Get to Know Your Top Solar Brands: Bluetti

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Bluetti, founded in 2019, has quickly become a top choice for portable solar energy products. Their EB150 and EB240 solar generators are best-sellers, popular among van life communities and DIYers. Bluetti's products are known for their quality and innovation, winning awards for their design. Bluetti's batteries use lithium iron phosphate (LFP), offering longer life and less overheating compared to other lithium batteries. Their AC200MAX portable power station is a standout product, offering 2000 watts of continuous power and 4000 watts of surge power, ideal for outdoor activities or backup power.

Bluetti competes with EcoFlow, offering similar quality and features. Bluetti's focus on portable power and solar panels sets them apart, while EcoFlow has expanded into appliances. Bluetti's constant innovation can be overwhelming with frequent model releases, but their commitment to improvement gives them an edge. Upcoming products include the EP900, a 9kW home backup solution with a 10-year warranty. Bluetti is ideal for those seeking portable energy solutions and is expanding into the Energy Storage System market with exciting new products.

Introduction

Bluetti was founded in 2019, and despite being a relative newcomer to the industry, it’s become synonymous with portable solar energy. It’s one of the most popular brands with van life communities and DIYers because they consistently produce some of the best portable solar products on the market.

Bluetti’s EB150 and EB240 solar generators became ShopSolar.com’s best-selling products by a landslide within a few weeks of launching, and they’re still doing extremely well to this day.

If you’re curious to see what all those van-dwelling bloggers are raving about, keep reading. For a deep dive into all the top residential solar brands check out our whitepaper, The State of the Residential Solar Industry 2023.

Image Credit: Bluetti

About Bluetti

Bluetti was founded in 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, by James Ray and Wonder Law. James Ray is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry, whereas Wonder Law is a mechanical engineer with a passion for renewable energy. They launched their first product, the AC200/P solar generator, in March 2020. Today, the company has a presence in 70 countries and an impressive customer base of over 7.3 million. They are extremely prolific innovators and have won an iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, and CES Innovation Award for their solar generators.

Bluetti manufactures portable power generators, backup batteries, solar panels, and solar kits. Many of their solar power stations feature their own brand of inverters and charge controllers, which has really kept their prices low. The company places a lot of emphasis on CSI and charitable initiatives, including donating solar panels to over 2,000 households in Kenya since 2021. 

What Makes Bluetti Special?

All of their batteries use lithium iron phosphate (or LFP/LiFeP04), which is considered the best technology for producing large lithium batteries. LFP batteries are longer lasting than other lithium batteries and are less prone to overheating. Bluetti claims that their batteries can undergo 2,500 to 3,500 discharge cycles, which is about five times more than the nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries used by companies like SolarEdge or some of Tesla’s earlier wall units. 

The AC200P/AC200Max/B230 all come with a two-year limited warranty, which is a real testimony to their longevity. 

What Is Bluetti Known For?

Bluetti has produced real winners over the last few years, including its signature product, the AC200MAX. It’s a portable power station that can pack a punch of up to 2000 watts of continuous power and 4000 watts of surge power. The 2048Wh capacity is large enough to power a bunch of devices for long periods of time. It comes with a built-in inverter, solar charging port, and several outputs. The AC200MAX is versatile and perfect for camping, RVing, tailgating, and other outdoor activities. It’s also a great backup power source during power outages or emergencies, and at less than $2,000, it happens to be a steal. 

Some of their other popular products include:

The Bluetti EB3A

The Bluetti EB3A is a useful little power station that can charge smaller devices and appliances, like TVs, laptops, cellphones, or a CPAP machine, during outages. It’s powered by 268.8Wh LiFePO4 batteries, comes with AC outlets (and a wireless charging pad), and supports solar panels so you can recharge during the day. According to Bluetti, their PV200 200W solar panel can fully charge this baby in just two hours. At just over 10 pounds, it doesn’t take up much room, and it’s easy enough to grab and take along on your next camping or fishing trip. At just under $240, it really is one of the most affordable portable power solutions on the market.

Bluetti AC500 and B300S

If you are ready to get serious about backup power, the Bluetti AC500 and B300S are among the most powerful solar generators on the market, offering up 18,432Wh. It can quickly charge from 0 to 100% in less than 80 minutes, which means you won’t run out of power any time soon. Bluetti introduced the AC500 and B300S on Indiegogo in October 2022 and exceeded all expectations by selling more than $10 million worth of products in 30 days. The best thing about it is that it has 100% customizable modular power, so you can choose the expansion battery according to your power needs and then either plug your devices directly into it or tie it to the grid to power your home. The 5000W inverter can easily become a 24/7 UPS for your essential equipment.  

How Does Bluetti Stack Up Against the Competition? 

Bluetti’s biggest competitor is EcoFlow. Both make really great products, and they are hard to compare. One of the main advantages Bluetti had over EcoFlow is they’ve consistently used lithium iron phosphate batteries from the get-go, whereas EcoFlow has been far slower to make the switch.

If we had to compare the Bluetti AC200 Max to EcoFlow’s closest match, the EcoFlow Delta Max, there isn’t too much difference between the two. EcoFlow charges a little faster and is around $100 cheaper, but Bluetti has a slightly higher capacity.

Here’s a key difference, though. EcoFlow has expanded heavily into the appliance market, making everything from fridges and air conditioners to lawnmowers, whereas Bluetti has remained focused on portable power and solar panels. 

If there’s one negative to highlight, Bluetti is a little quick on the trigger when it comes to releasing new models. In just four years, they’ve released more than a dozen variations of portable power stations, with minor differences between each model.

While it’s great to be innovative, it causes a lot of confusion for customers when there are too many iterations and not enough cohesion between the new products. Having said that, their near-stubborn insistence on continually coming up with new features and improvements might just give them a big edge over EcoFlow, whose attention may just have been diverted a little too much with all of their extra product line expansions.

For a closer look at Bluetti’s biggest rival we have a complete brand profile of EcoFlow too. If you’re in the market for a solar generator, you shoudn’t count out Jackery, so take a look at Jackery’s brand profile as well to make the best informed choice.

Upcoming Products 

As of the beginning of 2023, there are two big products on the horizon for Bluetti: the EP 900 and the AC60, which went on pre-sale in April.

The AC60 is a small portable power station that was upgraded to be water-resistant and dust-proof, thanks to newly patented AC outlets and well-sealed plugs. Built for the outdoor market, this powerful little unit is more or less the size of a shoebox and charges from 0 to 80% in around 40 minutes’ time. It’s also compatible with all of Bluetti’s portable solar panel options. True to form, Bluetti is making this one extremely budget-friendly and offering an impressive 6-year warranty.

But the one that solar power geeks are the most excited about is the EP 900, which may just be the biggest and best home backup solution we’ve seen from Bluetti (or anyone) yet. Picture this: 9000 Watts, 9kW output, and you can do most of the installation on your own.

The EP900 is the follow-up to 2002’s EP600, Bluetti’s first Energy Storage System (ESS). It’s a modular device that can be paired with Bluetti’s B500 expansion batteries to reach full capacity (which reaches up to 9kW with four B500 batteries). It comes with IP65 waterproof casing for indoor or outdoor use, 24/7 UPS, and comparability with the Bluetti app so you can control and monitor your expandable power.

Bluetti has built this one to last, and to prove it; they're putting a 10-year warranty on the EP900. It’s not just powerful enough to keep your entire home going during an outage; it’s great if you want to store surplus solar energy or sell it back to the grid. The Bluetti EP900 will work with whatever solar panels you already have installed and has been certified to sell electricity, making it a solid investment that helps pay for itself. According to Bluetti, you can get as much as $8000 back within ten years.

Here’s how it compares to the AC500 + B300S that we mentioned earlier: 

The Bluetti EP900 was designed to be easy to install and be wall-mounted at home. The modular system means that there isn’t any pressure on the wall, so you don’t need to worry about damaging your home in any way. 

Who Is Bluetti For? 

Bluetti is a great choice if you are looking for a portable energy solution on the go. Their smaller, highly affordable solar power stations can keep your essential devices going while you are camping, sailing, or living the van life. It’s really exciting to see this brand expand into the Energy Storage System market, and with the EP900 about to launch, Bluetti is going to go from strength to strength.

You can find Bluetti’s latest products and accessories, as well as expert guidance and advice, at ShopSolar.com.

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