The website page of the new EP500pro advertises 50.000hrs of electronics life expectancy. The comparison chart at the bottom doesn’t compare that figure to other products. So, I’m left to wonder - have they reached a new high? Especially since EP500pro is guaranteed 5 years vs 2years for AC300.
I couldn’t get an answer from the sales support email. They answered about the 3500 battery cycles to 80% capacity, but didn’t comment on the announced 50.000 hours of EP500pro vs their estimation of AC300.
My concern as I presented it is:
- 50.000 hours are a bit less than 6years of 24/7 uptime.
- the warranty is 5 years (vs 2 on AC300).
3 considering one full cycle per day, the battery would reach the 3500 cycles after ten years.
- Concern: this means EP500pro is expected to die way before its battery starts to show signs of wear. Is AC300 not tough enough to be a 24/7 home backup for more than 2-3 years?
Given the all-in-one nature of AC200 and EP500pro, I decided to purchase AC300. On top of having the UPS (preserves battery from excessive wear when using PV), it separates the battery from the inverter, reducing the risk of a total loss.
What’s your understanding of these 50.000 hours?
The way I look at it, any piece of electronics has a lifespan. The MPPT could fail, the inverter could fail, etc. I think regardless of the company you buy from or whether you piece together a system DIY vs. all-in-one you will have a component fail before another. That being said, it’s interesting that a company would use a battery that could last 10 plus years and components that might only make it 3-6 years.
But it is “free” electricity, right? Asking for a friend.
in the end the batteries will most likely outlive the display and other electronic components within the unit. If you were to use one 24/7 I think 5 years would be pretty good. everything is a tradeoff. The AC300 looks great on paper but until there’s people out there using them 24/7 or at least hard we wont know. That’s one thing that’s frustrating about these units. The portable “Solar Generator” market is still young. Before a unit even has a long operating history its replaced by a newer model. That means no replacement parts for a unit that’s 5 years old, your only option will be to upgrade. I have said before, These units are very appealing for their portable/plug and play abilities, especially when you look at the state of the world. But they are not any thing different than you could put together yourself with individually purchased components. Don’t forget to do the math as well. You could sink $12,000 into a AC300 with batteries and solar panels. That averages out to be $200/month over 5 years. grid power is probably a better deal at that point (if it were reliable), unless you’re off grid. But at least with these systems you can take control of your own needs without relying on others and an uncertain national infrastructure. Now if Bluetti would only improve their customer service we would all have it made.
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Well yes it is 
Actually, that’s my perspective. Money dies in bank accounts (inflation) and it’s likely we’re facing the beginning of a global energy crisis - at least here in Western Europe.
So even though there’s a certain upfront cost, it’s then both “free energy from the sky” and “a step closer to independence from the supply chain”.
Glad I made the purchase even though @doecliff has a good point.
In my case it’s 6x Trina Vertex S (900eur) + AC300-B300 (3200eur), a few bits & bolts (200eur) and I have this intense feeling of having reached “level 1 survivalist” 
Joke apart, he also has a point regarding the DIY solution.
Now the two DIY options I came up with. Requires some wiring and shameless OSB crafting
For occasional use, I got the Growatt 3500 ES, (450eur) a Pylontech 2,4kWh LiFePO4 (900eur) doing roughly the same job as the AC300/B300 for half the price. Clearly not as fancy, but perfect for the off-grid garden shack where tools & robo-mower recharge and run garden lights, “automated” water pump & sprinklers & co. One Vertex S solar panel keeps the garden running.
For permanent 24/7 use, I chose the Victron Multiplus II GX as it offers paralleling capability, really intelligent power management rules (“if the batteries are 80% recharged, just heat up some water in the pre-heating boiler” kind). Uses the same “cheap” pylontech 2,4kWh batteries. All stackable.
That Victron unit is about the price of an AC300. No portability, but seems more “battle tested” than the portable Bluetti ones.
I bought the Bluetti for portability with the mindset of “power everywhere without petrol”.
Hey thanks @doecliff good points there.
Dunno where you are but the grid seems pretty bad. Here in Belgium it’s only the beginning (the regime is closing the NPPs and favors electric cars while adding more and more taxes on the new PV prosumer installations… the grid is about to suffer).
I agree with the math you do, even though I think I’m still under 5k for the AC300/B300 + 6x405 Watts of PV. I can’t predict the price of energy, nor its availability like you mentioned. I guess this kind of purchase is part of a mindset where “independence” from the supply chain is a goal.
I like to think of this as the ABS and airbags in the 90s. These were a luxury, now they’re standard.
Hey,
Agreed, good point.
I prefer to have the “moving” parts as separate as possible for this reason. Even though I bought Bluetti for portability, the AC200 wasn’t attractive despite its added portability: all-in-one, no UPS (quickly wears the battery without the UPS feature).
I had first built a Victron Multiplus II GX + separate MPPT + batteries on a trolley, tiny house style using two PV panels as a roof (120kg+ to pull around…) The thing was a joke in terms of portability but is, just a guess, much more durable.
I’m in the States on the East Coast. A Heavy populated region but my actual area is somewhat rural. So far our grid has been pretty stable but we do get severe weather and without getting into the state of world events I feel like I’m more in control of my own destiny with what I have than not having it and hoping for the best. I totally agree with the “Money dying in bank accounts” statement. This is money well spent.
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