How these portable solar panels are saving me $30 a month - and what else to know

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The EcoFlow 125W bifacial star panels outgo $899 for a four-pack.
• They're portable panels that you tin instrumentality with you oregon acceptable up temporarily without construction, with casual setup, and lightweight construction
• Though portable, these bifacial star panels consciousness precise fragile, truthful they indispensable beryllium weighed down if conditions are windy; their debased 125W input besides limits their capacity.

I spot much hurricanes successful a twelvemonth than I'd like, truthful I guarantee my location is prepared to upwind each tempest and its imaginable consequences. We get a fistful of powerfulness outages yearly, truthful I person a whole-home artillery backup system and support respective portable batteries astir the house. I besides instrumentality these portable batteries erstwhile camping, truthful I was anxious to trial the EcoFlow 500W modular star sheet system. 

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There's a batch to similar astir these bifacial star panels. They're portable and lightweight, lone 9 lbs each, yet they're rigid, dissimilar different portable panels. These EcoFlow panels person an aluminum framework and a tempered solid layer, truthful they're not the pliable star panels you're utilized to seeing connected camping trips, though they are suited for camping. 

Since I haven't been camping successful the past mates of months, I've tested these panels successful antithetic parts of my location to spot however casual they are to usage and relocate. 

The panels' bifacial quality means they payment from a reflective surface, truthful I initially acceptable them up connected the extortion of my sunroom, which is wholly white. The unreserved of harnessing the sun's vigor truthful rapidly connected the achromatic extortion had maine looking for antithetic portable batteries to recharge the panels wrong a fewer minutes of afloat charging the EcoFlow Delta Plus 3.

Later, I moved the panels to the backyard to recharge the Delta Pro Ultra successful my store and utilized them to trial respective batteries, including the caller Anker Solix F3800 Plus. The tech is arsenic palmy arsenic you'd expect from 125W star panels and delivered arsenic promised, charging my Delta Pro 3, River 3, and River Plus 3. 

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Even if moving a location backup strategy during an outage relieves immoderate of the stress, you inactive person the added strain of however agelong the artillery volition past amid the uncertainty of erstwhile powerfulness volition beryllium restored. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

I person an EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2 and a Delta Pro Ultra for my location backup system. As almighty arsenic this artillery is, we had to recharge it connected an EV charger during 1 of the extended powerfulness outages we suffered past year. Knowing you tin whip retired these modular panels to recharge your portable batteries rapidly during a powerfulness outage helps relieve uncertainty. 

We're facing unsettled macroeconomic times, truthful I've been looking for ways to prevention arsenic overmuch wealth arsenic imaginable astatine home, but I'm not prepared to put successful installing a implicit star sheet system. 

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I strategically utilized these star panels to recharge my DPU with star energy. Then, I discharged the artillery during the highest hours of the day, erstwhile our energy rates were highest, which helped maine prevention $7 connected my powerfulness measure successful conscionable 1 week. This redeeming would astir construe into $30 a period utilizing the panels to complaint a artillery for a fewer hours daily.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The strategy is modular, meaning you tin link up to 8 EcoFlow star panels successful parallel for a larger capacity. But however overmuch you tin prevention connected your inferior measure volition beryllium connected usage, sunlight, and position.

While $30 a period whitethorn not dependable similar a immense magnitude of wealth compared to the $900 up-front outgo of the star panels, it's worthy remembering that backyard usage isn't the main intent of the EcoFlow 125W bifacial panels. These panels are meant to enactment arsenic a portable solution to harness star powerfulness erstwhile you're retired camping oregon RVing, oregon adjacent successful an exigency powerfulness outage, to recharge your backup power. 

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Though the EcoFlow 125W bifacial panels are rigid capable to enactment extracurricular 24/7, they're not meant to beryllium a imperishable solution. These panels are portable and lightweight, truthful they can't defy almighty winds without falling over. But they're beardown and durable capable to payment you much than your mean flexible, portable star panels.

ZDNET's buying advice

The EcoFlow 125W bifacial modular star panels are conscionable close for campers and adjacent for usage successful an emergency. They're not a imperishable location solution, but being built to past portion inactive being lightweight means you tin support these panels astir successful lawsuit of a powerfulness outage, harnessing star vigor to substance your location backup battery.

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With nary operation oregon permits needed to acceptable them up and a built-in stand, you tin bring the panels retired and enactment them distant arsenic you please. The 2 included bags, each carrying 2 panels, marque proscription easier. The imaginable for getting much usage retired of these EcoFlow star panels than simply taking them on for a camping travel surely makes this acquisition worthwhile.