Technical education and buying guides
Short answer: The five most common mistakes when buying a solar generator are: buying based on rated capacity without accounting for inverter losses, ignoring surge wattage requirements, not checking solar input limits, choosing NMC over LiFePO4 for a long-term use case, and oversizing for simple loads. This guide explains each mistake and how to avoid…
Short answer: A quality solar generator inverter is 90–95% efficient — you lose 5–10% of stored energy converting from battery DC to AC. At light loads (under 10% of rated capacity), efficiency drops to 80–85%. At high loads near the rated maximum, efficiency also drops slightly. The practical impact: size your battery 10–15% larger than…
Short answer: To recharge a 2,000 Wh power station in one day, you need approximately 400–500W of solar panels in good conditions (5 peak sun hours). In practice: one 200W panel fully recharges a 1,000 Wh unit in one sunny day. Two 200W panels handle a 2,000 Wh unit. Actual results vary significantly by location,…
Short answer: Surge wattage (also called peak wattage) is the maximum power a solar generator can deliver for 1–3 seconds to start a motor. It’s 2–3× the continuous output rating. If your solar generator can’t deliver enough surge power, motors won’t start — the unit will trip or fail silently. This number matters more than…
Short answer: LiFePO4 lasts 6–10× longer than NMC. LiFePO4 batteries are rated for 3,000–3,500 cycles; NMC typically 500–1,000 cycles. For home backup where longevity matters, LiFePO4 is the correct choice. For camping where weight is the priority, NMC’s higher energy density (lighter for the same Wh) may justify the shorter lifespan. The Technical Difference LiFePO4…
Short answer: A LiFePO4 solar generator typically lasts 10–15 years with regular use. The battery is rated for 3,000–3,500 cycles to 80% capacity — at one full cycle per day, that’s 8–10 years before capacity drops to 80% of original. The electronics and inverter often outlast the battery. Real-world lifespan depends heavily on how you…
Short answer: A solar generator rated at 2,000 Wh does not deliver 2,000 Wh to your appliances. Inverter losses (5–10%), battery management cutoffs (5–10%), and temperature derating mean real usable capacity is typically 75–85% of the rated figure. A “2,000 Wh” unit realistically delivers 1,500–1,700 Wh under normal conditions. Why Rated Capacity Is Not What…