Whether you’re a keen camper or just starting out, you’re probably aware that a portable power source is now considered to be an essential part of most camping trips provide continuous power to appliances such as fridges, water pumps and 12v camp lighting. This is especially the case if you’re travelling with your family, for an extended period of time. If you’re travelling with a caravan, it means you can use off-hookup sites which are usually cheaper and more readily available.
If you want to keep the batteries topped up without the need for the grid or generator, you cannot do without a portable solar system.
Traditional portable solar system includes four separate components which are installed in your caravan, campervan, motorhome etc., and work as follows:
Solar panel array converts solar energy into DC current which fluctuates depending on the fluctuation of the amount of solar radiation reaching the solar panel array;
Solar charge controller receives the fluctuating DC current, stabilises it, charges the battery (battery bank), and protect the battery from overcharging;
Lead-acid deep cycle battery (battery bank), which receives the stabilised DC current, converts it into chemical energy, and convert this energy back to electric energy,
Off-grid inverter, which transforms DC current from the battery to AC current.
Traditional portable solar system requires a lot of space to accommodate all the components as well as complex wiring to connect them. Lead-acid batteries have a service life of 200-500 cycles only, can be discharged not more than 50%, are larger and heavier, lose energy in the cold and require a longer charging time compared to lithium batteries.
PORTABLE All-in-one 500W SOLAR POWER SYSTEM consists of All-in-one 500W Solar Generator and 1x 300W Folding Solar Panel (other solar panels are available to suit your needs).
The Solar Generator receives DC current from 300W Folding Solar Panel (300W), stabilises voltage with PWM Solar Controller 30A, stores energy in the 998Wh (12.8V 78Ah) LiFePO4 Battery, and delivers up to 500W AC + DC power to the user’s devices and appliances with 500W pure sine wave inverter
How to make sure in PORTABLE 500W SOLAR POWER SYSTEM is right for you?
Two options:
1. Call us on 020 8064 0335 or press the chat button for advice.
2. Follow the instructions below (requires multi-step calculations below).
Step 1 Make a list of 230V AC and 12VDC electrical equipment you want to power from the System. Check the data sheets or manuals for this equipment to find out what is its power (in Watts, W). For reference you can use the column B in the table below. Decide what equipment you want to run at the same time and add up its usage. This total is the maximum Power you may use simultaneously, which is to be not more than 500W! You can save energy by using 12VDC portable appliances e.g. our Portable Fridges with solar panels and 12VDC powered Portable Espresso Machine.
230V Electrical Appliance Power, W Usage per day, min Avg daily power consumption, Wh
A B C D
Kitchen
Rauwseul Travel Electric Kettle 0.45L
300
30
150
Campervan MWH 1311 microwave oven 350
20
133
Remoska 2L Electric Cooker
400
60
400
Living room
32″ Full HD Smart LED TV 32 180 96
Laptop 15″ plugged in 60 360 360
iPhone charger x 3 6 120 36
Lighting
LED Light Bulb 3
180
72
Step 2 Use the list of electrical equipment you made in Step 1. Multiply the power of each item in the list by the number of operating hours per day and sum the results for all items in the list. The sum received is your estimated daily Power Consumption (in Watt-hours, Wh). For reference you can use the columns C and D of the table above for the essential electrical equipment.
Step 3 Evaluate the output of the solar generator in the place where you plan to stay during your journey. To do this:
Open the site https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/#PVP
Write your nearest place and post code in Address field at the bottom of the map and click Go!
Click on OFF-GRID in the column right of the map.
Step 4 Write parameters of the System in the fields below the inscription PERFORMANCE OF OFF-GRID PV SYSTEMS:
Write 300 in the field Input peak PV power,
Write 998 in the field Battery capacity,
Write 20 (20% is the optimal lithium battery discharge level) in the field Discharge cutoff limit.
Write Power Consumption value which you calculated in Step 2 in the field Consumption per day.
Write 35 (it is the recommended slope value for the UK) in the field Slope.
Write 0 (it is the recommended azimuth value for the UK, 0 degrees is true South) in the field Azimuth.
Click on the tab Visualize results.
Step 5 Check the results received. Look at Power production estimate for off-grid PV system diagram below the inscription PERFORMANCE OF OFF-GRID PV SYSTEMS: RESULTS.
Point the cursor on the blue bar above a month when you plan to travel. A pop-window will appear which contains two values – Energy Output and Energy Not Captured per a day in this month. The sum of Energy Output and Energy Not Captured is the Solar Energy Generation available per a day in this month.
Step 6 If you consider that the Solar Energy Generation values acceptable for you, then this PORTABLE All-in-one 500W SOLAR POWER SYSTEM meets your demands. Too much, too little power? Take a look at one of our other products or use website chat for advice.
▼ PORTABLE 500W SOLAR POWER SYSTEM FEATURES
USES 300W FOLDING SOLAR PANEL AS POWER SOURCE. For best results, use the Energian Solar Panels.
RECHARGE 15%–100% WITH 300W FOLDING SOLAR PANEL WITHIN 8-9 HOURS (the actual time of recharging depends on the actual sunlight intensity and panel position).
POWER 10 DEVICES SIMULTANEOUSLY UP TO 500W IN TOTAL The 500W Solar Generator includes 2x 230V AC mains style sockets, 4x 5V DC USB-A ports, and 4x DС5521 12VDC, 1A ports,. With up to 10 devices running, you will always feel right at home.
BUILT-IN UPS FUNCTION The kit includes an uninterruptible power supply unit, which means it can automatically power your devices without shutting off even during a power outage.
INCLUDES DSP INTELLIGENT CONTROL CHIPSET & FAULT CODE DISPLAY TO MONITOR REAL-TIME WORK CONDITIONS Process monitoring and fault diagnosis are a vital part of this innovative and modern automatic control system.
3 WORKING MODES:
AC PRIORITY MODE – All AC devices plugged into the Solar Generator are powered from the mains; the battery is charging at the same time; if the mains fail, the power is switched to the battery; switching time is less than 4ms.
ENERGY SAVING MODE – Suitable for variable loads such as laptops; if the total load drops below 10% of the rated load, AC power is automatically turned off; if the load restores to > 10%, AC power will be restarted.
BATTERY PRIORITY MODE – All AC loads connected to the Solar Generator are powered from the battery; if the battery is fully discharged, the power is switched to the mains.
FREE NEXT WORKING DAY DELIVERY within the UK (longer to the Highlands, islands and Northern Ireland) if ordered by 14:00 on a weekday.
▼ PORTABLE 500W SOLAR POWER SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
Main components:
500W Solar Generator including:
PWM Solar Controller 12V 30A, Efficiency > 85%;
LiFePO4 Battery 998Wh (12.8V 78Ah), >2000 Cycles;
Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V 500W; and
1 x 300W Folding Solar Panel.
Input:
Maximum power of solar input: 300 – 420W 15-44V DC;
Maximum power of AC input: 500W 220-240VAC (50Hz)
Note: Simultaneous AC input + Solar input not exceed 420W.
Output:
AC Socket (*2), 220VAC+/-2% (Battery Mode) 220VAC+/-10% (AC Mode) 500W max per socket;
USB-A port (*4), 5V, 1A, 5W Max per port 20W in total;
DC5521 port (*4), 12V, 1A, 60W Max per port 240W in total;
Note: Simultaneous AC + DC output cannot exceed 500W.
Working Temperature:
Operating: -10~40℃
Storage: -25~60℃
Dimensions and Weight (without solar panels):
Product Size: 43cm*20cm*45cm
Product Weight: 20.9kg
Package Size: 51cm*26cm*57cm
Package Weight: 27.4kg
Certification: CE/ROHS
▼PORTABLE 500W SOLAR POWER SYSTEM IN THE BOX
500W Solar Generator X 1
MC4 to Anderson Plug Solar PV Cable X 1
AC Charging Cable X 1
User Manual X 1
300W Folding Solar Panel.
▼ PORTABLE 500W SOLAR POWER SYSTEM FAQ
Don’t see an answer to your question? Call us on 020 8064 0335 or email [email protected].
500W SOLAR GENERATOR’s BATTERY
1. WHAT IS THE BATTERY CAPACITY OF THE 500W SOLAR GENERATOR?
The 500W Solar Generator has a LiFePo4 battery capacity of 998Wh (78Ah @ 12.8V). Lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) offer lots of benefits compared to other lithium batteries. These include a longer life span, no maintenance, extremely safe, improved discharge and charge efficiency, just to name a few. LiFePO4 batteries are not the cheapest in the market, but due to their long life span and zero maintenance, they offer industry leading lifetime costs of ownership. Lithium iron phosphate batteries are specially developed to handle high discharge currents. You can easily use several electrical devices at the same time in your travel.
2. WHAT IS THE LIFESPAN OF THE BATTERY?
500W Solar Generator’s LiFePO4 battery is designed for >2000 cycles, which means a 10+ years lifespan.
3. HOW CAN I GET THE LONGEST LIFESPAN FROM THE BATTERY?
1. Keep it within 20–30°C (68–86°F) and away from water and heat.
2. For safety reasons, do not store 500W Solar Generator above 45°C (113°F) or below −10°C (−14°F) for extended periods.
3. LiFePO4 batteries should be “topped off” after each use. For greatest longevity, we recommend not fully discharging the battery nor overcharging by leaving it connected to a charger well beyond its full charge cycle. Remember that over the long term, the battery has a limited number of charge and discharge cycles with “one cycle” being either a complete charge and discharge cycle, or partial charges/discharges that add up to a full cycle.
4. LiFePO4 batteries can be discharged up to 100% of their capacity. However, to optimise the performance of your LiFePO4 battery, achieve a higher life cycle, and to avoid the BMS disconnecting the battery, we recommend limiting the discharge to 80%.
4. WHAT ARE THE BATTERY CARE AND STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS?
1. Recommended storage temperature: -5 to +35°C. Storage up to 1 month: -20 to +60°C. Storage up to 3 months: -10 to +35°C.
2. It is recommended to store LiFePO4 batteries indoors when not in use. It is also recommended to store LiFePO4 batteries at about a 50% state of charge (SOC). If batteries are stored for long periods of time, cycle the batteries at least once every 6 months. Do not store batteries that are discharged.
3. Disconnect a LiFePO4 battery from mains or solar charging panels before placing it into storage. LiFePO4 batteries have a low self-discharge rate of 2% a month. To prevent a higher rate of discharge, we recommend disconnecting all power drawn from your batteries. When you store LiFePO4 batteries, it is important that you store them with a state of charge (SOC) of approximately 50%.
5. CAN 500W SOLAR GENERATOR USE AN EXTRA BATTERY?
500W Solar Generator doesn’t support extra batteries.
6. WHEN TO CHARGE MY LIFEPO4 BATTERY?
If LiFePO4 batteries are not fully discharged, they do not need to be charged after each use. LiFePO4 batteries are not damaged when left in a partial state of charge (PSOC). You can charge your LiFePO4 batteries after each use or when they have been discharged up to 80% DOD (20% SOC). If the Battery Management System (BMS) disconnects the battery due to low voltage (less than 8V), remove the load and charge immediately. Please note that we recommend storing battery at 50% state of charge (SoC) to minimise irreversible capacity loss.
500W SOLAR GENERATOR’s PWM SOLAR CONTROLLER
1. WHAT IS A PWM SOLAR CONTROLLER?
The solar charge controller is used to regulate the battery charging and discharging process in the solar panel/battery system. Its main function is to control the charging current flowing from the PV panel to the battery, and keep the current at the right level to prevent the battery pack from overcharging.
There are two types of solar controllers: MPPT solar controller and PWM solar controller. MPPT stands for Maximum Power Point Tracking, which is a technology to track and regulate the output energy from solar panels to batteries. PWM stands for Pulse Width Modulation, a technology that modulates the pulse width under specific rules to change the voltage and frequency of the solar panel’s output energy to charge the battery. MPPT controllers offer higher efficiency rates, and 3-stage charging that extends battery life, but are more expensive; while the PWM controllers have a simple structure, mature and reliable technology, are cheap and cost-effective, but the conversion rate is lower than that of MPPT pairs.
2. HOW DOES A PWM CONTROLLER WORK?
PWM controllers work by slowly reducing the amount of power going into your battery as it approaches capacity. When your battery is full, PWM controllers maintain a state of “trickle”, which means they supply a tiny amount of power constantly to keep the battery topped off. They are especially suited for lithium-iron-phosphate batteries as once fully charged the controller then stays at the set float or holding voltage of around 13.6V (3.4V per cell) for the remainder of the day.
3. IS A PWM CONTROLLER RIGHT FOR ME?
A PWM charge controller is a good low-cost solution for small systems, when solar cell temperature is moderate to high (between 45°C and 75°C). To fully exploit the potential of an MPPT controller, the array voltage should be substantially higher than the battery voltage.
4. WHAT ARE THE MAIN SPECIFICATIONS OF 5000W SOLAR GENERATOR’s PWM SOLAR CONTROLLER?
Voltage and amperage (or current) are the main parameters we use in solar charge controller sizing. The solar controller must be capable of accepting the voltage and current produced by solar panels and delivering the proper voltage and current to the battery.
Charging mode: SMART controller
Max PV input voltage @25°C: 50V
PV input voltage range: 15-44V DC
Charge and discharge current: 30A
Max PV input power: 420W
500W SOLAR GENERATOR CHARGING
1. HOW CAN I CHARGE 500W SOLAR GENERATOR? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CHARGE MY 500W SOLAR GENERATOR?
The 500W Solar Generator supports two charging methods: basic solar charging and reserve mains charging:
Basic solar charging
Solar charging input: 300-420W 15-44V DC, max charging current 30A
Reserve mains charging
AC charging input: 500W 220-240VAC (50Hz)
2. WHAT TO DO IF CHARGING POWER IS LOW?
1. If the temperature is too high, turn off the 500W Solar Generator or stop the load, and let the Solar Generator cool down for some time
2. If the temperature is too low, place the Solar Generator in a place with high surrounding temperature or with electrical appliances to discharge for a while, let the battery heat up before charging.
3. The charging power of the Solar Generator is related to the SoC of the battery. When the machine starts charging from 0% or is about to be fully charged, it is normal that the charging power gets lower.
3. IS IT POSSIBLE TO USE OTHER PRODUCTS TO CHARGE 500W SOLAR POWER GENERATOR?
No, you can only charge using the mains, campsite hookup and/or solar panels.
4. THE 500W SOLAR GENERATOR CANNOT TURN ON?
1. Check if it is caused by low battery. If it is, charge and turn it on again. If the charging fails, please follow the instructions on charging failures.
2. If there is no response after you press the Power Button for 1 second, please contact Energian Customer Service.
5. WHAT TO DO IF NO CHARGING OCCURS?
Possible causes:
1. The charge temperature is too high. The charge temperature of 500W Solar Generator is between 0℃ and 45℃. If you have used 500W Solar Generator with high wattage appliances for a long time, please charge it after it cools down.
2. The charge temperature is too low. The charge temperature of 500W Solar Generator is between 0℃ and 45℃. If the ambient temperature is too low and the cell temperature is lower than 0℃, please move 500W Solar Generator to a warmer place.
3. The charging voltage or current is too low. Please charge the device according to the charging standard specified in Question 1.
4. Change the charging method or cable. For example, if solar charging doesn’t work, it can mean that the solar panel or MC4 cable is broken. You can try charging 500W Solar Generator again with another MC4 cable or solar panel.
5. If all the above solutions cannot solve your problem, please contact Energian Customer Service and provide a video of your charging problem.
500W SOLAR GENERATOR OUTPUT
1. WHAT ARE 500W SOLAR GENERATOR OUTPUTS?
500W Solar Generator supports:
2x AC output 220VAC+/-2% (Battery Mode) 220VAC+/-10% (AC Mode) 500W max per socket; efficiency >90% (Battery Mode), >99% (AC Mode) output;
4x USB-A 5V DC 1A output 20W in total;
4x DC5521 12V DC 5A output 240W in total.
Note: Simultaneous AC output + DC load must not exceed 500W!
2. IS 100% PURE SINE WAVE USED IN THE 500W SOLAR GENERATOR OUTPUT?
Yes, the 500W Solar Generator has pure sine wave AC output, but it contains a certain ratio of harmonics. The harmonic rate of 500W Solar Generator is as low as 3%.
3. WHAT ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES ARE SUPPORTED BY 500W SOLAR GENERATOR?
500W Solar Generator supports all appliances which have a rated power within the standard 500W Solar Generator output power range of 500W. You can find the appliance rated power in the user manual or on the nameplate, or it can be calculated according to the formula W=U*I (rated voltage multiplied by rated current). Note that since the start-up power and continuous power of different products brands are different, it depends on the actual measurement to determine whether it can be supported.
4. WHAT TO DO IF 500W SOLAR GENERATOR CANNOT POWER ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES?
1. First, please check whether the output power of 500W Solar Generator can meet the power requirements of your appliances.
2. In case of an alarm code on the LCD screen, take action as described in the User Manual (Section 7) for this code.
5. WHAT TO DO IF THE USAGE TIME OF AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE IS TOO SHORT?
Check if there are any high-power electrical appliances connected. 500W Solar Generator’s battery capacity is 998Wh. Normally, if the power of connected electrical appliances is ~0.4kW and the battery is discharged from 100% to 20%, inverter efficiency in battery mode 90%, then the 500W Solar Generator’s battery will run out in about 0.998kWh * 0.8 * 0.9 / 0.4kW = ~1.8 hours.
6. WHAT TO DO IF NO OUTPUT OF USB-A PORTS OCCURS?
1. Change to a different USB-A port, and confirm whether it is just the problem of a single port.
2. Replace the USB cable to check whether the cable is faulty
3. If there is no output from the USB port after checking the above methods, provide a video explaining the fault and contact Energian Customer Service service
500W SOLAR GENERATOR SOLAR CHARGING
1. WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM SOLAR CHARGING INPUT TO 500W SOLAR GENERATOR?
Solar charging input 300-420W 15-44V DC 30A (maximum)
2. HOW QUICKLY WILL YOUR 300W SOLAR PANEL CHARGE THE 500W SOLAR GENERATOR’s 78Ah BATTERY?
Our 300W solar panel generates a maximum current of 11.1 at STC (solar irradiance is 1000W/m2 @ 25°C). However actual solar irradiance differs from the STC significantly for various UK locations (see Fig. b). For the UK a maximum solar irradiance in observed from May to July. For example, in London May-July’s monthly solar irradiance is approx. 142 kWh/m2. If the actual daily sunshine hours in London were used in May-July for the period 2015-2021 (see here), then the average actual solar irradiance in London was 759 W/m2 in May, 853 W/m2 in June, and 740 W/m2, respectively. The average value is 784 W/m2. These data are approximate because they do not account for variations between sunny and cloudy days.
