WolfPack Solar

I run across a wide variety of customers. Some want to install solar as a back-up power source for their home. Some are using it for their boats. Still others are interested in a true off-grid solution for a new cabin, etc.

One of the easiest solutions I’ve found is what’s called a portable power station, sometimes referred to as a “solar generator”.

I have actually made my own portable power station before. One of these days I will dust off some videos and make a “how to” for this. But these days, it’s so much easier just to buy one of these that are commercially available. Yes, they cost a bit more than if you DIY. But the batteries are so good, the electronics are so bullet-proof, you really do get your money’s worth.

One of the products out there is the Bluetti AC200P. There are of course other brands and other models, but this is the model that I have personal experience with. I bought an AC200P after researching many of the other options, and I found it was one of if not the best deals out there.

I won’t give a full review here, but I will mention one of the things that finally swayed me to this Bluetti product. It uses LiFePO4 battery cells. These cells are in some ways safer than a standard lithium ion cell. And when they are set up correctly (like what Bluetti has done with their on-board battery management system), they actually last much longer than a standard lithium ion cell.

You can click here if you want to see the full specs and latest pricing of the power station I use…
https://amzn.to/4iyrp86

After a number of customers have asked, I put together this guide on how to test the output of used solar panels.

1) current
To test the short circuit current, plug the male connector into the female connector, intentionally short-circuiting the panel. Using a multimeter, clamp the sensor around the solar panels wires and measure the current.

On a bright shiny day, in full sunlight, tilting the solar panel so that it’s pointed perfectly at the sun, the current you measure here (in Amps) should approximately equal the “Short Circuit Current” spec provided by the manufacturer.

NOTE: You must use a multimeter with a clamp sensor, and you must use one that can measure DC current. Not all clamp multimeters have a DC setting, so consider yourself warned. I’ve had pretty good luck with this multimeter, and it has something like 8,000 positive reviews
https://amzn.to/4bWqwnv

NOTE 2: Short-circuiting the solar panel is not necessarily good for it. Most modern solar panels (especially high quality commercial ones) are built with enough protections in their control module that this won’t damage the panel. You should really only do this for a short period of time. Unplug the two connectors as soon as you are done with the test.

2) voltage
To test the open circuit voltage, take the same multimeter and probe the female and male MC4 connectors.

Again, on a bright shiny day, in full sunlight, tilting the solar panel so that it’s pointed perfectly at the sun, the voltage you measure here should approximately equal the “Open Circuit Voltage” spec provided by the manufacturer.

Here’s a video I shot showing how to do these tests.

Welcome to Wolfpack Solar. We serve the Carolinas, and are dedicated to providing high-value solar options to our customers!

Please contact us so we can discuss how we can help you.