review – I have reviewed EcoFlow products before, such as EcoFlow River Mini Portable Power Station and EcoFlow Delta Pro Portable Power Station And find their products well-designed, solidly made and innovative. In addition to the already impressive specs, EcoFlow’s 110-watt solar panel makes their device portable, efficient and powerful even in the most remote locations. Is it the perfect portable power source? Let’s take a look!
What is it?
EcoFlow 110W Solar Panel is a foldable device that converts sunlight into electricity to charge portable devices power plant.
Hardware Specifications
- Rated power 110W (±5W)
- Efficiency: 21-22%
- Connector Type: MC4
- Short circuit current: 6.3A (Imp6.0A)
- Battery Type: Monocrystalline Silicon
- Operating Temperature: -4 to 185°F (-15 to 85°C)
- Expanded Dimensions: 62.5 x 20.2 x 1.0 inches (158 x 51.4 x 2.4 cm)
- Folded Dimensions: 16.5 x 20.2 x 1.0 inches (42 x 51.4 x 2.4 cm)
- Weight: 13.2 lbs (6 kg) total, solar panel: 8.8 lbs (4 kg)
- Warranty period: 12 months
What’s in this box?
- EcoFlow 110 Watt Solar Panel
- solar panel bag
- Solar Panel User Manual
Design and Features
EcoFlow’s 110-watt solar panels come in a solid package.
There is a hole in the box, but the packaging does its job and protects the panel well. No damage. .
There’s not much inside – foldable panels in the storage compartment and instructions for use.
Here are the specs:
The panels are housed in a sturdy bulletproof nylon sturdy carrying case. A rigid plate is attached to the logo side of the case to help prevent damage to the panel during shipping. The case feels very solid.
The zipper is sturdy.
The panels fold neatly and fit into the case.
it’s all stuffed in
The straps are made of nylon, which is just as sturdy. A padded handle is attached to the back cover. Velcro in the handle can be opened to connect the front and rear cover straps together. The handle is very comfortable and supports the weight of the panel well.
When the panels are unfolded, four carabiner clips, two on each side, cooperate with grommets around the perimeter of the solar panel to create an A-shaped frame designed to keep the panel as perpendicular to the sun as possible for optimal charging.
Illustrations in the manual suggest that another version of the case is equipped with a zipper that runs along three sides, allowing the case to open fully, flip-top style, and all four carabiners to hold the panels in place. On the case provided to me, the zipper only extends to the two edges, so the case cannot be fully opened, so there are only two carabiners that will be attached to the grommets at the top of the panel, however, I found no problem using the case to get the EcoFlow as expected support.
To use the EcoFlow 110 watt solar panel, I used the solar panel charging cable that came with the EcoFlow River Mini.
The charging cable connects to the solar panel wires using the MC4 connector. These connectors are widely used in solar installations. These connections are waterproof to IP67 specifications and are rated at 30 amps at 1000 volts, although solar panels will be much lower than that.
The MC4 cable is permanently connected to the solar panel. The connection points are very solid, there is no wobble to loosen them.
The MC4 cables connect together with a pleasing snap and can be disconnected without tools if necessary. I’ll leave them connected to prevent the River Mini’s charging cable from being lost.
The solar charging cable plugs into the dedicated socket on the input panel of the EcoFlow power station. It’s keyed, so don’t worry about connecting it backwards.
EcoFlow 110W solar panels are monocrystalline and fragile. Care should be taken not to fold, rotate, break or otherwise step on the panels. When packing a panel for travel, it’s best not to put the cooler on it.
Unfold the panel, attach the case as a stand, and once you’re connected, point it at the sun, and if there’s enough light, it will start charging right away. But… in my country, full sun may be in short supply at this time of year.
I started my first test with a completely drained River Mini battery. The first day of my test was mostly cloudy, with only a few suns. Still, the solar panels were able to charge the station to 24%. I think that’s impressive. My only negative observation is that the River Mini clicks every few seconds when the light levels are low, while the solar panels are producing usable power, but at a lower power level. In full sunlight, occasionally, the fan will turn on, but the sound isn’t as annoying as the intermittent clicking.
The next day was also cloudy, but Mr. Blue Sky decided to show up for a few hours. I was pleasantly surprised to see the charge level jump to 78% in eight hours.
The third day was completely cloudy, but the River Mini reached 100% charge. Total charge time from zero to 100% under grey skies – less than 18 hours. Now, you might be thinking, that’s not great, but even at 24%, the River Mini’s 210WH can recharge my iPhone 12 Pro’s battery five times! outstanding! That’s enough for your four-person campsite to charge your phone, plus LED lights all night long, which is worst-case scenario in my opinion.
My second test starts again with a fully discharged battery, but this time, I wait…wait…wait…wait for a sunny day. Well, at least some sunny days…or some of them…
finally! We got about 3 hours of uninterrupted sunlight one day and about 4 hours the next day. In my tests, I measured up to 4.5 amps under load.
The 110-watt panel fully charged a 100% depleted River Mini in 7 hours of sunlight. Yes, from 0 to 100 in 7 hours – impressive! I just wish we could count on more sunshine!
what do I like
- rugged
- Folds for storage and travel
- great suitcase
- Good power, especially in full sun
- Fast charging in full sunlight
- Good performance even in cloudy conditions
what would i change
final thoughts
The EcoFlow 110 watt solar panel is very well made to provide usable power even in low light conditions and has excellent performance in full sun. I don’t think a zombie apocalypse needs emergency power, but having the EcoFlow power station and solar panels ready for emergencies, camping and tailgating is awesome! Is it perfect? I would say it’s pretty close!
Price: EcoFlow – $299.00, Amazon – $319.00
where to buy: ecological flow, Amazon
resource: Samples for this review provided by ecological flow.
