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Pros: easy to set up
Cons: expensive and small capacity compared to fixed system
I would put Jackery or similar into a temporary build, something that needs just to charge laptop and phones, maybe couple led lights at night. The charge it at home or office during the day.
If you can afford to have both, a power station can be used first during the build phase before fixed system is installed and then either keep it as a backup or sell it.
Greetings & Welcome!
I think you’re getting the cart before the horse here… We need to start with your power needs, now & in the future, and work back from there.
Personally, I think those power stations are over priced & under powered. Power systems don’t need to be expensive to be efficient & sustainable.
Cheers!
"Always avoid expensive solutions to cheap problems." ~ OffGrid
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I was gifted a 1500wh power station, 400w of solar (200w mounted 200w portable) + a link to charge from the leisure battery while under way. The biggest constant load is a 9.6 amp fridge. The remainder are temporary loads i.e.: small 12v TV Cell phone booster, water pump, Etc. The "building phase will be the first few months of use.
Greetings!
The fridge might be iffy, but the rest should be okay…
Cheers!
"Always avoid expensive solutions to cheap problems." ~ OffGrid
“iffy” how so? I’m new at this.
Greetings!
If the fridge runs just 20 minutes an hour, that’s over 75 amps per day, which is over half of your 125 amp power station. (1500w / 12v = 125a) All 400w of solar is likely to struggle to keep that topped up during the winter too, and in the heat of the summer, the fridge will likely run considerably more, requiring additional power. If it’s using an inverter, that makes things even worse if you can’t shut shut down the inverter when it’s not actually in use, because it will draw power even when not needed.
If it’s a 12v fridge, how many amps is the 12v port on the power station rated for? I’ve seen some that are only rated at 5 amps, so 9.6 amps could overload it. If the port(s) are rated at 10+ amps, then you should be okay, as long as the battery has enough capacity. Many people seem to recommend 200ah of battery capacity to support a fridge.
If you can charge your power station while driving, or via generator or shore power, that can help immensely when solar power is low or non existent.
If the fridge has a freezer large enough to freeze a milk jug or two, that can cut down run times considerably too.
For nomads, power is one of the most challenging problems we face. For most of us we find it far easier to conserve power than it is to create it. For this reason most of us choose to eliminate power hog appliances like electric fridges, opting instead for either old fashioned ice chests or 3-way fridges that can be run on fuel when not traveling. By being power conservative, my 100ah cheap lead acid deep cycle battery will last a week between charges. Since you can’t be parked on the street for longer than 72 hours without moving, I drive a little every few days, which keeps my battery topped up using an isolator.
Cheers!
"Always avoid expensive solutions to cheap problems." ~ OffGrid
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I have 1 -15 amp, regulated and 1 -30amp regulated. It’s a 12 or volt Dometic CFX3-75DZ unit My my power station charges off the alternator at 200w. My power station battery is 132ah and my leisure battery is a 70ah so I think I have about 200ah battery capacity. For the next few years I’ll be driving most every Day so I’ll be using my rooftop panels as well as my alternator so I’ll have a charge rate of 200-250w while driving in the sun. The power station can handle up to a 750w charge. I always fill my empty fridge/freezer space with frozen liquid to conserve power.
Thanks for all your input.
Greetings!
Okay, cool… With that added information, you should be good to go.
Cheers!
"Always avoid expensive solutions to cheap problems." ~ OffGrid
I have this same fridge and it does not pull anywhere near 9.6 amps. On average it typically pulls 1.5 to 2 amps over the course of the day. I suppose it could spike to 9.6 on startup, but that isn’t typical. There is an app for the fridge you can use to monitor the power it is consuming.
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After some lengthy testing I agree. I have the app and also realized that it has a power reduction/saving program, My leisure battery has a load shedding battery protection system. So I should be good.
Hi there -
I am using the Ecoflow Delta Pro with 3600w LiFePo battery capacity along with 800w of portable solar panels (also Ecoflow). I like the Delta Pro because I can charge it in multiple ways: household power, solar, electrical vehicle station, alternator (more for top-up) with wind turbine power in the works. It also has a power boost functionality that will allow running up to 4500w appliances for a short period. I can also chain another 3 batteries/setups to it for a total 27Kwh of power if I really needed to - which is more than the typical home uses in a day…
I am using the Anderson connection built into the power generator and running my electricity to an Anderson power pole for distribution throughout the van. A video that shows how that is done is here: https://youtu.be/0JGMl7LcTPA
The only thing I would do differently at this point is to not purchase the EcoFlow solar panels. They are a very simply MC4 connection, but (for me) they are heavy and awkward to use. Ecoflow do not provide adequate props for their panels - so that is something I am looking into now. The power generator can take other non-Ecoflow panels - so, it plays nicely with others.
I went for the Delta Pro because I wanted plenty of power, quick recharge and simplicity of setup and use. It was only after I purchased it that I discovered the Anderson connector could also be used to run distribute electricity through the van - which was a nice add.
Regardless of what you decide to do - good luck!