handbook:
Photo voltaic Cells
- Photo voltaic Cell Materials: Monocrystalline PERC M6-166mm
- Photo voltaic Cell Effectivity: 22.8%
- Photo voltaic Cell Floor Coating: PET
Output Energy
- Max Energy Output – Wattage (W): 200W
- Max Energy Output – Voltage(Vmp): 19.5V
- Max Energy Output – Present (Imp): 10.25A
- Energy Tolerance: ±3%
- Open Circuit Voltage (Voc): 23.2V
- Quick Circuit Present (Isc): 11.38A
Working Temperatures
- Working Temp (°C): -20 to 50°C / -4 to 122°F
- Nominal Working Cell Temp (NOCT): 46°± 2° C
- Present Temp Coefficient: 0.05% / °C
- Voltage Temp Coefficient: – 0.35% / °C
- Energy Temp Coefficient: – 0.45% / °C
- Max Sequence Fuse Score: 15A
Cable
- Anderson Cable Size: 5M / 16.5 ﬞ
- Cable Kind: 14AWG twin conductor, shielded
- Output Connector: Anderson Powerpole 15/45
Dimensions and Weight
- Product Dimensions – Folded: 545 x 525 x 60 mm/21.5″ x 20.7″ x 2.4″
- Product Dimensions – Open: 2455 x 525 x 10 mm/96.7″ x 20.7″ x 0.4″
- Product Web Weight: 5.9 kgs/ 13.0 lbs
As you possibly can see from the final set of specs, the “transportable” a part of the product identify is spot-on; this photo voltaic panel is eminently tote-able and folds down into an simply stowed type issue. Right here’s what mine seemed like unfolded:
Sadly, as with its energy station bundle companion, the photo voltaic panel arrived with scuffed case cosmetics and ruffled-through contents indicative of pre-used, not model new, situation:
Though, I used to be capable of clip a multimeter to the panel’s Anderson Powerpole output connector and, after optimally aligning the panel with the cloud-free direct daylight, I acquired near the spec’d max open circuit output voltage out of it:
the connector itself had additionally arrived pre-mangled by the panel’s prior proprietor (once more: model new? Actually, Battery-Biz?), a scenario that others had additionally encountered, and which prevented me from as-intended plugging it into the PowerSource Professional Battery Generator:
Might I’ve purchased and soldered on a alternative connector? Positive. However in doing so, I possible would have voided the manufacturing unit guarantee phrases. And anyway, after coming throughout not-brand-new proof in the complete bundle’s constituents, I used to be achieved messing with this “deal”; I used to be provided an change however requested a return-and-refund as a substitute. As talked about final time, Meh was stellar of their customer support, choosing up the tab on return delivery and going so far as issuing me a full refund whereas the bundle was nonetheless enroute again to them. And to be clear, I blame Battery-Biz, not Meh, for this seeming not-as-advertised bait-and-switch.
Just a few phrases on connectors, in closing. Maybe clearly, the connector popping out of a supply photo voltaic panel and the one going into the vacation spot energy station must match, both immediately or by way of an adapter (the latter choice with related polarity, enough current-carrying functionality and different potential considerations). That mentioned, in my so-far restricted to-date analysis and hands-on experiences with each photo voltaic panels and energy stations, I’ve come throughout a mind-boggling variety of connector choices. That historic photo voltaic panel I discussed again in September, for instance:
makes use of these:
to interface between it and the photo voltaic cost controller:
The following downstream connection between the controller and my Eurovan Camper’s cargo battery is extra mainstream SAE-based:
The extra trendy panel I showcased in that very same September writeup:
provided 4 output choices: customary and high-power USB-A, USB-C and male DC5521.
My SLA battery-based Phase2 Vitality PowerSource Energy Station, however:
(Duracell clone proven)
just like the Lithium NMC battery-based Energizer PowerSource Professional Battery Generator:
expects, as already talked about earlier on this piece, an Anderson Powerpole (PP15-45, to be exact) connector-based photo voltaic panel tether:
To adapt the male 5521 to an Anderson Powerpole required each the female-to-female DC5521 that got here with the Foursun F-SP100 photo voltaic panel and a separate male DC5521-to-Anderson adapter that I purchased off Amazon:
What different variants have I encountered? Nicely, popping out of the EcoFlow photo voltaic panels I informed you about within the current Vacation Procuring Information for Engineers are MC4 connectors:
Conversely, the EcoFlow RIVER 2:
and DELTA 2 transportable energy stations:
each have an orange-color XT60i photo voltaic enter connector:
the upper current-capable (100 A vs 60 A), backwards-compatible successor to the unique yellow-tint XT60 utilized in prior-generation EcoFlow fashions:
EcoFlow sells each MC4-to-XT60 and MC4-to-XT60i adapter cables (observe the connector shade distinction within the following photos):
together with MC4 extension cables:
and even a dual-to-single MC4 parallel combiner cable, whose operate I’ll discover subsequent time:
The DELTA 2 additionally integrates an even larger power-capable XT150 enter, supposed for daisy-chaining the facility station to a standalone supplemental battery to increase runtime, in addition to for recharging by way of the EcoFlow 800W Alternator Charger:
Okay, now what about one other well-known transportable energy station provider, Jackery? The reply is, imagine it or not, “it relies upon”. Older fashions built-in an 8 mm 7909 feminine DC plug:
which, sure, you might mate to a MC4-based photo voltaic panel by way of an adapter:
Newer items switched to a DC8020 enter; yep, adapters to the rescue once more:
And at the very least some Jackery fashions complement the DC connector with a functionally redundant, albeit reportedly extra beefy-current, Anderson Powerpole enter:
How profoundly complicated this all should be to the typical client (to not point out this techie!). I’m positive if I did extra analysis, I’d uncover much more examples of connectivity deviance from different photo voltaic panel and transportable energy station producers alike. However I belief you already get my level. Such non-standardization would possibly allow every provider to maintain its prospects captive, at the very least for some time and to a point, however it additionally doesn’t demonstrably develop the general market. Neither is it a protected scenario for shoppers, who then must blindly decide adapters with out understanding phrases akin to polarity or most current-carrying functionality.
Analogies I’ve made earlier than in conceptually related conditions, akin to:
- It’s higher to have a decent-size slice of a sizeable pie versus a tiny pie all to your self, and
- A rising tide lifts all boats
stay apt. And as with these conceptually related conditions on which I’ve beforehand opined, this’ll possible all kind itself out eventually, too (by way of market share dynamics, could be my choice, versus heavy-handed governmental regulatory oversight). The earlier the higher, is all I’m saying. Let me know your ideas on this within the feedback!
—Brian Dipert is the Editor-in-Chief of the Edge AI and Imaginative and prescient Alliance, and a Senior Analyst at BDTI and Editor-in-Chief of InsideDSP, the corporate’s on-line e-newsletter.
Associated Content material
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- SLA batteries: Extra system type components and lithium-based successors
- Experimenting with a contemporary photo voltaic cell
- Then and Now: Photo voltaic panels monitor the solar
- Photo voltaic-mains hybrid lamp
- Photo voltaic day-lamp with energetic MPPT and no ballast resistors
- Beaming solar energy to Earth: possible or fantasy?
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