The AC200P turns out to be a bit short of the capacity I’d like so I’m checking out the B230 and B300. What I’m not sure I understand is how I would handle solar only replenishment of the battery units. I have three SP200 panels.
I don’t understand much about this stuff, but it looks like the batteries can only handle the output from one panel. But, that seems like solar replenishment would take too long for a full daily charge.
I’m just wondering what the best configuration would be and haven’t hit upon anything great. Then I hit upon the idea of running the three panels into the AC200P and using the 12V DC output from the AC200P to charge the B230 or B300 - probably adding another 200W panel to reduce charge time and/or help with providing some pass through AC power while charging.
Would that work? It seems like it might but I don’t know. Or, are there other ways anyone would recommend?
Ultimate goal is to try to get through a multi-day outage while keeping the batteries topped up and using at least some pass through power. I appreciate any advice!
I have a B300 battery on order for my AC200P and my theoretical plan is to use the Bluetti D050S DC charging enhancer along with enough solar panels to first put 1200 watts per hour into the AC200P (700w to the PV port, 500w to the ac port via the enhancer). Then switch the panels and enhancer over to the B300 battery which should supply 700 watts per hour into it (200w to the PV port, 500w to the ac port via the enhancer).
I have nine 200 watt panels (five Bluetti’s, 4 Renogy’s) so should be able to come up with with the right combo of voltages to put the max watts per hour into each device while staying within the voltage limits (150v AC200P, 60v B300), 60v D050S). Remember you can go over wattage but have to stay below the max voltage or the unit will shut down.
Ahh. Thanks! So the D050S is the key to pumping more into the B300. That’s helpful.
I’m still curious about the idea of charging the B300 from the AC200P 12V DC output with pass through power. I’m trying to keep the costs down and minimize switching things around. I wouldn’t need to monitor when each unit was topped up and would only need to make one switch per day: outputting from the B300 to the AC200P at night and inputting from the AC200P while charging.
Anyway, good to know there’s a way to pipe more than 200W into the B300 from solar.
You can use the AC200P’s 12v DC to charge the B300 but I would assume its limited to about 100w and its a pretty inefficient way to put watts into the battery. But if you don’t need much to top it off it should work.
Thanks. Yes, 100w wouldn’t do a whole bunch would it. I guess I’m going to need that D050S and another panel or two.
I’ll admit to just a tiny bit of buyer’s regret that I jumped in before the AC300’s came to light. Oh well, the best solution is the one you have, and I’d have nothin yet if I had waited.
I asked Bluetti if 3 SP200 or 3 SP120 panels in series could be connected to the input of the D050S Charging Enhancer. My answer from service@bluettipower.com was that the Voc limit is 75 volts and 3 SP200 panels will work. Apparently the 60 voltage limit in the D050S is wrong. In another email zola said that 3 PV200s in series would be over 75 volts and would not work. I will be getting my D050S next week so I will certainly be testing this. I do not have SP200s but I do have SP120’s and that Voc is just under the SP200 voltage. The extra 15 volts should make the 500 watts max for the D050S easier to achieve with panels.
Here is the email:
Hi Paul,
Pls don’t worry, the actual max OCV for D050S is up to 75V.
Yeah I seem to recall seeing somewhere that they published the “working” input voltage was 60v so assumed that the VOC would be higher. Good to hear that it may be up 75v so that I can use 3 of my SP200’s in series. That should yield about 450 watts input into the D050S, I wonder how many watts D050S uses?
If you are looking for a second Bluetti sogen with the cheapest watts it would be the EB240 at 58 cents per wh or the EB150 at 63 cents. I’ve been using an EB150 for additional watts to my AC200P and it works well plus its a lot more portable than the 2000. Was considering getting the EB240 as well until the B300 battery came up as an option at 52 cents per wh when I ordered it.
The AC200P/Max will have a lot more features in the unit but the cost of the watt hours will be quite a bit higher. The AC200P is 85 cents per wh and the max is nearly a buck per wh at current prices.
I have never understood any Bluetti voltage input ranges for any of their units to be anything other than open circuit voltage voltage for both lower and upper limits. So I am not sure where you have gotten that impression. Those limits are used when the panels or other power source is first plugged in to determine if the MPPT will start drawing current to seek a working voltage and current that provides max power under the current conditions. Since the “working” input voltage is an unknown until after the MPPT starts “doing its thing”, it is hard for me to understand how the limit specs could be in anything other than open circuit voltage. Then you could say you say that you could plug some voltage source that is very high as long as you feel confident that it will eventually seek down to the range specified and that does not seem realistic or safe for the input circuit of the unit. To me anyway…
Concerning the using the EB150 for additional watts for the AC200P, I do the opposite. Since the EB150 AC inverter uses less watts just to keep it on, I power my AC loads with it as long as not over 1000 watts and just turn the AC200 AC inverter on to charge the EB150 unit back up with the AC200 charger plugged into the AC200 AC output. The same only different.
In the B300 user manual under solar charging it says “choose a solar panel with a working range of 12-60v”, first time I had seen that as well. Looking back I don’t see the same wording for the D050s, it just notes “input12-60v DC” doesn’t say VOC.
I had the same question, so thank you for posting. I do have the D050S Charging Enhancer and personally thought that 3 PV200 200W SOLAR PANELS would do the trick for recharge.
Honestly at some point this is getting overly complicated “for me.”
My D050S is supposed to be delivered today since UPS say its left the local facility. It is raining and windy, so no testing today and probably tomorrow also. Every solar thing that I have bought has been delivered on that kind of a day.
The reason that I asked Bluetti about their panels is because I figured that they probably tested their panels on their devices and it would give me a reference point for other brands of panels. When I first asked the question, the manual had not even been published so I had no idea what the voltage range was. I am still puzzled as to why they didn’t just say that the voltage range is 12-75, since they have told me that 75 is the upper limit. Those numbers are critical info to select panel(s).
I ended up getting the EB240 and couldn’t be happier. Between the two of these units I have everything I need. The EB240 is easier to move around, quieter, simpler to operate for the household technophobes, and that extra 400 watts goes a long way. But most important of all …
On my EB150 I can use the AC200P 500 watt charger to reduce the charging time by more than 50%. I would assume the same for the EB240 if it still comes with the 210 watt charger.
Yes, using the T500 charger on my EB150, I am seeing about 460W of input, compared to maybe 205W on the charger it came with. And the EB150 and EB240 are essentially the same inside other than the battery size, so I’d expect similar results.
Hi @markieboy711,
I’m not a good one to answer that. I don’t know enough and also don’t expect to use it that way. I plan to keep the two units separate, generally using one at each end of the house to keep from running extension cables everywhere for short outages where solar isn’t expected to be needed. For longer outages I’ll swap them between power duties and recharge from the solar panels. One of the reasons I went the way I did was to retain flexibility, not to have a permanent installation.
But … I’m thinking the 12V car adapter that comes with the AC200P could be used to take DC power from the B240 over to the PV/Car charging port on the AC200P.
That’s just a guess. I have no idea if it’s a good / workable idea or not.
1.When B230/B300 connects with D050S, they can be charged by the solar panels.
2.D050S connecting with B230/B300 can use not only one PV200 to charge the batteries.
3.Yes, three solar panels power for AC200P, and B230/B300 connects with AC200P through a D050S which connects AC200P’s AC input. Then AC200P can charge B230/B300.
Please read the manual provided below, especially page6 to 8, the same as AC200MAX
