List Price: $599.99
Price: $279.95 You Save:$320.04 (53%)
Product Details
Weatherproof, durable solar panels can withstand impacts from hailstones travelling 50 miles-per-hour
Built-in blocking diode helps protect against battery discharge at night
Amorphous solar charging kit provides up to 60 watts of clean, free, renewable power
Customer Reviews
Innovative design from China, packaging needs help
*Update* 6-2010, while my original panels are still running strong so long as I hose them down once a month, I've noticed that the PVC pipe provided to hold them in place has become brittle with sun exposure, hence I would now in 20/20 hindsight recommend a coat of on the PVC parts to prevent UV cracking later in life. I do not think the Krylon Fusion product was available when I first setup my first panels but UV cracking of the support structure could cause panel damage in years 2 and 3. Meanwhile Amazon got their hands on some obsolete & discontinued Sharp panels (12.5% efficiency vs the new 13.1% efficiency) - if you are serious about needing lots of solar power in a small space, this is a big kit - you can view it here:...
January 20, 2008
(santa clara, CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 837 | Rating: 4
This product has been grossly misrepresented
I purchased two of these kits (8 panels) and mounted them on the top of my RV. I have had them on the top of my RV now for approximately 8 months. When I received the units, I tested each of them for the open voltage measurement noted in the instructions with a digital meter and found each to be producing 21 volts unloaded. Encouraged that the panels were working properly, I went ahead and took the time and expense to mount them to the top of my RV. After 8 months, here's what I found: First of all, the 15 watt, 1 amp peak output rating that Sunforce advertises is not correct. The peak output rating for each of these panels should have been advertised at approximately 750 milliamps per panel. The total peak output that one could typically expect from the 4 panels in this kit would be around 3 amps. 3 amps under perfect conditions. I have noticed that the boards are extremely prone to large drops (upwards of 45%) in current...
May 9, 2010
(Athens, GA USA) | Helpful Votes: 393 | Rating: 1
Permanently installed on roof
The panels are installed on my garage roof, wired in to a battery bank and inverter which primarily functions as a very large (4KW) uninterruptible power supply for the house. So far, everything is working fine. They keep the batteries topped off without using power from the grid. Like most manufacturer's specs, the 60 watt claim is hard to realize. The panels' current output is about 3.2 amps under bright sun, which yields only about 45 watts into a 12 volt gel cell battery at 14.2 volts. The panels can output about 20 volts which would indeed yield 60 watts, but not while connected with the included charge controller. A MPPT controller would achieve 60 watts, however. The included controller is acceptable in that it works as advertised. One good thing about it is that it does not shunt the panels when the battery is charged, it actually opens the circuit, which means the excess panel output would be available for other uses. I intend to build another device for...
Very Good for Emergencies
I own four of these. Got them from another source. I have all of them in a closet waiting for an extended power outage. I purchased Radio Shack #274-1573 adapters so that I can plug them directly into my four Xantrex XPower Powerpack 400 plus units (battery pack power sources). These power packs give me both 12 Volt DC and 115 Volt AC. I keep them fully charged by plugging them in to the wall socket. As for choosing solar panels, If I could afford it (and I was many years younger) I might have purchased the much more expensive monocrystalline solar panels. They retain 80% of original efficiency after twenty five years of continuous use. By contrast, these much cheaper S-1116 briefcase panels will only last about five years of continuous use. Also, the monocrystalline panels are much more efficient and thus smaller while producing higher wattage. A nice portable monocrystalline briefcase is available at much higher cost. It is even somewhat weather proof. The S-1116 is not...
May 23, 2009
(Medford, OR USA) | Helpful Votes: 67 | Rating: 4
S-1116 Amorphous Briefcase Solar Performance Numbers
I bought this unit as a low cost way to gain some hands on experience with solar panels, and for possible use to recharge my laptop computer after a hurricane power outage. Via digital voltmeter I found: Open circuit voltage: ~ 21.5 v Max charging current: 400 - 500 ma Both the voltage and current will vary somewhat depending on temperature and insolation - these values are for shirt sleeve temperature and good sky conditions. I've used it to recharge the battery on a motorcycle that's used infrequently, and leave it on the front dash of an Astro van that is also infrequently used. It adds charge in both cases, but at a half amp tops its not a fast way to do it. The unit is reasonably well built, and the supplied hookup cables are useful. For light duty or maintenance charging, it can do the job. If you want to deliver a more robust amount of power, a monocrystaline panel will deliver a lot more juice for the same physical size, whether its...
November 8, 2009
| Helpful Votes: 37 | Rating: 4
Works Well
This product works very well and is easy to set up and get started. Excellent compact size. Beware of two things though and if I have any complaints these would be: look out for the shipping (new to amazon and didn't think it would be that much) and it is only a 13 watt solar panel. So if you're new to solar panels like I was, it will not charge a battery very fast and the 13 watt is the MAXIMUM. Expect less. I use this panel to charge the Duracell 600 power pack (28aH battery basically) and it just never had enough juice to do the job. I did combine it with the Coleman 36 Watt solar panel but I'm still testing it so I'll have to update this review later. So whats good about it? Its a great trickle charger, it won't over charge your battery (blocking diode) Just a little sunlight will start it charging, and it's extremely portable (long cord wraps up inside). The connectors are easy to use and if you're worried about controlling the charge I would recommend the Kintrex (7...
List Price: $499.99
Price: $375.00 You Save:$124.99 (25%)
Product Details
Supplies up to 1,500 watt household electricity
AC and DC plug included
Portable, wheeled design
Customer Reviews
Powers a large Karaoke machine for five+ hours
I needed a powerful but sealed power-pack (sealed battery + converter) for poolside use, to power a large 110-volt karaoke machine for five hours a day. The Xatrex 1500 is the only power-pack I've found that meets this requirement. It was a pleasant surprise to find that the wheels have rubber rather than (noisy) plastic treads. The first 1500 stopped working with a bang after two hours. When I phoned the Xantrex company, the technician I soon was talking to quickly concluded that my 1500 had malfunctioned and recommended that I return it. I was pleased with this candor. The second 1500 has worked for about a month now. Not obvious is that the 1500 has a small storage cabinet, in which I store an extension cord. Both 1500s arrived undamaged. A disclaimer is that I bought my 1500s from costo-dot-comm, which is relevant because perhaps Costco uses different packaging for shipping. The "large karaoke machine" is a...
March 20, 2006
(McLean, VA USA) | Helpful Votes: 141 | Rating: 4
Good all-in-one package
The Xpower 1500 is a good backup system as it has eveything you need in a convenient handtruck (the batteries are heavy).Unfortunately the 61 Amphr batteries don't last that long. Adding a 100Ahr battery which you can easily be connected to the xPower make for a nice system which will get you thru a few days of blackout.
October 24, 2003
(Durham, NC United States) | Helpful Votes: 103 | Rating: 4
Badly damaged once again.
I previously ordered two of these units and wrote a review. Both were badly damaged, but one was salvagable. The other I had to return, after it overheated and emitted a noxious odor. I decided to take a chance and order another unit this month (goal was to have total of two working units), hoping that whatever warehouse or shipping issues that resulted in previous damage had been resolved. They weren't. This unit also came with crushed top and wheels. Until the manufacturer comes up with a better way to ship these heavy beasts, not worth it.
Great generator for apartments because you can use it indoors and most apartments dont allow gas generators
Duracell powerpack 600 with three three pronge outlets 600watt max
30 watt 12v polycrystalline solar panel wired with a ac plug that plugs into the batterybox
Step by Step: How I Built A Solar Generator For Less Than $300
This is how I built my solar powered generator for only $300.00. I provide step by step instructions on how to do it yourself. Please leave a ...
MidAmerican to buy California solar generator
01.01.70
MidAmerican Energy Holdings, owner of Iowa’s largest electric and gas utility, said Wednesday it will buy a 550-megawatt photovoltaic power plant under construction in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., from Topaz Solar Farm.
The purchase price was not disclosed. In its release MidAmerican estimated the construction cost of the plant at about $2 billion.
MidAmerican said the plant will have the capacity to generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 160,000 average California homes. The more than $2 billion Topaz project is one of the two largest PV projects in the world, both being built by First Solar.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company will purchase the electricity from Topaz under a 25-year power purchase agreement, helping California to meet its mandate to generate 33 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.
Developed by First Solar, the Topaz project will incorporate the companyâs advanced thin- film PV modules, which generate electricity with no emissions, waste or water use and have the smallest carbon footprint of any PV technology.
The project was first submitted as a proposal in the Land Art Generator Initiative. The contest asked designers to create a large-scale renewable energy
The Hagerstown City Council Tuesday introduced the city's first proposed ordinance regulating wind and solar energy generators. City Planning Director Kathy
The prototype of a portable solar power generator built by Mack Coyle, a self-made engineer, for a wedding caught the eye of Jeff Lipton and paved the way
Dec 12, 2011 from karren hammers
ℊ Ensupra Grid Tie Inverter 500W for Wind; 15VDC-60VDC to 120VAC ; Power from Wind Generator, Solar Panel, Hydro or Storage Battery; 1 ye
Dec 12, 2011 from karren hammers
ℊ Moonrays 97125 Rechargeable NiCd AA Batteries for Solar Powered Units, 4 Pack to Buy Cheap Prices http://solarpanelsformyhome.generator
The project was first submitted as a proposal in the Land Art Generator Initiative. The contest asked designers to create a large-scale renewable energy
ℊ Ensupra Grid Tie Inverter 500W for Wind; 15VDC-60VDC to 120VAC ; Power from Wind Generator, Solar Panel, Hydro or Storage Battery; 1 ye
Solar Generator From Solutions From Science 
Portable Solar Power Generator at Birmingham 
