Budget-Friendly Solar Generator Setup - What Can It Power?

[@footprinthero]

Who wants to see a $1000 setup video? 😄 Watch the $250 setup video here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e33Vgpitfd2doJI

[@stevenpgrey1370]

I'm really interested in seeing a $750 and $1000 setup, and which price point is most cost effective.

[@Northidahoshorts]

I just made a comment on your last video. Wondering what the cheapest possible setup could be ordering everything on amazon (Battery Bank, Solar Panels, Charger, Cables ETC) If you could do a breakdown that would be amazing. I'm interested in implementing something like that in my home in the future. However have no knowledge of solar ATM. Just started watching your channel.

[@CarlosARodriguezF]

YES!!

[@Blue_Doge]

@@Northidahoshorts a AAA battery I guess lol

[@Psythik]

I'm more interested in seeing a "what it takes to power your entire house" kind of video. Or at least the most expensive appliances, like HVAC and the dryer. So maybe a "How much do you need to spend to cut your power bill in half" video? Or a "how long do you need to own a solar setup before it pays for itself" video. Any of these would be more interesting than a "$1000 setup video". I'll save you the effort: it'll be more of the same, except that now you can power stuff for twice as long! *Boring.*

[@TheVilivan]

I appreciate you showing what it means to wire things in series vs parallel, it's cool to learn something like that!

[@bradleyb10]

Was about to fall asleep but I guess I'll watch this first

[@Sirrichz28]

Well in a zombie Apocalypse or nuclear war at least you'll understand how not to overload a power station 😁

[@leeinwis]

@@Sirrichz28 Laugh but the national debt is not sustainable , a collapse is coming , aka the great depression part ll .

[@Savemeee3]

I watch videos like this to take naps. I can’t sleep otherwise

[@Sirrichz28]

@leeinwis Good point, when most of the population turn zombies, there's nobody to go to work so uh yeah the dept will increase, which may also have an affect on generator loads.... HUH? Yep same thing I said🤣

[@partyrocket859]

Literally me at midnight when I need to leave for work at 6am.

[@boundlesslimits]

reason your hot plate was using the same power in every setting is because the spiral does not have a "low power" mode and the device does not have the ability to convert electricity into lower voltages. instead it switches the entire hotplate on and off at a low interval to reach a certain amount of heat generation.

[@Stormtracker440]

Very good video. I have 2 Bluetti solar generators, one like that one you showed here and another similar 500 watt solar generator from earlier in 2023 version plus two 100 watt larger foldable solar panels with connections [one solar panel for each solar generator]. I sure learned a lot from this video of yours and will get all of those cables including a few "Y" solar cable connectors and 2 solar cable extensions. That part of the video you had on how to wired 2 solar generators "parrallel" and/or "in series" really was something totally excellent that I never heard of until I watched your video! I sure learned something new today. Thanks.

[@SofiaisSunshine]

For just a little bit more money, you can get the Pecron E 1500 LFP which is 1500 watt hours with a 1500 watt inverter and 4000 W surge for $588 The bluetti AC 180 is $459 for 1000 watt hours The DJI 1000 is like $390 on Amazon Get the biggest power unit you can right now why it’s on sale and get the panels later

[@scherzomazeppa726]

Get a power station over 3000 mWh and get a 30% tax credit from the IRS. It makes buying a 5k mWh just a little more than a 3000 or 2000 one. With tax credit, my 5040 mWh comes out to 1,400. A little more for solar panels (that get the credit too).

[@LilRedDog]

"Get the biggest power unit you can right now why it’s on sale and get the panels later" Yes! Wait for tariffs on solar panels!! SMH.

[@SofiaisSunshine]

@ they both will have tariffs big guy. Smh Panels will have a greater increase than lipo? I can get used panels all day long No way I want a used power station

[@SofiaisSunshine]

@ I wasnt sure if all brands and homeowner installed systems were included in that tax inventive. Its really not clear.

[@seasaw40]

​@scherzomazeppa726 Hey there, is there any determining factor to receive the tax credit? Such as professional installation through a certified vendor or something similar, or can you just fill out a form and file it alongside deductions? I am super interested in this approach with tax rebates since I now own a trailer home, and am looking to do a rebate for energy efficient windows come 2026's taxes after I get them done this upcoming year. Any info helps, thank you!

[@Ben610]

Could you please test an electric blanket with these batteries too? It would be good to know if I could use this setup for emergency power outages to stay warm.

[@VladiVlog]

just check what the blanket demands in terms of watts/volts/amps

[@BitsOfEternity]

I believe the way the microwave works is that on power 1, it just runs the motor that rotates the platter upon which the food rests, and it may have a vent fan running, for 90 % of the time, but 10% of the time, the microwave generator kicks in. On power 2, that would be 20% of the time on, 80% off, etc. That would explain why there was a low power reading, and then a spike that the generator can't handle. I am considering putting together a setup for high powered tools, like for my table saw, but the generator has to be able to handle the initial spike that is there when the device is turned on. With a fridge, it doesn't draw a lot of power unless the compressor is on, so the readings you had may not have been representative, if you didn't leave it on long enough to have the compressor kick in. Still, with a fridge, I doubt the compressor kicking in would cause the generator to fail. A table saw, or a shop vac, or anything like that, with an initial spike when the motor first engages, that's going to be a tough thing to power - I'm sure a lot of research will be required to find a suitable setup...

[@chaon93]

Adding on, Panasonic (and I'm sure others now) sell an "Inverter Microwave" that has true power stepping instead of using burst management.

[@FionSus]

Air conditioners take a little while to get up to max load. Typically the fans will turn on, but it won't be pulling serious watts until the compressor kicks in (usually a minute or so after the fans kick on). The compressor turns on and off repeatedly throughout the duty cycle, and when it kicks on, that's when you're putting the heaviest load on the circuit.

[@magesalmanac6424]

I’ve learned more about household appliances from these comments than at any other point in my life 😆

[@Ihatesrael]

I really like your presentation in this video, I'm tempted to get a setup with all the Black Friday deals

[@desupernoodle]

I've seen some great deals and would definitely recommend you buy a setup like this. Even a small setup that can run a fridge or some lights is nice during a power outage.

[@largotokyo6286]

Honestly the best time for these sort of products. If you watch it, they generally go to 50% off for a few days or even a week.

[@millenium2003]

Send me one of those bro

[@kenyonegbert1125]

Can you do a video on the EcoFlow Delta series? Considering getting one but want to make sure it's a good investment. I love your clear and comprehensive breakdowns man, keep up the good work

[@stevejohnson6248]

I grabbed a River 2 with a 45w portable panel for $189 from Amazon. Seemed like a good deal. I can grab a bigger panel at a later time.

[@mackychloe]

Bargain.

[@longviewtradesman6608]

Thanks for the video! I think the “power lifting mode” actually just lowers the output “voltage.” so it can technically run conductive things at like 100-110 volts or something. so it could damage something with electronic control chips inside or other sensitive electronics.

[@Turennegaetan]

Exactly. It's very similar to Xboost in Ecoflow power station(when enabled sets voltage to 80VAC to run higher wattage appliances at a lower rate). It is recommended to use only with resistive load(heater, heat gun, electric stove, hair dryer, etc).

[@KristoffLam]

Super interested in solar charging! I hope i can get into it soon!

[@leeinwis]

A 100 watt panel will get you 50w average for 5 hours on a "perfect" summer day ..kinda sucks.

[@tonyromano8337]

Could you test some aliexpress pure sine inverters ?? That would be interesting as a video 👍

[@ib516]

Power lifting lowers the voltage output to limit total power output (in watts). This can damage some appliances like AC & microwaves.

[@sebastianschrader2822]

Exactly. I was worried about his AC and micro. A fridge shouldn't run with power lifting either. Only heaters and conventional cooking devices can use this mode safely. Anything with a motor or compressor will go wild and possibly break.

[@agusmercado688]

I’ve been waiting for bluetti to make a more affordable option but I didn’t think it would be this cheap and this good

[@JohnnyThomas-ps6mp]

That TV uses 160 watts?!? Is it OLED? My 43" LCD TV uses about 45 watts. That's awesome that tiny power station can handle your refrigerators compressor startup surge!

[@TheNewMediaoftheDawn]

Pretty cool for a small 500 watt setup, exciting tech…💥

[@budmartin3344]

The solar panel does not come with the fuse, the spc suggests that you can install your own fuse with fuse rating up to 15A. BTW, the Bluetti inverter will darw about 15W of power when it is on and no AC load connected, so you need to factor that into calculated the run time. 8:07 that is normal for PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater to draw high current when power is first applied, as it is heated up the resistance will go up so the less current will be flowing thus less power darw. Do not use Power LIfting mode on sensitive electronics equipment, it is only good for resistive Loads.

[@mxrider887]

How do these setups work in heat and cold for setup in a shed? In the teens in winter and 95-100F in summer?

[@Pablo-t6q7h]

Wow $500 will get you a really comfortable set up

[@lowbarb]

Yes!! I am looking forward to the high end of 1000-3000. I plan to move to a rural area with half an acre of flat land and a lot of sun so want to see if I can power stuff.

[@gmosc]

Good job. Nice simple looking presentation, but obviously was more complex than it seems. Showing the basic numbers (watts then run time) is very useful.

[@jovanilic8712]

So could you use this as a way to save money on power by running solar and grid at the same time, by going through the power station. Or is the power loss greater than the solar input.

[@mobiusone142]

just saw the EcoFlow Delta 2 on sale again for $399 earlier today, $699 with a panel. For perspective, we bought 2 of them with one 220w panels included in each's price over the past year and a half at $900 and $850, so that is a full 150 cheaper even with the same panel. These things are great for the price and the app is pretty neat.

[@CampBoulder]

Our old nemesis…the blender 😂

[@leeinwis]

Try a AC unit

[@worldsails2000]

Your microwave spiked because when you reduce the power setting it doesn't lower the cook temperature like a stove top would it just intermittently turns on and off the electromagnetic waves. They are still blasting at full level, just not as often.

[@pc-bh2in]

Thanks for doing this video Alex. I'm very new to power station and solar panel and have one question please. I just bought a "BLUETTI EB70" with a recommended "BLUETTI MP200 Solar Panel". The cable is said to be "MC4 cable". Does your "Solar extension cable" in your provided link work with the power station and solar panels I just bought? Thanks in advance Alex.

[@AssettoVerbs]

Just worked 15hrs drove 2hrs home but i think ill watch this before bed 😅

[@LovesDaSun]

FYI, a 1200W microwave is the "cooking power" not the power consumption, they usually pull a LOT more power on start up and will always pull the max power regardless of power level, unless you have an "inverter" microwave (i think thats the term, only 1 brand does it & then the power levels do change to consumption). I have a "900w" microwave (the smallest I could find in my budget) and it pulls 1200-1300 watts on my AC180 which is rated for 1800w. Check the power levels on the box or on the back of devices

[@Annon89]

Depending on your solar input you could potentially run 3 panels to get closer to 200w. Will this limit the current to 200w or will it shut off if you push more than 200w into it with panels?

[@jjames5475]

Can you do a Video .. " HOW LONG CAN YOU RUN A SPACE HEATER " .. Thank You 👍

[@darkhawk123]

Can you charge it with solar and use it at the same time?

[@stinkymotor]

Whats the smallest or cheapest PowerStation that has an expandable battery option TY

[@shad8369]

I like your video it’s full of information 👍

[@rhiantaylor3446]

If 2 PV panels gave 133 w charge, you could have run all three in parallel and charged at 199.5 watts. You will not overload the bluetti with more panels it just wont draw more than 200w from them.

[@stan4d1969]

Using the branch connectors, your voltage is good... but aren't you exceeding the amperage input? Each panel is 5.5 amps, times two is 11 amps which is more than the 8.5 amp input on the Bluetti. Am I missing something?

[@iraimito850]

I guess it is that what the max amperage power station can pull. The amperage (if no one pulling it) will stay 0.

[@iiinsaiii]

Running any heat element of a solar generator sucks the power out of the unit so fast. The reason why I use a different way to heat up my home in power outages. I use two Mr Buddy flex heater. I use a propane oil adapter that connects to the heater and a propane hose that to a 20lb propane tank. I have run the heater on low for up to four days and on low it keeps my house nice and toasty. Mr buddy flex 14:18 heaters is safe for indoors, plus I have three carbon monoxide detectors just in case. One on every floor. The reason I use propane is because I can use it for heat, cooking or running my dual fuel generator. With all those uses, you better have a good stock of propane. Let’s just say, I have way more than what my wife thinks I have. Hey, you never know 🤷‍♂️

[@MikeBarbarossa]

The 750 wh Bluetti with 100 watt solar panel is on sale $510 black friday

[@paullinkins8121]

Microwaves -- most of them on lower settings will cycle between full power and no power. A 1000 watt unit set on 25% will run for about 8 seconds on full 1000 W then 24 seconds of no power, then repeat.

[@dudem0n]

Been really enjoying these! Tempted to figure out how to make something like this work on my apartment roof😅. Keep it coming!

[@alekkryz]

you must own a lot of solar panels and batteries. Have you thought of doing wind power?

[@randymurray934]

This is great, this is the kind of information that i needed on Solar Panels and Generators. Yes $1000 dollar setup next! :-)

[@PCCenterNetworkSolution]

500usd for 440wh, too expensive...

[@Kidthatlikestech]

$40 for an XT60 connector and solar connectors is insane

[@Nicholas-f5]

Too much

[@rage801]

I don't understand why people are buying these battery power stations. I bought two solar panels, a giant 300ah lithium battery, a solar charge controller and I already had a 3,000 watt inverter that I never use and hooked it up and I can literally run everything in my house for a lot longer. I was into it about this much money. If you can get a bigger battery bank it will get you through the night so in the daytime it's charging back up but this power station you have here would be wiped out overnight

[@davidrenfroe4302]

Did you spend under $500 though?

[@davidrenfroe4302]

Not including the 3000w inverter

[@tonytajine]

Hello, please help!!! is there any way to connect a ''DC1-24V High-End Portable Micro Wind Turbine'' to charge this power station ?

[@martinheyerdahl9147]

This is amazing content. I am grateful! Thank you for sharing!

[@Raym17]

Great work this video was awesome!

[@diamondknight1530]

Make another one. love these.

[@semexdaniel45]

It's good u came up with another solar budget video

[@vevenaneathna]

rigid panels are a lot better.... but you can get 8x 100w panels for 267 bucks shipped right now with blkfriday coupons, thats about 31 usd each. crazy

[@rajnelsami9987]

I want this and I'm in Fiji islands

[@jimbo5635]

28 volt max in on solar controller is really low. I would like to see at least 60.

[@donaldgray2501]

I'm thinking about using a solar power setup like this to run grow lights in a greenhouse. My question is would this be suitable to do so?

[@mackychloe]

Depends how much light, fans, heater you're running.

[@IAmWithinEverything]

Thank you

[@jasonfortress9027]

No testing on gaming pc?

[@RarHm]

There is absolutely no reason for a fuse with a 100watt solar panel... Where did you get that info?

[@bignamehusband3327]

Must watch!! Most useful info on the net.

[@uldNdN70]

700 watts means you shouldn't power anything more than 700 watts. That 700 watts will only last 1 hour if your running at full power. Also, I think using Ohms Law you can easily figure our the amperage (which gives your electrons push) and the appliances you want to run so you don't overload and possibly burn out the solar battery/generator 🙂

[@MrThenarsky]

I would love to see a $1000 setup. As for the value, I would say that the $500 setting is a much better value because it is far more capable. You are just way too limited in what you can do with the $250. While it's feasible, it's not practical.

[@dolorlux4612]

Fun watching a video of a man with complete disregard for all his home appliances.

[@ftlfx]

I would love to see a setup that can run a 10000BTU AC unit for at least 4 hours.

[@mackychloe]

Great content as usual. Thanks.

[@Psythik]

9:27 The only thing the heat setting does is determine how long the burner stays on for. A lower setting does not mean less wattage. Electric stovetop burners always output their maximum power, no matter the temperature setting you pick. Setting it lower simply means that the burner will cycle off for longer before clicking on again to maintain temperature. *Edit:* Same thing applies to microwaves. Even on the lowest setting, the magnetron still runs at full power. It just runs less often. You *really* should do more research on how this stuff works before making a video like this. I would start with binging the Technology Connections channel.

[@twooey8232]

Changing the heat setting won't do anything. Thats a thermostat, how hot it will make the room. The higher setting would have increased the wattage.

[@eugen-m]

I wonder why Victron doesn't have such mobile solutions?

[@andrievbastichy8551]

i was laughing when he tried the high usage appliances. just get a mega 1 from oupes.. its 2000w out. im testing it right now and i have 2 fridges and a air fryer running full tilt. 1 of the fridges is a relic..the other is 3 yrs old. (like 1500w when they start up then run at 387w after) when the air fryer was running with the fridges it just sat at 1999w.. never cut out etc.

[@dennischinasen9392]

Thank you 👍🌞

[@jonzo22]

What does it take to run a gaming pc off battery and solar alone?

[@BeefNEggs057]

Your choice run a light bulb or a phone charger. Solar never pays for itself. Maybe if you wasted your time setting this up for 30 years it would but the hardware would fail before it did. You’re saving 10 cents a day. Focus on big stuff like insulation and efficient heating/AC and water heaters first. Those are where 95% of your energy is used. Everything else is pennies per day.

[@annoyedlife]

and you don't hook them up like that anymore.

[@Seaofjitsu]

😊cool

[@BernhardSchwarz-xs8kp]

Stand on your head, pray to the moon, and declare you care for the planet. SOLAR-POWER is available, but NOT A SOLUTION. As long as nobody can close the gap between the time energy is produced and its consumption - we all are barking up the wrong tree, for different reasons so. Money is the driver.

[@elohim660]

3:00

[@elohim660]

0:25

[@elohim660]

15 A fuse rating

[@flipsidezw]

I feel that you need some basic electricity knowledge. Feel free to ask, and I can explain any of the things you didn't.

[@DA-jw6nm]

neither is a good value

[@JH-ot5mn]

uno