Order comes with...
(1) 2400W Solar Generator
(2) AC Chargers
(4) 240W Solar Panels
(2) Y-connectors
(2) 25ft Extension Cables
As with all Joseph’s Kitchen items, we actually tested this unit for a week in several ways. This unit “Will make bread plus a little more.” We are going to start with the weakness of this unit. With four-240-watt panels it is NOT capable of powering a refrigerator on a cloudy day. It will power it on sunny days. It will grind wheat and bake at least three loaves daily from a full charge assuming full sun. It will easily, even with partly cloudy sun provide all the power you need to make bread, charge cell phones and run one 100-watt computer for several hours daily.
The output is 2400-watts continuous and 2232Wh storage. The mill draws about 1500 watts for 30 seconds making flour. The bread machine uses 850Wh to bake a loaf so it will grind and bake three loaves a day. In total grinding wheat and baking bread uses about 20% of the storage. A day in full sun charges from zero to 100% while powering other items.
In ideal conditions, a sunny day, moving the solar panels three times to get direct sun, newer more efficient refrigerators it is possible to do all the above plus keep two refrigerators going. This is the “make bread and one maybe two refrigerators unit.
We like it because it is the best of both worlds. Small, light weight compared to other models, but has lots of power and seems to be well built.
4 SOLAR PANELS ESTIMATED RESULTS:
In Texas sun four 240-watt panels generates about 800 watts. The typical days is 6 hours of sun laying flat. If you manually lean the panels toward the sun you can almost double the daily output. The unit receives about 800 watts while charging which gives you enough to power bread, coffee, one refrigerator, computers laptops and phones and still be charged by sundown. Nice. On a cloudy day it generates almost nothing.
Don’t make a mistake. Most competing solar generators are packaged for the company to make money never mind it won’t do the job once you get it. Most are selling a low price. Most don’t include enough solar panels to give it the power you need. Solar panels, solar panels and more solar panels is what you need more so than storage! Most try to sell you on big storage. Remember the POWER is in the PANELS not the battery! This unit has TWICE the solar panel capacity of most competing units. You will be glad you got this one! You will be glad you got this one. Yes, I did say that twice.
The average refrigerator uses about 2,400 watts in 24 hours. I made 6 cups of coffee and it used 1200 Wh 14 cups used 3,000 Wh. Which means in full sun this unit will power a refrigerator for 24 hours. Make coffee and more. But on a cloudy day you might have a warm refrigerator. Keeping in mind a cold fridge may go several hours without reaching dangerous warm temperatures.
CAUTION:
Do NOT let the battery run down to Zero with a Freezer/Fridge attached as it appears to have ruined the motor on one fridge. No fault of the solar generator. The fridge didn’t like low power.
CHARGING:
These are LiFePo4 batteries [good ones] which can discharge to zero with over 2,500 charging cycles, but no battery likes to go to zero it shortens their life. Try not to go below 20%. Charging from 80 to 100% is very slow. Smart users try to use storage from 20% to 80%. The panels are water resistant, but the unit is NOT.
I used 50 ft MC4 cables with adapters to keep the unit in the house and panels in the yard.
SUMMARY:
We love this unit! It is small enough for anyone to carry. It is marvelous for making bread, running a refrigerator, charging phones, laptops and a desktop computer. You will absolutely love it!
It comes with two wall-chargers to charge it in under three hours. It may be used as a computer battery backup as long as the output is no more than the 400-watts.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
We recommend this unit. You will love it!
