I ordered this on the Friday before Hurricane Ian hit as soon as I saw it heading our way. This was the only affordable 200W portable panel I could get delivered in time and with mixed reviews I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. We ended up not having mains power for 8 days after Hurricane Ian and this panel pulled in over 1KWh in total daily on sunny days, so it helped keep things running with minimal gas generator usage.
The weight is clearly listed, but it does feel a lot heavier than it looks. On one hand it would be too heavy to take on walks/hikes, but the weight does give some confidence in the quality and helps to stop it blowing over.
I coupled this with a Bluetti EB3A, knowing it also has a 8.3 amp solar input max. This limits the theoretical power from this 18V panel at 150W. On clear sunny days with the panels cool, I saw just over 140W on the input, so that was close. When the panels naturally got hot as they do in the sun, the input was around 130W and it stayed around there for about 9 hours on clear days, which leads me to think that current max on the Bluetti unit was the limiting factor. On cloudy days the input dropped to around 20-30W, which was to be expected. The panel rating is almost impossible to achieve outside of a lab regardless of the panels, so I was generally pleased with the performance.
I set this up and pulled it down daily for the week after the hurricane, also moving it around about 4 times a day to keep it roughly pointed at the sun, using the built in stands. It is a little floppy getting it set up, but it was stable and never fell down even though it was breezy on several days. During 8 days, it folded one panel on itself once after a strong gust and that only halved the power, so I think the panels are wired in parallel. Even with other shadows the panels still put out some power.
After over a week of constant use and daily setup it still looks brand new. Nothing looks like it is about to tear, etc. I also like the accessories, which included the correct DC barrel for the Bluetti, and having MC4 for the most robust connections.
About my only complaint besides the weight for a portable panel is one of the MC4 connectors seems too tight and even with an MC4 tool it was extremely difficult to detach. All my other MC4 connectors are fine and looks like just this one was a little off on the molding. I’m using a mix of SAE and DC for quick disconnects anyway, so it is not too much of a hassle.
| Brand | ALLPOWERS |
|---|---|
| Material | Nylon |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 25.6 x 20.3 x 2.4 inches |
| Item Weight | 13.9 Pounds |
| Efficiency | 22% |
| Connector Type | Usb |
| Included Components | Charger |
| Amperage Capacity | 25 Amps |
| Maximum Voltage | 18 Volts |
| Maximum Power | 200 Watts |
| Manufacturer | ALLPOWERS |
| Part Number | AP-SP-033 |
| Item Weight | 13.9 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 25.6 x 20.3 x 2.4 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | AP-SP-033 |
| Size | 25.6*20.3*2.4inch |
| Wattage | 200 watts |
| Batteries Required? | No |
