AlphaESS 300W Monocrystalline Foldable Solar Panel Review

AlphaESS 300W Monocrystalline Foldable Solar Panel

9.3

Power

9.0/10

Design

9.0/10

Build

10.0/10

Pros

  • 300W power output that can recharge a power station very quickly under optimal sunlight; even better if you can use two solar panels at the same time
  • Included steel kickstands are heavy, well built and won't fall over nearly as easily as regular fabric kickstands
  • The panels are IP67 rated, so they are safe from rain

Cons

  • The steel kickstands can be tricky to set up at first but are easy once you get the hang of it
(Last Updated On: February 12, 2023)

Solar panels have improved significantly in the past few years, with various panels ranging from low to high wattage output. Like power stations, solar panels work the same, meaning the higher the wattage on the solar panel, the larger, heavier, and higher priced it will be. Of course, having a powerful solar panel is a major advantage when you’re off the grid, as you can make the most of the sunlight hitting the panels and recharge devices in a shorter time.

In this review, I’m looking at this AlphaESS 300W Monocrystalline ETFE foldable solar panel. This panel is on the higher wattage side; in this case, I’ve got two panels to test out simultaneously. Let’s check out how they performed.

What’s in the Box

Accessories included with the 300W solar panel are somewhat minimal. The first thing you’ll find in the box is the carrying case that holds the panel and the three steel kickstands. I also found a 79-inch Anderson to Anderson cable in the carrying pouch, the manual for the panel, and a 12-month warranty card. So it’s all pretty standard stuff regarding what you’re getting with the panel, and the most surprising part is the steel kickstands.

Why am I surprised that this panel came with steel kickstands? Well, that’s because most larger portable solar panels have built-in fabric kickstands at the back. Setting up completely separate kickstands isn’t exactly the norm. However, I’m not complaining. The steel kickstands still performed very well. Let me tell you about my experience setting up the panels and how I used them.

Size and Weight

Before telling you how I set up the panels, let’s go over the size. This is a large panel, at least when it’s completely unfolded, with a 93-inch length, so you have to make sure you have enough space to make the most of the panel. When the panel is folded, it has a 25-inch length, a constant 35-inch width, and about a 1.1-inch thickness when folded. The panel weighs 17 pounds.

So is this panel easily portable? Yes, I find it easy to move around as long as it’s folded, as you can use the large yellow handles to make portability easier. The only time portability is tricky is when the panels are unfolded, but that can be said about any foldable panels. Overall, the size is what you can expect from any 300W panel.

Setting the up the Panels

When setting up the panels, you can always lay them on the floor, which most people do. Just having them flat on the floor ensures that they’re always going to get some form of sunlight as long as the sun is out, and that’s a great way to use these AlphaESS panels. In testing, I found that laying the panels flat with the kickstands on cloudy days would be the best option.

For clear and sunny days, that’s when it’s best to have the panels faced up with the kickstands. So when it came to setting up the panels with the steel kickstands, I found it a bit confusing, but it’s simple once you know what to do. The kickstands have two adjustable angles, with one angle allowing the panels to face up more to the sky while the other angle faces the panels more forward.

The best way to set up these kickstands is first by having one set up to the right of the panel, then set the 2nd kickstand to the left and the final stand in the middle. Once the three kickstands are set up, I’ve found them to be very stable; even though built-in stands for solar panels can be more convenient to set up, these steel moves don’t move and are very unlikely to move around even when it’s windy.

The built-in Anderson cable is the only way to use the AlphaESS panels; there are no other cables or ports on this panel. Lanyard holes on the panel can be used to latch the panels onto something. When it comes to folding, the two middle panels have buttons that can be used to attach them to ensure that the panels stay together for easier portability.

Overall, setting up the panels is just as easy as any other foldable solar panel you may have used.

Charging Power

Like any solar panel on the market, having ideal conditions is what you have to hope for. What are ideal conditions? Having a clear sky and full sun is an ideal condition when it comes to using solar panels. However, the great thing about using this 300W solar panel is that even on cloudy days, I got a decent wattage input.

In my testing, I used two AlphaESS 300W solar panels to recharge the BlackBee 2000 power station. I’ve already written a review article and made a video review for the BlackBee 2000 power station, so if you’re curious about the unit, you can take a look at those.

Included in the box with the BlackBee 2000 power station was a dual-channel Anderson cable that allowed me to use two panels to recharge the power station; also, the BlackBee 2000 has a 600W solar input, so I could push these panels to their full power to see what they’re capable of.

My first test was using these panels on a cloudy day, and I had the panels flat on the ground without the kickstands. With the two panels recharging the power station, I got around 170W of solar recharging power. The wattage would occasionally drop down and go back up depending on sun exposure coming through the clouds, but overall, this was pretty impressive. The BlackBee 2000 power station does have a 2,203Wh capacity, so of course, a 170W solar input isn’t the best, but for a cloudy day, it isn’t too bad.

I also wanted to be clear that you don’t have to use AlphaESS solar panels with the AlphaESS power station. Any solar panel can be used to recharge any other power station; if the device you’re recharging has an Anderson input port, you can use these panels to recharge it. Even if the device doesn’t have an Anderson port, you only need the right adapter to make compatibility happen.

When I started the cloudy day test for recharging the BlackBee 2000 power station, the power station was at 34%. I started at 2 PM and returned at 5 PM when the sun was practically done. At 5 PM, the power station was at 41%. Granted, I started this cloudy day test pretty late, as the panels could only get about 2.5 hours of real power; in my opinion, this is pretty impressive. If I had my panels out for 5+ hours, even on a cloudy day, these panels would be able to recharge a good chunk of capacity for the power station.

More Sun Exposure Testing

It was still a partially cloudy day for my second test with these two 300W solar panels, so not exactly full exposure, and I started this test at about 12PM with the power station at 38% and with a starting recharging speed of about 136W. I ended this charging test at about 4 PM, and the power station was at 60%.

Then finally, on the final day of testing these solar panels, it was a nearly clear sky with full sun, but still with thin clouds covering the sun. I started this test at about 12PM with the power station at 60%, and the recharging speed was 335W. For this test, I checked on the power station periodically and found that the recharge speed would occasionally be 400W to 420W. By the end of this test, at about 4 PM, the power station was fully recharged.

Overall, the charging power from these AlphaESS 300W solar panels is impressive and truly shows that high-wattage solar panels, in general, are incredibly useful. If you have a high-capacity power station that is rechargeable at high solar wattage, it’s worth using a solar panel to recharge it with. The BlackBee 2000 power station that I tested these solar panels with has a 2,203Wh capacity; if I started recharging it from the start of the day to the end of the day on a fully sunny day, these 300W solar panels would likely be able to recharge it to about 70%.

Build Quality

The build quality for this AlphaESS 300w solar panel is strong. The panels have an IP67 water-resistance rating, so they can easily withstand rain. However, the device you are charging can likely not survive rain, so remember to use something like a power station in a safe location. This panel also has a Monocrystalline ETFE film that allows for higher transparency, meaning more sunlight can hit the panels for more power. The ETFE film also provides high protection and rigidness to the panels.

AlphaESS 300W Monocrystalline Foldable Solar Panel Specs
Peak Power300W
Power Voltage33V
Power Current9.1A
Open Circuit Voltage38.94V
Short Circuit Current10.67A
Connector TypeAnderson
Cell TypeMonocrystalline
Operating Temperature Range14-140°F (-10°C-60°C)
Dimensions (Unfolded)128.94*35.24*0.59in
Dimensions (Folded)35.24*24.8*1.18in
Weight17 Pounds

Conclusion

If you want a simple, powerful, and easy-to-use 300W solar panel that can charge higher capacity and high-wattage power stations faster, this AlphaESS 300W solar panel is a good choice. The biggest difference is that it uses steel kickstands that can be awkward to set up at first, but it takes seconds to set up once you get used to it. Also, the steel kickstands don’t move around like the fabric ones on most other solar panels.

AlphaESS Portable Solar Panel 300W with IP67 Waterproof Foldable Solar Charger, Monocrystalline Foldable Solar Panel with Adjustable Kickstands for Power Station, Solar Generator, Outdoor Camping
  • [Remarkable Capacity] - This AlphaESS SP300 300Watt solar panel has 33V Power Voltage, featuring a folding design that could be set up or packed away in seconds. With integrated pressure technology, this 300w solar cell weighs only 16.53 pounds, Ideal backup power for outdoor camping, fishing, off-grid living, emergency.
  • [Efficient And Reliable] - Built with premium monocrystalline solar cells and lONG-LASTING ETFE material on the surface achieving a light penetration rate of 95%, and excellent cell efficiency of 23%. Andersen connector improves energy efficiency and can be compatible with most solar generators and power stations on the market. Pair with the AlphaESS BlackBee 2000 Portable Power Station with Dual-MPPT Controllers to ensure your energy efficiency is maximized.
  • [Durable Waterproof IP67] - Designed with removable kickstands and a handy carrying bag, this solar panel meets a waterproof IP67 rating, making it more durable and flexible than ever. It's suitable for most outdoor activities and weather, you can enjoy solar charging where you go.
  • [Green Renewable Power] - This solar panel gathers clean energy from the sun to charge your power stations and devices. It's designed to reduce environmental impact. No noise and fumes, eco-friendly.
  • [What You Get] - 1 * AlphaESS SP300 300W Solar Panel, 1 * Anderson Extension Cable(78in), 3 * Kickstands, 1 * Carrying Bag, 1 * User Manual.
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