How Long Does A BLUETTI Solar Generator Last?

Each year more and more people become interested in both solar panels and energy storage. 

A survey conducted by Pew Research Center in 2022 shows that 8% of U.S. homeowners have got solar panels currently installed, and an additional 39% have given the technology some serious consideration in the last year. 

This suggests that many of you reading this article are yet to own any solar equipment but are in the process of potentially investing in it. 

One of the most common questions we get is how long our equipment lasts. This question makes sense as you want to ensure you get the most out of your money. 

To understand how long BLUETTI solar generators last, we need to better understand the technology behind them.

What Does A BLUETTI Solar Generator Consist Of?

BLUETTI solar generators consist of 3 main components:

• Charge Controller
• Inverter
• Battery

We won't go into too much detail on the first two components as they are slightly less important when it comes to the overall lifecycle of the product. 

First and foremost, it is important to know that the heart and soul of any solar generator is its battery. 

The battery is responsible for storing the energy you use to power your appliances. Without it, there would be no solar generator. 

Therefore, figuring out how long a BLUETTI solar generator lasts means you need to know what battery type it uses. 

And there are a lot of battery types out there. 

For example, under the lithium-ion umbrella alone, there are over 10 different types. Some of those are: 

• Lithium cobalt oxide battery (ICR)
• Lithium–silicon battery
• Lithium-ion manganese-oxide battery (LMO)
• Lithium-ion polymer battery (LiPo)
• Lithium–iron–phosphate battery (LFP)
• Lithium–nickel–manganese–cobalt oxides (NMC)
• Lithium–nickel–cobalt–aluminum oxides (NCA)
• Lithium-sulfur battery
• Lithium–titanate battery (LTO)
• Thin-film lithium-ion battery
• Lithium–ceramic battery

If you are interested in learning about each of these batteries and more, we recommend giving this Wikipedia article a read. 

Each and every one of the batteries mentioned above has varying chemical properties. 

These properties all have different effects on the battery and its performance. For example, different battery types have different levels of safety, specific energy, performance, specific power, cost, and (you guessed it) lifespans. 

This is why in order to know how long your solar generator lasts, you need to know what type of battery they are using. 

Believe it or not but many manufacturers actually keep this information a secret. 

We recommend you avoid these companies like the plague. 

Nevertheless, the ideal battery is: 

• Low maintenance
• High energy density
• Safe
• Slow aging process
• Hot and cold resistant
• Low self-discharge
• Lightweight

If your solar generator's battery can meet all the above (as much as possible), you have yourself a very optimal solar generator. 

Taking the above list into account, which battery from the previous list do you think is most optimal?

If you answered Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) then you probably have slightly more advanced knowledge of secondary cells. 

The answer is indeed LFP batteries. 

LFP batteries balance maintenance, safety, energy density, and aging the best. In fact, LFP batteries are also used in the Tesla Model 3. 

Al BLUETTI solar generators use LFP technology. 

The question, however, still remains, how long do they last?

How Long Do BLUETTI Solar Generators Last?

Now that we know BLUETTI solar generators use LFP technology we are able to get a better idea on how long they last. 

For your convenience we have created a table which indicates the total lifecycles of each BLUETTI model. 

Another way of looking at it is working out how many years your solar generator will last you. 

The easiest way to do this is assume you discharge your solar generator to 100% every single day.

Then the calculation is easy, Lifecycles / 365 days = number of years your solar generator will last you. 

For example, the AC200P: 3500 / 365 = 9.5 years of usage. 

Now most of us wont discharge every single day, so you can only expect that amount of time to increase (perhaps double fold). 

Final Thoughts

Now that you have a better idea on how many life cycles each of our solar generators have and what their lifetime energy productions are you can get a better idea on how long they could actually last you. 

Our solar generator with the most capacity is the modular AC500 + B300 battery packs. At full capacity this solar generator can store 18,432 Wh. 

18,432 Wh x 3500 lifecycles equals a total lifetime kWh of 64,512 kWh. 

That is enough energy to power the average U.S. home continuously for roughly 6 years!