400W rated power Monocrystalline silicon cells with 22. 4% efficiency Foldable with carrying bag doubling as kickstand MC4 MPPT output controller IP68 waterproof
Brand: EcoFlow Type: Foldable and portable Power: 400W (possibly 350W max) Voltage: 48V Size: unfolded: 42. 0 x 94. 1 x 1. 0 inches (106. 8 x 239. 0 x 2. 4cm) folded: 42. 0 x 94. 1 x 1. 0 inches (106. 8 x 62. 0 x 2. 4cm) Weight: 35. 3lbs (16kg) Ingress Protection Rating: IP68 Price per Watt: ~$3 ($3. 43 at 350W) Maximum Current: 11A (Imp 9. 8A) Connector Type: MC4 Efficiency: 22. 4% Solar cells: Monocrystalline silicone
Monocrystalline cells Compact and lightweight, considering its rated power Foldable and portable Robust and weatherproof
Tops out at 350W in near perfect weather, according to EcoFlow Challenging to set up by oneself Bends considerably when using carrying case for support
What’s in the Box
The EcoFlow 400W solar panel ships in a cleverly constructed cardboard box with minimal plastic wrapping and only one Styrofoam spacer. We appreciate the eco-conscious packaging.
The box contains the solar panel itself and the following accessories:
Carrying bag, doubling as a kickstand 4 snap hooks/carabiners Instruction manual
The installation steps are printed in the instruction manual and on the cardboard box.
How to Set Up and Use the EcoFlow 400W Solar Panel
The EcoFlow solar panel comes wrapped in its carrying bag. When using the solar panel when the sun is highest between 10am and 2pm, you can just remove it from the carrying bag and lay it flat on the ground for maximum sun exposure. Before and after midday, use the kickstand setup seen above.
However, setting up the kickstand isn’t as easy as pulling off a velcro tab. Instead, here’s what we thought was the easiest way to set up the solar panel with its kickstand.
Lay the bag flat on the ground with the soft side down. The short zippered end of the bag should be facing in the direction of the sun, as this is the direction the solar panel will be facing (see photo above). Unzip the bag and fold the hard side back. Now hook the four carabiners into the carrying bag’s loops, as pictured below. We didn’t remove the carabiners when we took down the panel.
Next, unfold the solar panel and center it on the soft side of the carrying bag. The solar cells should be facing up, and the panel should cross the carrying bag perpendicular (as pictured in step 3 below); other than that, the orientation doesn’t matter. Hook the carabiners of the long loops (3 and 4 in the illustration above) into the two nearest (center) grommets of the solar panel. Now lift the solar panel up and also lift the hard side of the carrying bag, so you can snap the carabiners into the nearest grommets on the (now) top side of the panel. This is where help from a second person might come in handy.
Once all the carabiners are hooked in, you can adjust the angle from 40° to 80°, until you reach a 90° angle between the panel and the sun. At this point, it would be good to connect your portable battery to the panel, to see at which point you get the highest input charge.
When you connect the panel’s MC4 connectors (on the left in the photo above) to an adapter, note that you might have to reverse the adapter’s polarity before you can connect another cable that plugs into your battery. If you use an MC4 to Anderson connector, which plugs directly into your battery, this won’t be necessary. Since we already had two SAE cables in our collection, however, we opted for an MC4 to SAE adapter (connected to one MC4 connector in the photo above), which conveniently came with an SAE polarity reverse adapter (in the middle in the photo above).
What’s It Like to Use the EcoFlow 400W Solar Panel?
The EcoFlow 400W solar panel makes a great first impression. The fabric used to cover the backside of the panel and the carrying bag feels high quality and repels water. The design is sleek and functional.
At over 35 pounds (16kg), this panel is at the top end of what we’d consider portable. You won’t want to haul the panel across long distances, though the carrying handles and shoulder strap make it reasonably comfortable to carry. Setting the panel up is straightforward, but since it’s sectioned into four floppy parts, it needs good coordination or a bit of help.
The panel is IP68 rated, meaning it should withstand dust, dirt, sand, and submersion in water up to a maximum depth of 5ft (1.5m) for up to 30 minutes. However, EcoFlow cautions that only the panel’s main body is completely waterproof. While the junction box and connection points should not be immersed in water, rain shouldn’t affect them. To confirm this, we opened the junction box and found the inside sealed with waterproof material.
When using the carrying bag as a kickstand, we found it impossible to set the panel up completely straight. The sides would always bend back a little. We didn’t have a chance to test this, but we suspect wind would be problematic, as it’s somewhat bendable and presents such a large surface. You could use the additional grommets to secure the panel. Better yet, avoid the kickstand and create a more permanent mounting solution.
Before you can hook the panel up to charge a power station, you’ll probably need a suitable adapter cable. This panel comes only with the MC4 connectors attached to the junction box. Depending on which cables you already have and what you’d like to charge, pick either a MC4 to Anderson adapter or a MC4 to SAE adapter.
What Can You Charge With the EcoFlow 400W Solar Panel
According to EcoFlow, you can expect this panel to output up to 350W on a clear cloud-free day with sunlight hitting the panel at a 90° angle. EcoFlow did not specify which conditions would yield the full 400W output, but the conditions they quote for reaching 350W sound about perfect. With an output of 350W, the EcoFlow 400W solar panel would charge the Oukitel P2001, a power station with a capacity of 2,000Wh, in just under six hours. Before you hook the panel up to charge a battery, make sure its maximum charge capacity is compatible with this panel.
If you own the EcoFlow Delta Pro, you can wire up to three EcoFlow 400W solar panels in series to power your portable battery. Note that EcoFlow doesn’t recommend wiring panels from different brands or with a different wattage in series. You can, of course, charge a non-EcoFlow power station, given it’s compatible with MC4 standards and can handle up to 400W input.
Should You Buy the EcoFlow 400W Solar Panel?
The EcoFlow 400W solar panel is one of the most powerful portable solar panels on the market today. The panel is sleek, functional, and fairly easy to set up. We also liked its low-waste packaging.
Thanks to its foldable design, the EcoFlow 400W solar panel remains portable, though it’s rather heavy and somewhat floppy. As mentioned above, we had trouble keeping it from bending when setting it up using the carrying bag as a kickstand. While you can secure it using the grommets along its upper and lower edges, we recommend mounting it on a solid support structure. However, if you’re looking for a truly portable unit to use in all kinds of weather, including windy conditions, this panel might not be the best option. You could opt for connecting several smaller EcoFlow solar panels or invest in a more rigid panel from a different manufacturer.
At around $3 per watt, the EcoFlow 400W solar panel isn’t the cheapest panel you can get, and you’ll pay extra for adapters if you need them. And if you can believe EcoFlow, the panel will likely top out at 350W, so it’s more like $3.43 per watt. The $3 per-watt price point is similar to the Jackery Solar Saga 100, but that’s a much smaller and hence more flexible 100W panel. If you have the space and don’t need something ultra portable, you could consider the FlexSolar 200W briefcase solar panel instead, which costs approximately $1.85 per watt. The FlexSolar even comes with a selection of cables and a solar charge controller included.
Q: What material is the FlexSolar 400W solar panel made of?
The panel is made from layers of pliable ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer and durable fiberglass. Each monocrystalline silicon cell is covered with ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) film, which yields its IP68 waterproof rating.
Q: Will the materials last for the lifetime of the solar panel?
Generally, the materials this panel is made from will easily outlast the solar cells themselves. According to a 2016 study on EVA, the polymer used in constructing EcoFlow solar panels, this polymer degrades by just 1% in 30 years, which “is likely to have little impact on the module performance.” Monocrystalline solar panels like the EcoFlow 400W solar panel, have a typical lifespan of up to 30 years.
