If you live in an RV or an area prone to blackouts, having a solar power station can be quite useful. BLUETTI has two excellent models, the AC200MAX and the AC300. We are going to compare them based on energy storage, input, and maneuverability. We will base our recommendation on the user’s needs.
BLUETTI AC200MAX
The AC200MAX features a durable plastic case, measuring 42 x 28 x 38.7 cm and weighing 61.9lbs. It has two handles on either side for the safe and easy transport of the device. There are also two fans on either side to make cooling it down very easy. It comes with a 500 W block adaptor, car charging cables, and cables for solar charging.
This power station also has a full-color touch screen. The display is crisp and offers information about the station’s charge as well activities related to discharge. Its menu is well organized and offers easy access to settings and battery data logs as well as to information about any alarm triggers. The backlight has a 30-second delay before shutting off.
The AC200MAX features five AC outlets on the front panel. It can provide an output of a maximum of 2200 W. To power RV appliances, there is a single-phase NEMA TT-30 outlet. It also includes two DC outlets, one 120 W cigarette lighter outlet, and one 360 W outlet for low-voltage appliances.
There is a 100 W Type-C USB port that can power devices like gaming laptops. Tablets and older model phones can be charged by the 36 W and 15 W Type-A ports. The unit also features two 15 W wireless charge pads.
On the AC200MAX’s left side are two battery extension ports. One is a 900 W 145 V DC port designed forcharging via solar panels and the other is one 500 W 58.8 V DC input designed to allow charging from the grid. Rubber sleeves covering all output sockets and plastic caps cover all input sockets.
There is conveniently only one button on the display’s left side, and it is for powering the unit on. Once it is on, a Bluetooth connection will be made. AC and DC outputs can be enabled through two on-screen toggle buttons.
There is a mobile app that can be downloaded for remote access in enabling the outputs or in updating the unit’s firmware. With ideal conditions, you will be able to obtain a ten-meter range. During firmware updates, this is only five meters.
There are several ways in which you can charge the AC200MAX. The 500 W block adapter is the most common method and will result in a five-hour charge. For a faster charge, the station can be charged with two parallel inputs. With this combined input of 1300 W, the charging time will only be two hours.
BLUETTI AC300
The AC300 is BLUETTI’s first completely modular solar generator, which means it must have an attachable battery pack in which to store your collected solar energy or it won’t work. It transforms DC into AC electricity. In combination with the B300, its expandable battery pack, the AC300 harnesses the ability to store vast quantities of solar energy.
The combination of the AC300 and B300 is made up of a lot of serious technology. This includes a MPPT charge controller, a LiFePO4 battery, many high-tech electronics, and a pure sine wave inverter.
Inverters are needed for the required transformation of energy that is stored from DC to AC. Barring this, you would be unable to charge or operateall of your electronic devices. The AC300 has a 3000 W pure sine wave inverter. It is safe enough and capable of handling high-powered devices like mowers, A/Cs, and refrigerators.
Because the AC300 is modular, you can make it a major energy-storing device by increasing the number of battery packs, depending on your total storage needs. Additionally, if this station was not modular, you would not be able to transport it due to the massive weight it would have.
You can charge your AC300 with solar panels at an amazing input rate of 5400 W. In addition to this method, there are four other ways you can charge your station. These include using a wall outlet, your car, a gas generator, and a lead-acid battery.
With the BLUETTI Smart Home Panel, you tiein this solar power unit with your home power grid. In a power outage, your generator will immediatelycome on with this setup.
You can pair dual AC300 stations together using the BLUETTI Fusion Box Pro. This means you can hook up eight B300 batteries. This translates to a battery capacity of 24576 Wh or 24kWh.
It features multiple outlets for all of your needs. These include a cigarette lighter port, AC, two 15 W wireless charging pads, USB-A, and USB-C outlets.
When compared to the AC200MAX, the AC300 is lighter, weighing only 47.6 lbs. It has a higher input at 5400 W compared to the AC200MAX’s 1300 W. Additionally, the AC300 is a fully modular solar generator, and it will not work without any of its dedicated battery packs. The AC200MAX, on the other hand, is simply a solar generator, which means it can store energy without requiring an external battery pack.
Our Recommendation
Clearly, both solar power stations offer excellent features and will provide for you when you need them the most. The AC200MAX has a maximum input of 1300 W, weighs 61.9 pounds, and can store energy without the use of a dedicated external battery pack. We recommend this station for those living in an RV.
On the other hand, the AC300 has a maximum input of 5400 W, weighs 47.6 lbs, and relies on dedicated external battery packs to function. We recommend this station for those who can tie it into the power grid for their homes in areas that are prone to blackouts.
Click here to purchase BLUETTI AC200MAX on Amazon.com
Click here to purchase BLUETTI AC300 on Amazon.com