POWER BOX vs BATTERIES
Is a Jackery portable power station better for an off-grid home than a custom built solar system?
It all depends on the application. Both have their pros and cons. I would like to state for the record that a Jackery 240 power box will NOT power a small 5 cup coffee maker. I had to crank up the RV generator this morning, and hence became inspired to write this article.
Normally, I brew coffee in my Tuff Shed barn. It’s all wired up with solar power, and has a 2000 watt inverter. It can handle any brew-ha-ha, but, we are currently insulating the barn so the inside is now outside, and the coffee pot is taking refuge in the RV.
C’est La Vie
Jackery does make larger power boxes (Jackery 1000). They make entire all-in-one home solution systems that work great (Jackery 2000). Even the small non-percolating 240 boxes will do most of what you need when you’re ruffin’ it.
My complaints with these pre-made systems are cost, and serviceability.
My praises for these units are their ease of use, and light weight portability.
COST
Let’s talk about cost. The solar system in my barn was $1,100. It’s (4) 100 watt solar panels, (2) fat ass batteries, charge controller, and a (arguably overkill) 2000 watt inverter. It’s all wired up with fuses and plugs, and has a very flux capacitor aesthetic.
A Jackery all-in-one system with similar performance is going to cost you double to triple what I paid for my system. You’re paying them to wire everything up. You’re paying them for the fancy casing. You’re paying them for the liability they are taking on by offering a warranty on complicated electronics instead of just parts.
They’re also going to completely grape you on the cost of their solar panels. You can’t use universal panels (like Renogy or Eco-Worthy) with Jackery power boxes. Jackery has a proprietary input port. I am not a fan of this, and I think Jackery is shooting themselves in the foot by trying to do what Apple does.
I would actually be a huge supporter of using the larger Jackery boxes as the main system for off-grid homes if you could just hook them up to a standard solar array.
Solar panels are getting cheaper by the minute, and there are smokin’ deals on used government surplus panels. There’s no need to pay out the nose for something that is intended to be overpriced. If the restaurant charges $5 for fountain drinks order water.
SERVICEABILITY 🔧
You can NOT replace the power cel in a Jackery or Bluetti power box. Once the box stops holding a charge it becomes a brick. Sure, you could technically hook it up to some new batteries and still use the Input ports and onboard inverter, but that’s alot of retail space in your tiny home that is being hijacked by a dead power box.
A custom built system is a system of parts. When one part fails it’s not a big deal to replace it. You’re building a home. You want it to last, and be financially sustainable. Having to spend thousands of dollars every 5 years for a new power box is not going to help you get ahead in life.
EASE OF USE
This is where the portable power boxes shine. Everything is ready to go. You don’t have to slide down any YouTube rabbit holes learning about solar systems, charge controllers, or AGM batteries. Just plug in your devices and enjoy.
The problem with learning how to setup a custom solar system is not that it’s complicated. No, the problem is that you’re learning it at the same time that you’re learning about RVs, tiny houses, off-grid living, how to build a chicken coop, etc etc.
Nobody sits in their comfortable apartment with no intention of living off-grid, and says to themself, “I think I’ll learn how solar power works.” That does not happen. What happens is you move out of your apartment, buy a van, RV, or off-grid property, and then you say to yourself, “Holy S—t! I need to figure out how solar power works or I won’t be able to charge my phone!”
It’s like a surprise math test on a Wednesday.
PORTABILITY
Have you ever tried to carry a car battery in a backpack? Don’t. Your backpack will hate you. Have you ever tried to carry a Jackery box in your backpack? You’ll never know it’s there.
I am always impressed at how lightweight these power boxes are. That’s the magic of lithium. It’s not “better” than lead acid. You need the same amount of each for a similar charge, but the lithium is much lighter. This is why lithium batteries are so popular in things that are made to move around like phones and electric cars. We still use lead acid batteries in solar homes, gas cars, and boats because the weight doesn’t matter.
I believe that a need for portability would be the biggest reason to go with a power box over a custom built system.
CONCLUSION
I’m always going to lean towards a custom built system. It’s going to be cheaper, easier to maintain, and even though there is a learning curve if this equipment is what you rely on to survive then you should probably take the time to learn about it.
If you’re doing a minivan build, trying to pull a tear drop trailer with a 4 cylinder SUV, or just a weekend warrior who doesn’t live off-grid but enjoys frequent camping trips, then a Jackery power box is going to be your best option.
If you’re building out a sprinter van, modernizing an old Winnebago, or laying the foundation on an off-grid homestead then you need to custom build your solar system. I do, however, recommend getting a small Jackery 240 power box with the 100 watt foldable Solar panel. It’s a good backup system.
JACKERY vs BLUETTI
I can’t end this article without throwing in my personal experience with both brands.
Bluetti es no bueno.
I’ve been using Jackery products since 2018. I used to have a small fleet of camper vans that I would park by the beach in California, and rent out on AirBnB. I had 2 Jackery boxes for each van. One being used by the current guests. The one at my home charging so it’s ready for the next guests.
These Jackery boxes got used and abused. Batteries drained, input ports full of sand, Lord knows what these boxes have seen.
Never had a problem with any of them. Sold of most of them with the vans when AirBnB went to sh-t. I still have 3 of them, and I use them daily. They are 6 years old now, and still hold a good charge.
Bluetti on the other hand can not take the abuse, or arguably just the use. My brother bought a Bluetti for his shuttle bus build. It great until the Amazon return window closed. Then the 12v charge port went out and the only way to charge it was plugged into a wall. Poor guy had to sit in the food court at a mall for 3 hours every 2 days to charge his power box.
My neighbors have a Bluetti and the usb ports aren’t working. It’s only a few months old.
Both have tried to contact Bluetti for warranty info. Good luck.
Now to be fair, I have no idea what the warranty claim process is like for Jackery. It could be just as hopeless. Luckily, I’ve never had to contact them for anything.
SEALED BATTERIES, AND NO, I DID NOT CONTRADICT MYSELF
You probably noticed that earlier I stated that a Jackery home system will have to be replaced every 5 years, but then later I praised my power boxes for still going strong after 6 years. Obviously, that does not make sense.
My power boxes haven’t been drained and recharged daily like a solar battery for a home. If my boxes would have been used every day for the past 6 years they would be beyond dead.
All batteries have a limit to how many times they can be charged and drained. Batteries made specifically for home solar systems are designed to be cycled more and more frequently than the deep cycle batteries you see in a boat. No matter how good they are they have an expiration date. This includes the power cels in portable power boxes.
Ok, last thing I’m going to leave you with. You’ll hear arguments about Sealed / AGM batteries vs unsealed traditional. These arguments are stupid. One is not better than the other. The sealed batteries are sealed so you can have them inside the house. Traditional deep cycle batteries emit toxic fumes. They can not be inside the boat cabin, RV, or tiny home. Sealed/AGM batteries can. That’s why they are popular for home solar systems.
It has nothing to do with performance.
Now you know.
Thank you for visiting my website. If you found this information helpful then please buy a coffee mug.
Cheers!
- Joel Tiger