Hi, curiosity got the better of me and I bought a PV60F to use with my Handsfree 1s and other smaller batteries. The size of it folded, and the weight of it is brilliant. For travelling by bike it is perfect. However, so far it’s output has been a bit disappointing.
The first time I used it, it was a nice clear, blue sky day. It only achieved about 29w and mostly quite a bit less, around 19w. I tried it laid flat and hung vertically. I couldn’t prop it up at the time due to it’s middle fold.
I have a 60w panel from another brand so I wanted to compare. I took both to the allotment with my other HF1, to also make sure it wasn’t the HF at fault. I also bought some metal panel supports for the PV60F so both panels could be positioned the same.
It was a good day for solar, but the highest achieved by the PV60F was 35w. I set up the other 60w panel, same angle, same position and input immediately jumped to 56w. Changing back to the PV60F the input fell again.
I understand about the changeability of solar, but it does seem the PV60F may be under-performing. I would like to know if anyone else has the PV60F and what kind of results they are getting?
Thanks for your input
These newer designs are puzzling to say the least. I paid for a PV350L which is rated at 350W but I only get 280 watts because it runs at 33V/9.2A, which is ripping me off of 350 watts. If I run two in parallel, I can achieve 400 watts easily, but I paid for a 350 watt panel, not a 280 watt panel. Likewise, your PV60F which is designed for outdoor use is only IP65 rated. It should be IP68, no excuses. I feel we are getting short changed on these newer design.
Thanks for your reply. I looked at the specs and I can’t see any technical reason that the panel shouldn’t reach high 50s watts like the non Bluetti one did . I am not so bothered about the waterproof rating on this one as I take the Bluettis outdoors to charge, so I have to stop charging if it looks like it will rain anyway. I am very interested to know if anyone has achieved better than 35w with the PV60F panel though.
What are the specs of the other 60W panel in terms of volts and amps? If you laid both flat, to make the test result consistent, what does the Bluetti pull in terms of watts and what does the other, so we have a baseline comparison and not dealing with margin of error due to tilt. Is the panel clean of dirt and debris? Is the gauge and wire length the same on both panels?
@Tezzabee Thanks for the feedback, I have forwarded it to the technical team.
I’ll update if there are any options to optimize the performance of PV60F. 
Hi @sealy1986
Theese panels get tested in a lab with the best possible circumstances. Its totally normal that a solarpanel might not reach the advertised power output. Thats not exclusive to bluetti, all manufacturs do it like this
Hi @Tezzabee
for me its sounds like there is something wrong with the panel. Even my no name 40W Panel can get to the 30W output
Did you try to cover each panel? Most time they are connected in series internally. When you cover one, the power should go down. If not, they are in parallel or the connection is bad.
@BLUETTI is the PV60F series or parallel internally?
I understand the standard test conditions. It is essentially when the panel is at 25C/77F, and the altitude of the Sun reaches 48 degrees, which puts it at an air mass of 1.5AM and 1000 W/m² of solar irradiance. My problem is that the panel never reaches its advertised limit even when STC conditions are met. I tested against my Gen 1 PV350 which has the old velcro legs and it easily hit the 350W at peak sun under the exact same STC conditions that same day, while the PV350D/L only produced 280 watts. I’ve had 2 units and they each only produce 280 watts as a single panel. They never hit peak 350W ever. This is misleading. Difference between capable and not capable. Can it hit 350W? Yes. I can run the two PV350 in parallel and the Bluetti app shows a voltage of at least 36V when they are combined and around 10A, which easily puts it at 350W, so it is capable, but never in a single configuration. Here in lies the problem. Real world use vs. perfect standard test conditions. The panel should be given two separate ratings I feel. One which reflects what you will typically see and the other which reflects its potential (under STC). For example if this panel was advertised as a PV300, it is more reflective of real world when 99% of the time you can never hit STC conditions. Someone who gets a PV300 that occasionally gets 350+ watts would be pleasantly surprised, but someone who buys a 350W panel thinking they will get 350W when its solar noon and the panel is at 90 degrees will be slightly disappointed, because its not 77F, or the Sun is not exactly at 48 degrees. What I ended up doing with my PV350L panel is running it in parallel with another 350W panel I have, so I can maximize the solar potential of my AC180 to a little above 400W. Because of this I just run the panels flat anyway, so they are easier to deploy and stow away. I also double my potential during cloudy days when current is lower. The reason why I’m bringing this up is if my PV350L never reached it maximum potential, there’s cause that @Tezzabee 's PV60 also is underperforming, especially if other panels are capable of producing their advertised output in the same test conditions. In my example, I couldn’t hit 350W with this PV350, but I could with the Gen 1. Tezza could hit close to 60 with a 3rd party knock off panel, but couldn’t with the “new” Bluetti panel. Something is up. I suppose it could be worse. I foolishly bought a $99 flexible panel that was rated at 200W, but the best it would ever do was maybe 95 watts even when tilted to match 90 degree angle because the panel voltage was rated at just 18W at VMP, meaning it would rarely live up to expectations. In other words the panels contain “200 watts” worth of cells, but unless conditions are absolutely perfect and the panel is in perfect condition, you’ll never get it. The expectation is that if I buy a 60 watt panel and my conditions are at or near the standard test conditions, I should get… 60 watts. Tezza is getting half. In other words manufacturers should list the total capacity of a panel at whatever wattage is it, but also outline what the expected outcome actually is in a common real world benchmark. Rarely is the panel ever 77 degrees and only for a very short time window is the angle of the Sun 48 degrees. That’s unrealistic. But if Bluetti offered a disclaimer of the real world expected output, customers are more informed. Since your mileage will vary a real world benchmark showcasing how it actually performs is way more useful than a theoretical limit. Here’s how it performs in a desert climate at peak sun, but its hot and dry outside. Here’s how it performs in the Florida when its hot and humid. Here’s how it performs in a polluted city with hazy conditions. What actually reflects “real” life. I think its nicer to know how your panel will actually perform vs. how it will perform in fantasy land that happens maybe 10% of the time. You can still say the panel contains 350 watts of cells, but hey heads up, you should expect 280 watts. Nothing wrong with that. I’m more so disappointed that my newer PV350 can “never” hit 350 watts even when standard test conditions are met. Unless I have extremely bad luck and BOTH panels are bad, I’m skeptical any of them will ever hit 350W. I’m also curious as to why Bluetti has the panel rated at just 304 watts on the product description. If you go on the website for PV350D it says “Rated at 33V/9.2A with MC4 connectors for most power stations on the market”. That’s 304W, not 350W. I’m not sure what this rating is. Even then I can’t even hit that. Only 280W. Unless these panels are designed to be used in series on power stations that are capable of 800 or more watts solar input. If I run them in parallel, I can easily hit the 350W limit, just never in a single configuration when connected to my AC180. If that’s the case, Bluetti needs to update their product description to reflect you will only get around 300W if you don’t run them in series or parallel. I can confirm that in my unscientific testing, the Bluetti app shows the voltage of 1 PV350L panel at around 33V/9A (just as the website says) when under standard test conditions. If I run the PV350L and the Gen 1 PV350, the amperage combines and voltage then becomes slightly above 36V which means the PV350L IS capable of pumping 36V, but it only seems to do it when connected in parallel.
Hi, both panels were at the same angle according to the can shadow test. The other panel can’t lay completely flat due to the design of its integral stand. I’ve had the non-Bluetti panel 18 months plus and it has been out at the allotment many times without yet being cleaned, so if either were hampered by dirt it would be the non Bluetti panel. The PV60F is brand new and was only on its second outing. I also could not use the same wire / connectors as the PV60F has a non standard connection.
Thank you for your reply @BLUETTI . I am a bit concerned something is amiss with this panel. It could be the panel or maybe the cable? I can’t test the cable on another panel due to it not being compatible. I am really hoping someone else can post to give a comparison with how their PV60F performs. On a nice, sunny day I can easily charge an EB3A with the other panel in the hours I usually spend at the allotment, but the performance of the PV60F so far (considering I did the test in peak solar hours, as demonstrated by the good performance of the other panel) would mean it is very unlikely I could recharge my EB3A or HF1 in a day.
Thanks for your reply Erik. That is interesting about how the panel is set up internally, series or parallel. I will try that test, although I have to wait for good weather on a day I can also go to the allotment.
By the way, the other panel isn’t a no-name knock off, it is actually a good quality IP68 panel from a competitor brand. I have 2 which I usually parallel connect for my smaller Bluettis and get up to 110w that way. If I could get the same performance from the PV60F, and there was a suitable parallel connector that would be amazing as its size makes it so easy to transport.
@Tezzabee Thanks for the clarity. Based on the voltage curve of the PV60F around max power, it should be outputting around 23V/2.58A. Your panel has bypass diodes which allows current to pass through if a portion of the panel is shaded. I’m not 100% but generally you’ll have around 3 bypass diodes on smaller panels. So if a bypass diode is activated that’s a 33% loss of power. Coincidentally 33% loss is right around 35W ballpark. This means if part of your panel is defective or has a bad cell it won’t ever capture power even if its in full sunlight. It’s like in shaded mode 100% of the time essentially, because its non-functional. If the cell is functional and you cover it up, the watts will drop. If it stays the same, then you’ve found the bad cells. You’d have to do this when its 100% sunny out obviously to rule out external factors. You could try covering 1 of the 8 squares, or one of the 4 corners of the 8 squares until you find the culprit. This is assuming of course that the panel ACTUALLY has bad cells. It’s like pulling fuses in your vehicle to pinpoint a parasitic drain. The parasitic draw will be high (80+ milliamps) until you pull the fuse (or fuses) of the culprit.
The PV60F solar panel features 3-series 2-parallel (3S2P) configuration.
@Tezzabee I’ve forwarded your progression feedback to the team and I’ll pass on any updates.
Thanks for the info, I will test that out as soon as I can.
@BLUETTI sorry I am a beginner at anything more complicated than joining 2 separate panels. How does 3 series, 2 parallel work when the PV60F panel has 8 squares?
@Tezzabee The physical configuration of the panel is purely for design reasons and doesn’t reflect how the solar cells combine in voltage and current to make the panel. Your panel has so many solar cells each outputting a specific current (also known as amps) and voltage. A solar cell is roughly 6 inches by 6 inches, or 6x3 for half cut. The wires are just ran through the divided parts to continue to circuit. So a 3X2 configuration doesn’t mean it physically has to contain 6 squares.
When you run in parallel, the voltage stays the same and the current doubles (aka the amps). The series, you combine voltage, but the current remains the same. So if I had 2 cells at 1V and 0.5A, in parallel I would be 1V/1A. In series I would be 2V/0.5A.
thanks for that, I knew about basic series and parallel connections for 2 panels, and the way the amps or volts increase, but I knew nothing of how a panel works internally. I’m sure I’m not the only one 
@Tezzabee
I’ve escalated this to both the tech team and product manager. Please contact our support department with this message (you may screenshot it as proof) to arrange a PV60F replacement, and kindly return the original unit.
We truly appreciate your continued support and cooperation!