Product Review – Bluetti PV200 200-watt Portable Folding Solar Panel

Bluetti’s solar panels are the logical choice for recharging your Bluetti power stations but are they any good? We test the Bluetti PV200 200-watt panel to find out.

Since we got our hands on the Bluettii EB55 portable power pack, we have tried recharging it using solar power. At the time we only had a couple of low-wattage panels. While these worked well they were not up to the task of keeping up with our power demands. Bluetti Australia came to the rescue, providing us with one of their PV200 200-watt portable folding solar panels to test out. I have to say, we were really looking forward to giving it a thorough test.

Just to recap, the Bluetti EB55 is a fully self-contained, portable power source that can be used to power and recharge a variety of electrical devices for situations where regular 240-volt mains power is unavailable such as when free camping. At its heart is a lightweight Lithium (LiFePO4) battery that powers a 700-watt 240-volt pure sinewave inverter, multiple USB outlets, and an assortment of 12-volt outlets. The unit is recharged by either a 240-volt power adapter, a 12-volt automotive source, or by plugging in a solar panel of up to 200-watts capacity using the in-built MPPT solar controller. The Bluetti PV200 would seem to be the perfect companion for full off-grid use.

PV200 first impressions.

When the PV200 arrived, I was impressed with the quality of the packaging, something that is important if you’re having it delivered to a remote location as we did in our case.

Once removed from the packaging, I was surprised by the size and weight of the panel. Measuring just 59x60cm and weighing a mere 7.3kg, this is a panel that is very easy to store and use. It fitted perfectly in the back of our Landcruiser against the fridge cage where it takes up minimal storage space. The large grab handle feels sturdy and strong.

The PV200 unfolds easily revealing four individual 50-watt panels. At the back of the panel are three adjustable legs. These are unique in that you can adjust the angle of the panel to point directly at the sun for maximum power generation. I’ve never seen this feature in any other panel and it works surprisingly well. It makes the panel more usable across the country at different times of the year.

Also on the back is a large zip-up pocket that houses the connection cable. Unlike many other panels and blankets I’ve used in the past, this has a decent length of three metres, making it easy to connect to the EB55 or to an extension cable. The cable also looks to be able to cope with the PV200‘s output.

It’s important to note that the PV200 is made out of hard-wearing fabric material. It looks quite heavy duty but I don’t think it would cope well placing the panel in dirt or stony ground too often. I would highly recommend placing the panel on a tarp in these conditions.

Connections:

One thing that is important to keep in mind is that Bluetti power packs and solar panels come with MC4 connectors. There is nothing wrong with these. In fact, they are quite suitable for the task but given most solar gear used in Australia uses Andeson plugs, you may want to convert to these as I have done especially if you want to use your PV200 for other applications. I have made this point to Bluetti and they have advised they are looking into providing an Anderson Plug option.

You could opt to use an MC4 to Anderson adapter cable however be aware many of these have the polarity reversed and will need to be modified to work. This is a simple matter of swapping sides of the connections in the Anderson plug itself.

In Use:

When I was testing the Bluetti PV200, I was also testing a couple of Redarc panels as a comparison of sorts to see how it performs compared to the sort of panels Australians may be more familiar with.

The most obvious competitor would be the Redarc 200-watt Portable Folding Solar Panel. This is a solid panel with similar specifications to the Bluetti panel. It’s heavier and larger but its solid construction is better suited to harsh conditions. We also have a Redarc 300-watt Solar Blanket and I find setting up and using the Bluetti panel is a much easier process. As a result, out of all three panels, I find myself going for the Bluetti PV200 more often as it is just easier to get to and set up, even if I have to put out a tarp.

Solar performance:

When it comes to the rated output of solar panels compared to their actual performance, I have found that the rating of many panels on the market bares little resemblance to their actual output. I’ve been told that a 25% variance is ‘industry standard’, a statement I have real difficulty with. I understand we rarely get perfect conditions for solar power production but if I buy a 200-watt panel, I would like to see it get close to that in good clear sunny conditions.

Bluetti’s PV200 has a stated output of 200 watts. I have used the panel in a variety of conditions and the most I have been able to get out of it is 185 watts. That is pretty good compared to other panels on the market especially when you consider we have had less-than-perfect weather conditions lately. It certainly trounced my cheap Chinese (supposedly) 300-watt panel that was barely able to produce 150 watts in perfect conditions.

Compared to the Redarc 200-watt panel, the Bluetti PV200 was able to match it almost identically in all but the most perfect conditions. Here, the Redarc panel was able to get reach higher output levels than the Bluetti, even surpassing its own rated output on a few occasions. It must be noted that Redarc panels are very unique in that they are very conservative when it comes to rating their panels.

The Bluetti was by no means put to shame here. In fact, when it comes to actual charging amps going into our batteries, The Bluetti and Redarc were very close indeed. In good sunlight, you can expect to see between 10 and 15 amps of charging from the Bluetti PV200 when connected to a good-quality MPPT solar controller.

Using the Bluetti panel to recharge our EB55 was also a good experience. The MPPT controller in the EB55 is perfectly matched to the unique output of the Bluetti PV200 panel and the two combine to recharge the EB55 very quickly. While getting consistent conditions for each test is very difficult, we could generally rely on recharge times of around 3 to 4 hours when the EB55 was completely discharged.

Conclusion:

After using the Bluetti PV200 for the last five months in a variety of conditions, and comparing it to many other portable solar panels, I can say with complete honesty that it is my favourite solar panel. Not only is it the perfect addition to the Bluetti EB55 or any other of their portable power stations for that matter, but its small size and weight mean it is the first panel I reach for whenever we need additional charging for our caravan batteries.

Its actual output is comparable to the Redarc 200-watt solid panel in most of the conditions we encountered and, despite its fabric construction, it hasn’t shown any signs of undue wear and tear.

At $699 (current price) it isn’t the cheapest panel on the market but it certainly isn’t the most expensive either. Given this is a high-quality product that delivers excellent performance and is covered by a two-year warranty, I think it is excellent value for money.

If you have a Bluetti power pack or you need a portable 200-watt solar panel for other applications, the Bluetti PV200 should be at the top of your shopping list.

Safe travels.

Specifications:

Product Review – Bluetti EB55 Portable Lithium Power Station