Power-cuts can come at random and unexpected times. If you’re out and about on a lovely weekend and you notice your phone is down to the last few percentages, all you can do is hope that it can either last long enough until you can charge again or send out messages in advance to let friends and loved ones know your whereabouts.
Portable power panels and solar generators are an excellent way to keep your devices powered when dry camping or during off-grid excursions. With Bluetti’s new offerings, you can rest assured that you won’t be left without power, and all the drama can easily be avoided.
Bluetti’s solar panel product line – the SP120 – was released in July 2020, along with the superstar AC200 power station. Later in January 2021, the company announced an even bigger 200-watt SP200 with their first household power center EP500/Pro. Solar generator users around the world widely love both the SP120 and SP200 models.
This fall, Bluetti updated their solar panel product line with two brand new arrivals – the PV120 and the PV200 along with the brand’s new expandable power stations, the AC300 and AC200 MAX. Before we take a closer look, let’s first compare the previous SP solar panels to the new ones to see the differences and benefits they provide.
Bluetti’s new PV panels are now on hot sale with their solar generator bundles.
Bluetti PV200 vs Bluetti SP200 Solar Panels
Bluetti PV200 vs Bluetti SP200: Design
The PV series has an integrated handle made from blue ABS material and a smaller logo, adding to the more modish design, while the SP series has a black rubber handle and a more eye-catching Bluetti logo on each side panel.
The PV series feature a one-single-piece waterproof coating design that encapsulates all solar cells, while the panels on the SP series are stitched together on one giant raw canvas. Additionally, the PV series removed the metal rings used to hang up the solar panels with rope and hooks, which can be found on the SP series.
Bluetti SP200 Solar Panel
There is also a kickstand on the new PV series that allows a new snap fastener design, allowing the solar panel more angle adjusting options to capture the most light, and, ultimately, power.
Both the PV and SP series are about the same dimensions. However, the PV solar panels are slightly heavier (by about 2 pounds, or about 1 kg) due to the advanced waterproof coating.
Bluetti PV200 vs Bluetti SP200: Efficiency
Before we can talk about how efficient the new model is, let’s first understand the basic concepts about the solar battery cell: Monocrystalline. It’s constructed from a single large silicon crystal. Monocrystalline panels are arguably the most effective because they can produce a high amount of power even when there isn’t enough sunlight. When it gets to efficiency, monocrystalline solar panels are the best. While they’re the most expensive of the three types (Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, Amorphous), they’re usually the most durable and least sensitive to high temperatures.
Both Bluetti’s PV and SP solar panels are built on monocrystalline, which brings similar overall efficiency around ~23-24%. It’s safe to say they’re all the best portable panels in the industry.
Bluetti PV200 vs Bluetti SP200: Shading Performance
Partial shading of the system matters as all panels in a section need to run at the same voltage; if one panel is shaded even partially, it can bring down the production of the whole system. Bluetti also encountered this issue with the SP200 panels, where a 10% of area shading can cause a shocking 40% or more power loss to the whole solar array. The company confirmed that panels from competing brands suffer the same issue.
Now, that’s where the most important upgrade happens with Bluetti’s new solar panels. The company changed the connection type of solar battery cells from series connection to parallel. What this means is that each circuit on the panel can run individually at the same voltage. The panel will only lose the power of the area with shadows, it won’t have a negative effect on the entire system, and it will operate normally.
When solar panels are exposed to shady conditions, their efficiency drops, and their performance suffers as a result. Environmental obstructions such as trees or nearby buildings, clouds, self-shading between panels in parallel rows, dirt, dust, and various other trash such as bird dropping – all of these can cause shading. Fortunately, Bluetti managed to solve this problem with the brand new PV200 and PV120 solar panels, so you’ll always get the power you need!
Where to buy Bluetti Solar Panels?
The new Bluetti PV solar panels are now on hot sale with their solar generator bundles. You can pick up the 200W PV200 for $549 per piece, and the 120W version for $399. With an AC200P and three PV200 bundle, you can get the 200W panels for as low as $425 each!
The sale will end at PDT 7 PM on September 30th, which means that you only have one week left to grab yourself a bargain. You can grab the discount now, while it lasts on Bluetti’s website.
Bluetti’s new PV panels are now on hot sale with their solar generator bundles.
We thank BLUETTI for sponsoring this post!
Roland Udvarlaki
Roland is a technology enthusiast and software engineer based in United Kingdom. He is also a content creator and writer, and is best known under the name “Techusiast”.