2023-07-08 07:42:06
Which battery to choose? If you have followed the articles dedicated to self-consumption in our EcoTech series, I explained to you on the one hand the interest of nomadic batteries, to then determine your needs and choose the best battery capacity.
This summer, I invite you to take a closer look at certain models on the market and we start with the test of the BLUETTI A300, B300 and PV350 battery and solar panel kit. Rather intended for domestic use (in the broad sense) and for professionals, this pack makes it possible to meet the majority of daily electricity needs.
The Bluetti range: small and large batteries
Bluetti is a fairly popular brand with fans of VanLife, camping or even professionals and craftsmen who are often on the go, especially with its ultra-nomadic EB range.
These small portable batteries are very practical for charging a drone, a MacBook Pro, a camera… on the other hand, their power is often limited, there is no question of connecting a vacuum cleaner, a heater, a drill or even to troubleshoot a electric car !
For this, Bluetti has also positioned itself for a long time on high power generators, with its A/AC and B range.
The idea here is to be able to use all your electrical devices without restriction and without using the network, or as little as possible. The possibilities are then quite vast, ranging from the professional who needs to supply tools in his van to the mountain lodge without a network, including all camping or VanLife enthusiasts.
Our kit fits here in this second category, because it offers quite beefy specifications:
• A 3000W inverter with plenty of inputs/outputs
• A large 3kWh battery
• A 350W solar panel
It is in fact a kind of minimum setup to use all your electrical devices without compromising power, and with great versatility in terms of recharging.
BLUETTI A300: a 3000W inverter
If in appearance, the A300 looks like a big baby, it turns out to be quite light (21Kg) because it only contains the inverter part, no battery is integrated.
On the front, there are therefore 6 230V sockets of 3000W each, but this power remains shared between all the outputs. We tested the thing at full power (13A) with an electric car, and the 3000W were well available in output without loss of power.
Even if a domestic socket can climb up to 16A (3600W), few devices exceed 3000W, apart from a few large professional heaters or specific tools. In any case, we were able to connect 100% of our devices to the inverter, even the most demanding ones.
For small electronic devices, the A300 offers several USB sockets as standard:
– 1 USB C 100W socket, ideal for charging a MacBook Pro at full power
– 4 USB A including 2 at 18W, a power that allows you to charge an iPhone/iPad in a reasonable time
On the other hand, and this is well seen, the upper part houses two Qi wireless charging zones which allow you to quickly charge a phone without having to plug it in, take out the cable, etc. It worked very well with our iPhones, the power being 15W maximum.
Finally, the inverter houses a few DC sockets, cigarette lighter type, camping car socket (12 V / 30 A) that can be used with ad-hoc equipment.
The A300 also offers several inputs, with:
– A 3000W AC input, which allows you to connect to the network (for fast charging for example) or to use the A300 as a simple home inverter.
– A 2400W DC input, for photovoltaic panels or cigarette lighter
The power is interesting because it allows for example to charge an electric car or to use large appliances with only solar energy, without losing capacity.
Finally, it is possible to combine the two, i.e. 5400 W input! For quickly charging multiple battery packs, this is ideal.
A touch control panel
To control the inverter, Bluetti offers a small touch control panel on the front of the device.
It offers many settings, such as the activation of WiFi, Bluetooth, or settings specific to the display (silent mode, brightness, standby).
On the electrical part, it’s quite poor, but you can for example limit the maximum input current or even adjust the mode of your solar panels (parallel or not), or even the frequency of the current (50Hz for Europe ).
Finally, you can choose the inverter mode (classic, time control or solar priority).
These functions are (mostly) available from the mobile application (see below).
Batterie B300 : 3000 Wh !
Despite its fairly compact appearance, the B300 battery still weighs 36 kg! It’s twice as much as the inverter and it’s even difficult to move solo.
This accumulator pack uses the latest battery technologies, namely an LFP chemistry allowing 3500 cycles, i.e. 10 years with one cycle per day, and therefore, an almost infinite lifespan.
You can connect up to 4 B300 batteries maximum on the AC300, i.e. 12 kWh – enough to power a house for a day without too much worry.
To do this, you have to use this big cable worthy of a T2 electric car socket! That said, you do need a good diameter to withstand the high powers from the different batteries, but also during high-power loads.
Even if without an inverter, it is not very useful, the B300 still allows a certain degree of autonomy.
For example, it is possible to charge it at 700W maximum, with 500W in AC (via a 230V socket) and 200W DC, with any solar panels or a 12V DC socket.
There are even a few USB outputs, including a 100W USB C port and 1 18W USB A port – that’s enough to troubleshoot a laptop, Mac or drone recharge. It also makes some additional ports in addition to those of the inverter.
PV350: a 350Wp solar panel
Finally, our kit includes the PV350, a flexible and foldable 350Wp solar panel.
Easy to transport thanks to its handles, it is also very easy to set up: in less than a minute, you unfold the four surfaces on the ground and reassemble them thanks to the integrated supports.
I really liked the variable inclination system, achievable thanks to the straps that just have to be adjusted at the level of the feet. In summer, you can put the panel horizontally while in winter, it can be almost straight to capture the maximum of the sun’s rays.
Once connected (via standard MC4 plugs), the panel produces between 200 and 300W approximately, which remains correct for 350Wp. This allows the B300 battery to be charged in 10 hours, i.e. a good sunny summer day.
It is possible to combine up to 8 panels, i.e. 2400W maximum. Clearly, with such power, you can power almost all your devices (even the most demanding ones) without hitting the battery too hard. Obviously, you will need a fairly large floor area to take advantage of it.
Be careful all the same to deactivate the adjustment of the panels in parallel, via the control screen, otherwise your panel will refuse to produce, with a small sound alert.
A handy mobile app
It’s still rare in the world of batteries, Bluetti was one of the first to offer a connected application.
The inverter indeed offers a double connectivity (WiFi and Bluetooth), knowing that Bluetooth is to be preferred when camping, because it consumes less energy. For a fixed installation, WiFi makes it possible to connect the terminal permanently to the network, and to have remote access to it.
The program is mainly used for monitoring the power produced by the solar, as well as that consumed by the devices connected to the accumulators.
You can still activate/deactivate the inverter or take it out DC, which can be practical to avoid physically going to the battery (if it is in a hold for example).
The app also allows you to manage the inverter mode:
– standard, as a classic inverter, which intervenes for power outages
– Time Control: allows you to define charge/discharge periods, for night current, or night discharge
– PV: priority to solar charging (For very sunny areas, this minimizes the need for the network)
Finally, the app can update the firmware, which we were able to test successfully during our test.
Balance BLUETTI A300, B300 and PV350
After several months of testing, this Bluetti system seemed to us to be extremely complete for advanced use of these electric generator systems.
Above all, its modular architecture allows you to gradually enrich your installation, with several batteries and solar panels according to your needs.
On the other hand, even if Bluetti’s reputation is well established, let’s remember that the materials used are both robust, durable and not very prone to scratches, even if you mistreat them a little… All grips are protected against splashing water – even if the assembly is not waterproof, but almost no battery is really waterproof, because of the ventilation.
Another notable point, Bluetti certifies its batteries to be used in extreme conditions, with an anti-overheating system and protections against electrical risks.
Obviously, all this at a price: count between 4000 and 5000€ for our BLUETTI A300, B300 and PV350 kit, but it is possible to reduce the bill by staggering your purchases.
For each pack purchased, an African family receives a kit to light up the evening… what a great initiative!
Prices and links
A reference in the world of nomadic electrical systems, the BLUETTI A300, B300 and PV350 kit allows you to power all your electrical devices, tools and even troubleshoot an electric car without power concessions. Despite a certain weight and a high price, it will be suitable for isolated lodgings, camping as well as VanLife.
1688802902
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