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Our Foray Into Solar for Camping and Home

"Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it."

Quote from Robert A. Heinlein from "Time Enough for Love"


Below is information on portable power station (solar generator) products we have purchased and use regularly. In each section ("Step") there are pictures and links to associated YouTube video reviews/discussions about the products. If you came here from one of those videos, you will find some additional information here that may not have been in the videos.
If you want to see deals on Bluetti products, scroll to the end, or use the link directly below, to see the latest promos!

If you don't want to read through everything and just want to jump to specific sections of this page, I've included links to each section here:
| Bluetti Promotions | Ah to Wh conversion |

| AC200MAX | Portable Solar Panels | Home Backup with AC500 | Whole-Home Solar | Trade-in AC500 for Apex 300 | B500K battery | More Power Stations |



Disclaimers:

Everything, all products, etc. mentioned in Steps 1 though 6 we purchased on our own. No one asked us or told us to buy these products. After a lot of research we determined that BLUETTI was the most reliable company and they made the products we wanted for our situation. We did not receive any support, funding, kick-backs, etc. for buying these products, only the publicly advertised sales and "members clubs" benefits offered to the public for signing up with each company and spending money on their sites.
And the home roof-top solar was the same. We looked at all the different buying/leasing/renting options and different companies and went with a local solar installer because of their reputation and no-pressure sales approach. We went to them, they didn't knock on our door!

With that said, after having been using and buying BLUETTI products for a few years, and being a big believer in the company and the products, I signed up for their Affiliate Program. Any purchases made using this link My Affiliate Link to BLUETTI's website., I get a small commission from the purchase. It doesn't cost the buyer anything extra. The buyer gets the publicly advertised price at the time of purchase. Plus, you can get 5% off sitewide (excluding accessories) with my custom discount code: SVAFF5%. See the "Bluetti Promotions" section for details! Also, if I do get anything from anyone for free, it will be noted alongside that product.

Thank you!


Conversion calculation for Amp-hour to Watt-hour and back in order to compare energy in any battery and power station

Watt-hours = Amp-hours x Volts
Amp-hours = Watt-hours ÷ Volts

Examples:

  • My BLUETTI AC200MAX (and presumably its replacement, the AC200L) has a 2074Wh capacity, 51.2V battery. Therefore: 2048 ÷ 51.2 = 40Ah
  • My BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 has a 2073.6Wh capacity, 38.4V battery. Therefore: 2073.6 ÷ 38.4 = 54Ah
  • If looking at a standard, Group 27 size, RV/Marine 100Ah, 12V battery, it would be 100 x 12 = 1200Wh
  • If looking at a 100Ah, 51.2V server rack battery, it would be 100 x 51.2 = 5120Wh


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    Step 1: BLUETTI AC200MAX Portable Power Station

    We bought the AC200MAX portable power station/solar generator in spring of 2022 so we could use it in the travel trailer to power fans and/or the air conditioner on the hot overnight stops at rest areas/truck stops/Walmarts/Cracker Barrels while driving to a destination. While the AC200MAX is no longer available, its updated version is the BLUETTI AC200L Portable Power Station (see "Bluetti Promotions" section). Both power stations are rated at 2400 Watts and 2048 Watt-hours. Most importantly for campers, they have a NEMA TT-30R outlet which is a 30 amp plug so you can plug your camper directly into the power station.

    In our first travel trailer camper, it fit easily into the back under-bed storage compartment. We could run extension cords to power fans and charge our devices. It was great and made the trips much more enjoyable. Trying to sleep in a camper when it's 80+ degrees (F) outside with 7 people and 3 dogs and windows closed because you're parked near trucks does not make for a good night of rest before a long day of driving. The AC200MAX helped make the camper a lot more comfortable on those types of night!
    In the new travel trailer camper, it goes in the front storage compartment which also makes it easy to plug the roof-top solar panels into it for on-the-road charging (more on this below).

    When we bought it, we didn't have solar charging capabilities so we just plugged it into a wall outlet when we had the ability. Because we weren't boondocking longer than overnight between destinations, we only needed it to last a night. Since then, we have boondocked for a few nights. See the Camping/Glamping page for details on how we have used the AC200MAX in our travels.

  • Video review and setup of BLUETTI AC200MAX test run of camper A/C

  • Video review and setup of BLUETTI AC200MAX and B300K batteries powered the travel trailer including the A/C





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    Step 2: "Portable" Solar Panels

    In 2024 I bought the     Renogy Solar Suitcase 400W Lightweight Portable Solar Panel. It folded up and fit next to the bed in the main bedroom in the camper. It's been used on subsequent trips and has proven it's worth every time! We also use it on occasion for our home backup system (more on that later down the page!).

    For our 2025 trip, I installed 3 BougeRV N-Type 24V, 200 Watt Bifacial 16BB Solar Panels on the roof and wired them in series. The AC200MAX can take 12-145 volts DC up to 15 amps of solar input.
    At the same time, I also purchased the BLUETTI D050S DC Charging Enhancer which is a DC to AC converter that allows DC input (like from solar) to go into the AC charging port. This allows up to 500 Watts charging in addition to the up to 1200 watts solar charging on the built-in solar charging port.
    With this setup on our camper, I had the BougeRV [up to] 600W of roof-top solar going into the AC200MAX's DC charging input AND I had the Renogy [up to] 400W portable solar suitcase plugged into the DC Charging Enhancer getting us up to 1000W or solar charging.

  • Video review and details on these solar panels are in the AC500 video review below.







    • Here's my spreadsheet calculating solar input options for our various Bluetti Power Stations. Click on the image and it should open the most recent PDF of my file:



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    Step 3: Home Battery Backup with the BLUETTI AC500

    In winter 2024, we purchased the BLUETTI AC500 Power Station (now discontinued) and 3 of the B300K Expansion Batteries along with the BLUETTI AC500 Home Integration Kit. An electrician setup our circuit breaker sub-panel with up to 12 breakers that are powered off the battery backup. We moved the critical circuits into the sub-panel so when the power surges, flickers or goes out, the BLUETTI battery backup system keeps the power on and clean.

    This setup got us, on paper, 8.3kWh of battery (3 B300k batteries at 2764.8Wh each, the AC500 does not have a built-in battery). Assume 80% efficiency, which is a little low I think, and you get about 6.6kWh of usable battery backup.

    At the same time, we purchased the 3 BougeRV solar panels, pictured below and mentioned above in "Step 2" and mounted them on adjustable-angle ground mounts in the backyard. We also wired it so we could setup and plug in the Renogy Solar Suitcase also mentioned in "Step 2" above. This allows up to 1000W of solar charging for the home battery backup system. It's not enough to go off-grid but it's something!

  • Video review and setup of BLUETTI AC500 and B300K batteries for home backup and energy storage plus information on the full solar array setup and wiring.





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    Step 4: Home Roof-Top, Grid-Tied Solar Array

    At the end of 2024 we had a grid-tied solar array installed on our roof on the back of the house. the back faces south, so it was a nearly perfect arrangement. The array is a 6.8kW system with 17     QCELLS Q.Peak Duo BLK ML-G10+ 400W panels and a Fronius Primo 5kW inverter. We're "over-panelled" by 1.8kW but on cloudy days, it helps generate more than if we only had 13 panels or just over 5kW total.
    In the future I'll post charts showing our power savings and pay-back!




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    Step 5: Upgrade the BLUETTI AC500 to the BLUETTI Apex 300

    In summer 2025 when BLUETTI released their Apex 300 Versatile Power Station with split-phase 240 Volt built-in, I took advantage of their trade-in program and sent the AC500 in for a credit to get the Apex 300. BLUETTI made it a very simple and worthwhile process. I have been very impressed with the Apex 300 and can now power all the circuits in the sub-panel!

    This setup got us, on paper, 11.1kWh of battery (3 B300k batteries at 2764.8Wh each plus the Apex 300 has a built-in battery at 2764.8Wh). Assume 80% efficiency, which is a little low I think, and you get about 8.8kWh of usable battery backup. By trading in the AC500, I got essentially one additional battery plus the inverter plus 240V split-phase, so it was a perfect upgrade ... with some caveats, but it works perfectly in my application!

  • Video review and setup of BLUETTI Apex 300 replaced the Bluetti AC500 for home backup and energy storage





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    Step 6: BLUETTI B500K add-on battery

    BLUETTI released the B500K battery in Nov. 2025 and had a great deal on it for Black Friday 2025 so I bought one. This battery has the same footprint as the B300K battery, just taller to accommodate the 5120 watt-hours of capacity. My primary use-case is to pair it with the AC200MAX in the camper when we travel as it has more capacity and is lighter than the two B300K batteries we have used. Naturally, it will be in the stack of B300K batteries with the Apex 300 the rest of the year giving us even more capacity for the "most-of-home" backup we already have.

  • Coming soon: Video review and setup of the BLUETTI B500K Expansion Battery with the BLUETTI AC200MAX [AC200L] and Apex 300



    • >>>> The BLUETTI B500K sitting on a dolly next to and connected to the AC200MAX <<<<


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    Additional Portable Power Stations

    BLUETTI Handsfree 1 Power Station

    This is the slender 300W, 268.8Wh Power Station that comes in the BLUETTI Handsfree 1 Backpack Power Station. This is just the Power Station, not the backpack. It was a free gift for spending a certain amount of money which I got when I bought the B500K battery on the Black Friday 2025 sale.

  • Coming Soon: Video review of BLUETTI Handsfree 1 Power Station


    • image coming soon

    BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 *

    * This is, to date [Nov. 15 2025], the only thing given to me by BLUETTI. Everything else we have purchased ourselves. They sent me this to review and to keep. It was a perk of being a BLUETTI Ambassador which is a year-long program that you can get into by applying for the position once you achieve "Golden VIP" status. Here's a link to the details of the program:     BLUETTI Golden VIP
    The review video and all my comments on YouTube and other social media sites are my own opinions and not influenced or edited by BLUETTI. They only asked me to share my experience with the Elite 200 V2.

    The Elite 200 is a fairly compact powerhouse. It has a 2600W inverter and a capacity of 2073.6Wh. It weighs 53.4lbs (24.2kg). This unit has slightly more capacity and a larger inverter than the AC200MAX/AC200L in a smaller and slightly lighter package. Check out the video linked below to see what I powered with it.

  • Video review of BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 Portable Power Station





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    Latest Bluetti Promotions, Sales and Discount Codes:

    At any time, with my exclusive code: SVAFF5% enjoy 5% off sitewide (accessories excluded). My exclusive code normally cannot be combined with other promo codes but may work with items on sale, so just give it a try any time you buy from Bluetti! And please use my My     Affiliate Link to BLUETTI's website. It doesn't cost you anything extra.

    A few select promotions:



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    Updated: November 28, 2025

    Contact me at: sv_design@frontier.com

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