Anker’s SOLIX F3800 Is The New Heavyweight In “Portable” Power Stations – CleanTechnica Tested

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The Anker SOLIX F3800, mixed with the brand new House Energy Panel, is probably the most accessible whole-home backup energy system round proper now. It could possibly energy your house in an influence outage, can be utilized as a complete backup answer for off-grid properties, and performance because the hub of a completely put in photo voltaic vitality system for on a regular basis use, seamlessly harnessing the solar to energy your house.

Anker made a reputation for itself within the shopper electronics area during the last decade with a spread of inexpensive but sturdy USB chargers, cables, and batteries. Amongst a sea of single use generic manufacturers, Anker stood out as a model shoppers might belief, and in consequence, its merchandise discovered their means into thousands and thousands of properties world wide together with ours.

After a wildfire burned our dwelling to the bottom in 2017, we went straight out to purchase the entire vary of Anker USB chargers, cables, energy strips, and energy stations, and so they simply proceed to carry out. Due to the power of their model and the sturdiness of their merchandise, we have been excited to see them transfer into the moveable energy station enterprise over the previous couple of years. A handful of small but highly effective units have helped them achieve a foothold with more and more bigger items being launched over the next months.

It felt like a pure evolution that led Anker to the intersection of moveable energy stations and the house stationary storage market. Anker didn’t bat an eye fixed and easily charged into the area with the launch of its SOLIX model, with the F3800 because the flagship product.

Anker SOLIX House Energy Panel is the important product of Anker SOLIX F3800 House Energy System. Appropriate with one or two items of Anker SOLIX F3800, you’ll be able to set up a sensible complete dwelling vitality system. Anker SOLIX F3800 can energy your house with the grid and the rooftop photo voltaic concurrently by way of AC coupling. You’ll be able to retailer extra vitality generated by your photo voltaic panels through the day to be used at evening, or it could routinely present an prompt backup energy provide in your dwelling within the occasion of energy outages.

If your house doesn’t presently have rooftop photo voltaic and you don’t have any plans to put in it, you’ll be able to nonetheless harness photo voltaic vitality by utilizing inflexible or moveable photo voltaic panels at the side of the House Energy Panel and Anker SOLIX F3800. These choices can give you a house energy system that reduces electrical energy payments and permits you to take advantage of photo voltaic vitality. Moreover, this method will be built-in with the grid to energy your house.

The Anker SOLIX F3800 makes use of iron phosphate battery cells, often known as LiFePO₄, because the vitality storage for the unit. This chemistry is understood for its potential to resist heavy use, 1000’s of cycles, and a 100% depth of discharge which is one thing extra conventional lithium-ion based mostly packs merely can not do.

As well as, iron phosphate cells are extraordinarily thermally steady, that means it’s practically inconceivable for it to have thermal points within the occasion of bodily injury to the cells themselves. This makes it the perfect chemistry for stationary storage however traditionally, its low vitality density made it much less most well-liked for moveable purposes. Consequently, the Anker SOLIX F3800 is a girthy unit, with a whopping 3,840 Wh / 3.84 kWh of storage capability that strains the definition of moveable at 132 kilos.

This may be expanded as much as an unimaginable 26.9 kWh because of its Modular Pack Design. As much as 6 growth battery packs will be jacked proper into the Anker SOLIX F3800 to allow you to buy precisely the correct amount of storage in your software. It’s additionally a good way to get began with a big energy station with the data you could all the time add extra capability sooner or later as your wants change. Outdated and new Anker battery packs play collectively properly, making certain a long-lasting answer in your vitality wants.

Iron phosphate battery cells have continued to enhance lately, so the upper weight and bigger quantity penalties for utilizing them isn’t as excessive because it was only a few years in the past. However, it looks as if the proper chemistry for a semi-portable energy station just like the Anker SOLIX F3800.

Charging

Anker despatched us the Anker SOLIX F3800 to assessment and we have been desirous to get began. Earlier than we might begin enjoying with it, we needed to get it charged up. This may be carried out with a regular wall cable from any AC outlet. Out of the field, it defaults to pulling 1,600 watts from the wall, although it could help as much as 1,800 watts peak AC charging. The charging velocity will be adjusted with the Anker smartphone app.

To substantiate this, we plugged it into the wall and tuned the charging velocity all the way down to a meager 1,000 watts to high it up for its first cost. Within the online manual for the Anker SOLIX F3800, Anker recommends totally charging the unit earlier than its first use and we fortunately obliged.

If AC charging isn’t your factor, you may also recharge the unit from a regular 12 volt automotive outlet at 120 watts or instantly by way of photo voltaic. If you happen to’re utilizing it as a backup energy answer from your house, plugging it into the house’s AC system in all probability makes probably the most sense, however you’ll be able to add extra vitality safety with some photo voltaic panels.

The Anker SOLIX F3800 additionally helps charging instantly from photo voltaic panels from 11-60V via an XT-60 connection. For 11-32V photo voltaic chargers, it could pull in a most of 10 amps and with 15-60V photo voltaic chargers, that will get pushed as much as 27 amps max.

The Anker SOLIX F3800 can settle for as much as 2,400 watts from moveable photo voltaic panels, that are nice for those who’re utilizing the Anker SOLIX F3800 in an RV, trailer, or as a backup energy answer. Simply unfold the panels, join them up with the included MC4 hyperlink cables and you can begin harvesting natural, free vary photons from the solar.

For extra everlasting setups, you may also wire it as much as a hardwired mounted photo voltaic set up which bumps the utmost photo voltaic it could drink as much as 3,800 watts when linked to a House Energy Panel. These installations do require skilled set up and extra {hardware} to get them wired up, however the advantages are apparent.

Wiring the Anker SOLIX F3800 into your house with the Home Power Panel with some mounted photo voltaic panels on the roof transforms it from a nice-to-have unit into the guts of your house’s electrical system. It drinks up extra solar energy and shops it for the day it’s essential to preserve your house operating when the grid goes down. That’s true vitality independence.

Utilizing the Anker SOLIX F3800

To actually put the Anker SOLIX F3800 to the take a look at, we took it out of the kitchen the place we usually stress take a look at moveable energy stations and went straight into the storage. I introduced out an array of energy instruments together with angle grinders, sawzalls, drills, and sure even a welder.

I’m a hack at welding however I can reliably get issues to stay collectively and so they appear to carry as much as abuse, in order that’s one thing. I plugged my Lincoln Electrical multiprocess machine into the Anker SOLIX F3800 and obtained all my provides arrange. As an expert hack, I used to be welding on the ground of the storage as traditional and laid down just a few beads on some scrap materials.

The Anker SOLIX F3800 didn’t bat an eye fixed and simply saved pushing energy to the welder. I lay down just a few beads for about 10 minutes and the welder had no problem with the ability provided from the Anker SOLIX F3800. The ability ranged from zero when not pulling the set off on the welder to 30 or 40 amps because it ramped up earlier than rapidly spiking to 2,000 to 2,550 watts when actively MiG welding.

The unit had no points supporting this load or the big selection of energy instruments I used to prep the weld floor and get the fabric trimmed up. The Anker SOLIX F3800 can help as much as 6,000 watts of energy output so it wasn’t a lot a take a look at of the max wattage it might deal with, however simply the pure depth of a welder and energy instruments which may usually draw energy in a short time and at excessive masses.

The Anker SOLIX F3800 actually bridges the hole between moveable energy stations and glued batteries designed to be bolted in place in a battery wall in your dwelling. It may be used utterly by itself or instantly wired into your house’s electrical panel, relying on what you want it to do. You’ll be able to add capability to it by buying growth batteries or take simply this core unit with you. It is among the most succesful, versatile methods we’ve seen and from the appears to be like of it, there isn’t a lot the Anker SOLIX F3800 can’t do.

The Anker SOLIX F3800 can be utilized as a conveyable unit and comes geared up with 4 wheels and even a luggage-style deal with that permits you to transfer 132 kilos / 60 kilograms of mass round with out an excessive amount of hassle. It’s not one thing you’re going to take to the park or in all probability even out on a tenting journey, but it surely’s advantageous for transferring it round the home or possibly out to your off-grid cabin to maintain the lights on and all of your home equipment operating when you’re out having fun with nature.

It might even be an important candidate to be used in an RV, the place you can briefly transfer it from your home into the RV, holding the unit charged up from the car’s alternator or a rooftop photo voltaic system.

As a particular hack, the Anker SOLIX F3800 may also be used to cost up your EV with none extra {hardware}. Each different moveable energy station we’ve reviewed had points with this as a result of EV chargers error out. This may be hacked with a floor loop plug, however Anker solved this natively with the Anker SOLIX F3800.

Plugging an AC EV charger into the Anker SOLIX F3800 returns the standard error on any charger. Anker added a particular button to allow 240 volts output particularly for EV chargers. To activate this mode, double press the 240 volt energy change and the unit mixes issues up internally to allow EV charging with out having to purchase any extra {hardware}.

We examined this with our 240v Wallbox Pulsar Plus AC charger, a gen 3 Tesla Wall Connector, and a 110v Mercedes wall charger. None of them have been ready to make use of the unit natively in 110v mode however simply linked to the unit and have been in a position to cost from it utilizing Anker’s 240 volt energy change. A lot success!

The Anker SOLIX F3800 can run in 3 completely different working modes to go well with a spread of purposes:

The Anker SOLIX House Energy Panel can monitor the ability output from each the rooftop photo voltaic system and the grid, or may also monitor the ability output from the inflexible photo voltaic panels/moveable photo voltaic panels and the grid. Consequently, it could recharge the F3800 with extra photo voltaic vitality and make the most of the saved energy to produce the home during times of low photo voltaic manufacturing, thereby enhancing photo voltaic vitality utilization effectivity.

Setting the On/Off-peak mode by way of the Anker App permits you to energy your house throughout peak occasions and recharge the F3800 throughout off-peak occasions, thereby serving to you to avoid wasting the electrical energy invoice long-term. Its inside Sensible Power Administration system works with Anker’s Power Optimizer to determine when to make use of vitality from the solar, the battery, or the grid to maintain your payments low.

When an influence outage occurs, the Anker SOLIX House Energy Panel will routinely change to the F3800 as the ability supply to produce as much as 12 circuits linked within the backup load middle. With correct circuit planning, the 6,000W AC output and 120V/240V twin voltage permits the potential for attaining whole-home backup.

General

The Anker SOLIX F3800 fills an vital hole between moveable energy stations and residential vitality storage methods. It’s an ungainly area, however Anker has carried out an admirable job of constructing a versatile, scalable product that delivers not solely the performance, however the kind issue that makes it able to residing in each of those worlds with out an excessive amount of of a problem.

At 3.84 kWh of vitality storage, it’s a large quantity of capability for a conveyable unit and there’s no getting across the Anker SOLIX F3800’s 132 pound weight. On the flip facet, 3.84 kWh of storage just isn’t a ton of energy while you’re powering your complete dwelling. The typical dwelling in America makes use of 11 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy per day, so this could actually be just for supporting crucial masses or as a backup system.

Anker knew that and made it attainable so as to add extra battery packs, daisy-chaining them into the Anker SOLIX F3800 so you’ll be able to actually construct the peerlessly sized system with the correct amount of storage in your wants. Its iron phosphate battery chemistry offers owners the peace of thoughts that the batteries are extraordinarily steady and can present a protracted life with out points.

For extra details about the Anker SOLIX F3800, head over to the Anker SOLIX F3800’s digital home.

Disclaimer: Anker generously sponsored this text and offered the Anker SOLIX F3800 to the creator freed from cost for the needs of this assessment.

Specs

• MSRP:
  • Anker SOLIX F3800: $3,999 (presently on sale for $3,499)
  • Anker SOLIX F3800 + House Backup Equipment: $4,598 (presently on sale for $3,999)
  • Anker SOLIX F3800 + Sensible House Backup Equipment: $5,237 (presently on sale for $4,299)
  • Anker SOLIX F3800 + 3,800 kWh Growth Battery: $6,498 (presently on sale for $4,999)
• Battery Chemistry: Lithium iron phosphate battery cells
• Storage Capability: 3,840 wh / 3.84kWh, expandable as much as 26.9kWh with as much as 6 elective Anker SOLIX BP3800 growth batteries because of its Modular Pack Design
• Weight: 132.3 kilos / 60 kilograms
• Included equipment: AC charging cable & two MC4 3-Port Photo voltaic Charging Connectors
• Connectivity: Monitor vitality enter and output from the Anker app. Connects with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
• Guarantee: 5-year guarantee
• Safety: No Threat of Fireplace and Shock

Energy enter

• AC charging (120v wall outlet): 1,800 watts
• DC charging (photo voltaic): 2,400W photo voltaic enter max, for a peak cost of 0 to 80% in 1.5 hours with photo voltaic

Energy output

• AC output scores: 6,000W, 120V/240V split-phase output
• AC output ports: NEMA 14-50 and L14-30 shops onboard to instantly cost your EV and RV