Can You Power a House with Portable Solar Panels?

Portable solar panels have become popular with outdoor enthusiasts. Used when camping or hiking, they enable you to keep your devices powered while off-grid. But can you use them to power your house? Is the power output enough for an average American house? Let’s find out.

What Are Portable Solar Panels?

Portable solar panels are compatible, foldable panels that are easy to transport. While ideal for powering small devices such as laptops, smartphones, and small appliances, they cannot power your entire house.

Ideally, you can get them in two forms: rigid foldable and flexible solar panels. As the name suggests, rigid solar panels are not flexible but are foldable. Flexible solar panels can however bend. They are also more lightweight and thinner than the rigid options.

How Do Portable Solar Panels Work?

Like conventional solar panels, portable options are made from photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity. Most homeowners use two or more portable panels and connect them together to a battery. This way, the electricity produced is enough to power most small appliances.

A typical portable solar system will include:

• Solar panels capture the sunlight and convert it into electricity.
• Charge controller to monitor the flow of electric power to the battery system. When the battery is fully charged, it will disconnect energy flow from the solar panels.
• Battery system for storing excess electricity for use at a later time.
• An inverter to convert DC power into stable AC power, ideal for household appliances.

Besides the flexible and rigid foldable portable panels, you can also get the off-grid, grid-tie, and hybrid panels.

Off-grid solar panels are not connected to the power grid. If you’re on a camping trip, this might be an ideal option for you. They are compact and mostly flexible allowing you to store them in tight spaces.

Grid-tie panels come in handy when you want power backup in case of power outages. They operate in unison with the power grid. 

Hybrid solar panels allow you to draw power from the power grid system, solar batteries, and solar panels. During the day, the solar panels will power your appliances, at night you can switch to the power grid, and solar batteries come in handy when there’s a power blackout.

What Are Portable Solar Panels Used For?

Well, portable solar panels can be used for home activities such as powering a microwave or laptop. But, they are mostly used for outdoor activities. It is not uncommon to find campers placing the panels outside their tents. 

Depending on the size, they are an ideal addition to boats and motorhomes. Actually most motorhomes rely on larger portable solar panels for their electricity needs. For one, they are easy to install and detach from the vehicle’s roof. Secondly, they are easy to clean.

But you don’t need to go camping or hiking to enjoy the benefits of portable solar panels. If you have a shed in your compound, you can use portable panels to power some of your tools, not to mention lighting your workstation.

Most American households are also using portable panels to power their electric fences. Traditionally, electric fences are powered by batteries or the power grid. And maintaining the batteries can be an expensive investment. To mitigate this, most homeowners are turning to portable solar panels. And so can you.

You can also use them for recreational purposes, small agricultural projects, and pumping water into your house. 

How Much Power Do Portable Solar Panels Provide?

The amount of power your portable solar panel will provide will depend on several factors. Among them, the amount of sunlight, wattage capacity, and how efficient it is. 

Like conventional solar panels, they tend to produce more electricity when there’s ample sunlight, especially during summer. The same cannot be said about winter given the persistent gloomy weather. 

An average 100-watt portable panel can produce between 300 and 600 Wh of energy in optimal conditions. This is enough power to run small devices such as smartphone chargers and routers. 

Larger portable panels with a 300-watt capacity can produce up to 2500 Wh, ideal for powering medium appliances such as coffee makers and microwaves. However, for the solar panels to operate at their maximum, there needs to be optimal conditions.

If you have to power large appliances with portable solar panels, you need several large units and an efficient battery system. Unfortunately, this may require a large space and can be expensive. 

Can You Power a House with Portable Solar Panels?

You cannot power your house with a single or two portable solar panels. The power they produce is not sufficient to run large appliances. Furthermore, they can power small devices for a few hours.

If you want to power your house with portable panels, you need to invest in a robust solar system. And this will include buying many solar panels and a large battery system. This is not only expensive but also not viable for an average home. We’d recommend installing large rooftop panels that are intended for powering the entire house.

Related articles: Top 5 Benefits of Solar Panels & Why You Should Invest

How Many Solar Panels to Run a House?

How Much Do Solar Panels For A Home Cost?

Pros and Cons of Portable Solar Panels

Pros 

• Cheaper 

Portable solar panels are cheaper than conventional mounted units. Most portable options cost less than $400. This is because they are smaller and do not come with extra features. Installing a portable solar system is cheaper than installing mounted panels. Even though they have a high initial cost, the benefit of not paying huge electricity bills will outweigh the cost.

• Sustainable 

Solar panels facilitate sustainability since they help reduce your carbon footprint. Generating electricity from the sun does not require burning of fossil fuels or destroying Mother Nature. As such, there is zero pollution of the environment. In addition, using solar reduces energy consumption as you are aware of how much power you are consuming daily.

• Convenient 

There’s no denying that using solar panels is convenient. Not only are they quieter but also more compact than conventional electric and fuel-powered generators. They enable you to meet your energy needs with little to no disturbance.

Cons

• Inadequate power production

Since portable panels are small, they do not produce adequate power to run most devices. While ideal for smaller ones, they can run them for a few hours only. You’d need solar batteries to power most of your devices.

• Some are heavy 

Larger portable panels are heavy and may be a hassle to carry along when going camping. Furthermore, the heavier the panel the more space it will require.

How Much Do Portable Solar Panels Cost?

Portable solar panels are not as expensive as mounted panels. In fact, you can get one for as little as $300. For example the BLUETTI PV120 Solar Panel | 120W will cost you $279. While it may not produce ample power for large appliances, you can use it to charge your phones and laptops when camping. And you can get some discounts by participating in store events.

Medium-sized options with a 200W capacity can fetch anywhere from $500 such as the BLUETTI PV200 Solar Panel | 200W which costs less than $500. With 200W, you can use it to power your phone, drone, or entertainment unit. And when you pair it with a battery, you can rest assured you’ll never lack power as you camp. These solar panels can also be used with solar generators and batteries to maximize their effectiveness.

As mentioned, larger panels cost more since they have more power output. For example, the BLUETTI PV420 Solar Panel | 420W produces adequate power to run medium appliances such as coffee makers and microwaves. The portable panel will cost you less than $900. Used in conjunction with a BLUETTI solar generator and battery, it can be enough for emergency use or to help you save money on your power bill. And of course it's portable, so when you need to have a picnic or go camping, it can easily provide power for everyone.

FAQs about Portable Solar Panels

What Will a 200w Portable Solar Panel Run?

A 200W portable solar panel will produce ample power to run most of your small devices. Whether you want to charge your phone, drone, or laptop, this panel got you sorted. In addition, it can power kitchen appliances such as microwaves and coffee makers.

Can I Use a Portable Solar Panel at Home?

Yes, you can use a portable solar panel to run small devices at home. As mentioned, it allows you not only to recharge devices but also power electric fences and water pumps. And if coupled with a battery system, you can rest assured you’ll have ample lighting in case of a power outage.

Is It Worth Getting a Portable Solar Panel?

Yes, getting one will be a boon, especially during power outages. It also comes in handy when you want to power devices in remote areas. It is an investment worth making that will serve you for decades.

What Can You Run on a Portable Solar Panel?

Smaller panels can run cell phone chargers, camp showers, power banks, and other small gadgets. Larger options can run kitchen appliances and laptops. 

Final Thoughts

As you can see, you cannot power your entire house with a portable solar panel. However, you can use it to power small devices such as phones, laptops, and coffee makers. For better performance, you can incorporate a battery storage system. BLUETTI's portable solar panels can be used with a variety of products to easily meet your needs.