(Last Updated On: May 17, 2022)

Solar panels come in different sizes and can output a range of different wattages; the higher, the better because you can recharge your power station faster. In this review, we’re looking at this Ecoflow 220W Bifacial Solar panel, a news release at the time of writing this review, and a great addition to Ecoflow products because it fits a good middle ground for Solar panel charging. Let’s see why you’d want to go with this solar charger over lower or even higher tier ones.

What’s Included in the Box

Inside the box is, of course, the 220W Bifacial Solar panel, the manual, a kickstand case, and four lanyard hooks. What you’re getting is minimal, and you’ll have to provide your own solar charging cable to use with the power station that you’re planning on recharging it with. Still, this EcoFlow bifacial solar panel already has an MC4 connector built-in. The kickstand case is exactly what it sounds like, as it can be used to conceal and carry the solar panel with, and it’s used to keep the solar panel upright for the best sun exposure.

Build Quality

This EcoFlow solar panel is built as strongly as a solar panel can be built. It’s using tempered glass panels in each of its four sections so it won’t break easily. Ecoflow does make it necessary to know that you should not be dropping, hitting, or piercing the solar panel as it could still damage the panel and make it underperform or non-functional.

 

The solar panels are IP68 waterproof thanks to their hot processing process fold during manufacturing, you can submerge the panels in water, and they will be just fine. If it’s raining you don’t have to worry about the solar panels getting damaged, because the IP68 water-resistant rating easily protects them from rain.

The primary concern for water is the MC4 cable that the solar panel has because that’s not a waterproof component. Since this is a solar panel and will be out in the sun on hot days, we did kind of worry about the solar panel getting too hot, but the panels can withstand up to 300° F. So it’s better to worry about placing the device you’re charging with the Solar panel out of the sun and, in our experience, we put the EcoFlow Delta Mini behind the solar panel so it wouldn’t overheat due to sun exposure. The Solar panel will be just fine under hot temperatures.

Design

This 220W solar is large and pretty heavy; it’s the second most powerful Solar panel that Ecoflow sells, with their 400W solar panel being the highest tier one. There are two lower-tier solar panels from Ecoflow that include a 110W and a 160W Solar panel, so we think this 220W solar panel fits a good balance of power and portability.

When Completely unfolded, the 220W Solar panel has a length of 72 inches, a width of 32 inches, and a thickness of 1 inch. The panel weighs 21 pounds.

Once the panel is folded, you can place it into its carrying case for easier portability as the case has a handle and protects the panel during travel, such as having it in your car.

When it comes to using the carrying case as a kickstand, you can use the included hooks to place on the bottom and top straps of the case and then connect them to the lanyard holes of the solar panel to ensure that the case keeps the solar panel upright. If you want to change the angle of the Solar panel, then you have to zip or unzip the carrying case.

Power

 

You could completely ignore using the kickstand case and place the solar panel flat on the ground. Still, we highly don’t recommend that because this is such a Bifacial Solar panel, meaning it has front and back solar panels that can take in sunlight and output power. The front part of the Solar panel is denoted by a sign that says, “Face this Side Towards the Sun.”

So how does this Ecoflow Bifacial design work with giving this Solar panel more power? The front part is getting total sun exposure; the backside takes in ambient sunlight. With most solar panels, you only get energy from sunlight directly hitting the front panels, but in this case, you get 360 exposure that lets you squeeze out more wattage.

We tested this 220W Solar panel with the EcoFlow Delta Mini power station. We started by recharging the unit with the Solar panel placed flat on the ground with total sun exposure to the front panels. With the Solar panel faced down, the Delta Mini could only recharge 70W, far away from the max 220W that this Solar panel is supposed to output.

Then for our second test, we placed the Ecoflow Solar panel upright using the kickstand case with the front getting full sun and the back getting ambient light. With this upright test, the solar panel could recharge the Delta Mini anywhere from 150W to 170W, better than a single panel side receiving sunlight.

In terms of how efficient the energy conversion is, this EcoFlow solar panel uses monocrystalline cells, and they can achieve up to 23% conversion of power. Then when you consider just how sensitive the panels are, which in this case, this solar panel can still capture energy even if it’s a cloudy day. Not many solar panels can function without direct sunlight, but this EcoFlow solar panel can, but you’re going to want full sun exposure for optimal charging power.

Compatibility

We used this EcoFlow solar panel with an EcoFlow power station. You can use this solar panel with nearly any portable power station or any other device that can recharge via a solar panel. You will need to provide your own MC4 cable compatible with the power station that you want to recharge. We used an MC4 to XT60 cable to connect to the solar panel and then connected the XT60 side to the Delta Mini power station.

 

Some power stations may use DC ports to recharge via a solar panel, and in that case, you’d need an MC4 to DC cable to charge from this EcoFlow 220W solar panel. Still, other than that, this solar panel is practically universal as long as you know what cable to use with it.

Summary:

Power:

Our point of view when it comes to solar charging is that you should go with a large and powerful solar panel; going with low wattage and a small solar panel doesn’t make much sense because you’re going to be stuck with a much slower recharge rate. This 220W Solar panel provides a great size to capture tons of sunlight, a bifacial design to capture more sunlight than a regular panel, and an efficient conversion rate.

Design:

This 220W solar panel is large and has a hefty weight, but that’s what you get with more charging power. Once the panel is folded out, you should use the kickstand case and included hook to stand up the solar panel to ensure that the front and the back are getting exposed to sunlight. The back of the solar panel takes in ambient light and is a major positive feature of the EcoFlow solar panel.

Build:

This EcoFlow solar panel has tempered glass in each of its panels, and the entirety of it is sealed through a hot pressing process fold that makes the panel IP68 water-resistant. The only part that you should be careful about getting wet is the MC4 cable connected to the panels. The panels are rated to withstand 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Reliability:

Whether you have an EcoFlow power station or any other power station, you can use this EcoFlow Bifacial Solar panel for recharging. The primary factor to consider for compatibility is if you have a suitable MC4 cable to connect your power station.

	EcoFlow Foldable 220W Bifacial Solar Panel Specs
Rated Power	220W Front Side/155W Rear Side
Cell Type	Monocrystalline Silicon
Efficiency	22-23%
Connector Type	MC4
Open Circuit Voltage	21.8V (Vmp 18.4V)
Short Circuit Current	13A (Imp 12.0A) Front Side/ 8.8A (Imp8.4A) Rear Side
Size	32.3 x 72.0 x 1.0 inches
Weight	20.9 pounds

Conclusion:

The EcoFlow 220W Bifacial solar panel is one you should consider getting simply because of its power and design. The dual-panel setup gets you more than a single panel design. An essential part of a solar panel is light exposure, and this EcoFlow solar panel maximizes exposure with its bifacial design.