Owning a solar generator has so many benefits, not only are they great for emergency situations, they are Ecofriendly and are essential if you want to live off grid. With fuel prices skyrocketing and unreliable power resources more people are turning towards solar energy. A solar power generator could be a life-saver when it comes to keeping your household up and running.
Choosing the right solar generator for off grid living really depends on your circumstances. How many devices do you need to power? And how much wattage you need to power them? Plus you need to consider how long you going off the grid for? It may be short-term or long-term living, no matter what your off-grid needs are there is a solar generator to suit any situation.
Before we take a closer look at our top 6 solar generators for off-grid living there a couple of elements you really need to understand to make the right choice for you and im going to keep it simple.
Firstly wattage, now the wattage is how many watts total the solar generator can handle, most generators will have an extra amount which they can surge up to which is generally larger than the original wattage.
Next, I think it’s important to get to know the term working hours or Wh and what it means. Working hours or Wh, is a term commonly used to measure how many wattage working hours you will get from a full charge. For example, if your solar generator has 3000 Wh (working hours) this means you can run a 1000 watt device for 3 hours or a 500 watt device for 6 hours and so on.
It’s a fair bit to get your head around when figuring out solar generators and how much power they can handle and generate, but if you can master those 2 aspects it’s a fantastic starting point.
Right so now we’ve covered the basics let take a closer look our top 6 solar generators listed below.
- Ecoflow Delta Pro Portable Home Battery 3.6KWh
- BLUETTI EP500 Solar Generator
- Goal Zero Yeti 3000X Solar Generator
- BLUETTI Solar Generator Expandable Power Station
- Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Pro
- ECOFLOW DELTA Max Solar Generator
1. Ecoflow delta pro portable home battery 3.6KWh (best overall)
Specs
- Brand – ECOFLOW
- Wattage – 3600 watts
- Weight – 99 Pounds
- Voltage – 120 Volts
- Working Hours – 3600Wh
- Total outlets – 15
The ECOFLOW Delta Pro solar generator is a great choice when it comes to off grid living, the beauty of the ECOFLOW generator systems is the huge expandable ecosystem which can expand the battery capacity from 3600Wh to a whopping 25000Wh which is more than enough to run a large household!
To charge the ECOFLOW generator you have 5 different options to choose from, EV station charging, solar, using the smart outdoor generator, wall outlets or via a car outlet.
The Delta Pro is compatible with 90% of portable solar panels and with 1600W solar input, you can reach a full charge in as fast as 2.8 – 5.6 hours. Plus, the Delta Pro can be charged up at EV stations in an incredible 1.7 hours, which makes an ideal generator for an RVs or camping trips.
Check out the full review on the ECOFLOW Delta Pro here.
Pros:
- 5 year warranty
- Expandable battery up to 25000Wh
- Rechargeable at EV stations
- Has wheels for easy maneuverability
- Can be home integrated
Cons:
- Does not come with solar panels
2. BLUETTI EP500 Solar Generator (most powerful)
Specs
- Brand – BLUETTI
- Wattage – 2000 watts
- Weight – 167 Pounds
- Working Hours – 5100Wh
- Voltage – 120 Volts
- Total Outlets – 14
The BLUETTI EP500 is a flexible power station to meet various needs and scenarios, the EP500 can become your home energy source when the grid goes down, or for when you want to go off the grid completely.
Pair up to 1200W solar input to rapidly recharge or to keep appliances running with depleting the onboard battery. The EP500 can also be charged via mains and can produce a whopping 5100Wh output power. Enough to keep the essentials up and running for 2 – 3 days!
The BLUETTI EP500 power station can be paired up with a second unit to double your output if necessary, which makes it a great solar generator for off -grid living.
Pros:
- 5 year warranty
- Wheels for maneuverability
- Can be paired with second BLUETTI EP500
- Can be home integrated
Cons:
- Heavy
- Expensive
3. Goal Zero Yeti 3000X Solar Generator
Specs
- Brand – Goal Zero
- Wattage – 2000 Watts
- Voltage – 12 Volts
- Working Hours – 3032Wh
- Weight – 70 Pounds
- Total Outlets – 15
The Goal Zero Yeti 3000X is a popular solar generator for off-grid living, it is built to last and field tested in a range of environments.
This power station can be charged via solar power, Mains power or you can use your vehicle.
Goal Zero generators have a fully expandable ecosystem and the yeti 3000X can be expanded to give you an extra 1200Wh per battery. In the meantime, you will get 2982Wh from the yeti power station and if you find that’s not enough you always have the option to expand the battery power.
Pros:
- Well priced
- Can be home integrated
- 2 year warranty
- Comes on a frame with wheels
Cons:
- Heavy
- Longer charging time than other genarators
4. BLUETTI Solar Generator Expandable Power Station
Specs
- Brand – BLUETTI
- Wattage – 3000 Watts
- Weight – N/A
- Working Hours – 3072Wh
- Voltage – 120 Volts
- Total Outlets – 16
The BLUETTI AC300 is 100% modular and can support up to 4xB300 batteries to create an impressive 12288Wh! I love that you can buy this set which puts out 3072Wh and just add to it if you need to. This is a huge advantage when you’re looking to buy a solar generator for living off grid!
Charge up your BLUETTI AC300 in less than 1.5 hours via solar panels, EV stations, car and even wind!
Pros:
- 4 year warranty
- Expandable battery options
- EV charging
- Can be home intergrated
Cons:
Not very portable
5. Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Pro (Best portable)
Specs
- Brand – Jackery
- Wattage – 2200 Watts – 4400 Watts
- Weight – 54 Pounds
- Voltage – 120 Volts
- Working Hours m- 2160Wh
- Total outlets – 12
Jackery is a true pioneer of the solar generator industry and quite possibly the most well-known. This power station delivers 2160Wh and can reach a full charge with 2 SolarSaga 200W solar panels in only 7.5 hours, and just 2 hours via AC wall charging.
The Jackery Explorer 2000 watt solar generator is superb for camping and RV trips, it has an easy grip handle plus it is a little lighter than other generators so it’s much easier to carry.
Pros:
- 3 year warranty
- Lightweight
- Easy grip handle
Cons:
- Not expandable
- Doesn’t come with solar panels
6. ECOFLOW DELTA Max Solar Generator (best value for money)
Specs
- Brand – ECOFLOW
- Wattage – 2400 Watts – 5000 Watts
- Weight – 48 Pounds
- Working Hours – 2016
- Voltage – 120 Volts
- Total Outlets – 15
ECOFLOWS Delta series is recognized by some of the most prestigious. international awards, and for good reason. The Delta max is exceptional when it comes to solar generators, delivering a full charge in an impressive 3.5 hours from 800 watt solar panels.
The ECOFLOW Delta max features 2016Wh and is expandable up to 6048Wh with 2 extra batteries.
With X-Boost technology power up to 3400 Watts, this means you can power pretty much anything during a power outage.
Pros:
- 3 year warranty
- Expandable battery
- Fast solar charging
Cons:
Doesn’t come with solar panels
The great thing about most solar generators is that you have the ability to buy the power station and then add to it later on if your needs exceed the working hours of the unit.
Another bonus with solar generators is most of them allow you to continue use while charging, this is the ideal way to utilize your battery usage, especially if you are going to be using the power station for an extended period of time.
Conversion kits or panels are also available for the majority of solar generators, which can be wired into your home system to either provide backup or run your home purely or partially on solar power.
Each solar power station has an easy-to-use app which are all a little different depending on the brand, but they are all extremely user friendly, share so much information and allow you to control and change settings from your phone or tablet.
These are all fabulous solar powered generators and to be honest I would happily own each one, but my top pick is the ECOFLOW Delta Pro. It is well priced, semi portable and its expandable capacity is like no other. It allows you the ability to fully future proof your solar capability with the expandable ecosystem to supply enough power for the whole family.
I truly believe that solar power is the way of the future, I hope this article has set you on way towards choosing the right solar generator for you.
