20 Best 3000 Watt Solar Generator (2022 Updated)

Purchased this unit on it’s specs stating works with various Solar panels up to 50V. I liked that it stated it has a built in MPPT charge controller and 12V regulator. First unit did not work with my 100 watt, 24V panel and sent it back to GZ.

Input light is on yet no charging. Also would not charge from shore power or altenator if Solar was plugged in. They sent me another unit and same deal. Got the run around from support and now they state only works with GZ solar panels! My GPSolar flexible panel worked fine with Jackery battery and feel the GZ MPPT controller is bad in second unit but GZ not working with me any longer and want to sell me a GZ panel at a 5% discount.

Frustrating. Also, purchased this unit for my camper van but the built in 12V regulator also locks up when running various appliances at once. I cannot run multiple appliances, fan, lights, TV, heater at same time.

Again frustrating. DO NOT PURCHASE A GOAL ZERO for camper van. This thing is only good for charging your phones, speakers, headphones. This is not a solution for Van Power. Wasted my money and now GZ not taking this unit back as I feel I have another lemon or GZ does not perform to specs advertised.

I purchased this along with a Dometic CFX3 35L. I had a camping trip in a month and decided to step up from an ice chest and upgrade to a 12V fridge. The 12V regulated port on the Goal Zero 500x was a key feature when pairing the fridge as I was worried that the fridge power will be cut off as the battery charge decreased.

Previous models required a 12V regulator adapter cord but Goal Zero added this feature to their 12V port with the 500x. With the trip coming up, I wanted to test out the pairing to make sure it worked.

Here is what I did: -Charged the 500x to 100% -Before plugging the Dometic into the 12V port, I pre-chilled the fridge at 35F using the AC outlet for a few hours. -Added a 12 pack of canned beverages that were already cold inside the Dometic.

-Disconnected the AC cord from the Dometic/wall outlet and switched to the DC connection to the 500x. Test was done indoors with ambient temperatures around 75F. Results: the 12V port tripped (red light) and shut off power to the fridge multiple times in 24 hours.

I had to reset the port each time to restore power to the fridge. I ran the same test using a friend’s Ecoflow with the same 12V 10A spec that not once tripped and kept the fridge on. Therefore, I believe that the 12V port on the 500x is either defective or is not capable of running a Dometic CFX3 35.

The only positive features I can say for the Goal Zero are – size and form is better than other competitors (Jackery) / grab handle folds flat – the LCD readout is clean and very informative – weight If you aren’t planning on running a 12V cooler/fridge, then I would recommend this product.

Unfortunately it is the main reason for me purchasing this product so it did not work out for me.

I’m only a week into using my Nature’s Generator kit but so far I’m thrilled with the product. I was constructing a back-yard office when I ordered it with a lot of work still to go so I wasn’t bothered by the fact that it was back-ordered.

When I did receive it a couple of weeks later the timing was perfect as I was just at the point that I had wired the office space and was ready to set it up. My brother is an electrician and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to work on wiring/running outlets/etc.

so it was pretty much a breeze to set up. My office (laptop + 2 monitors and peripherals) only uses about 100 Watts/hr so and peak energy during the day from my 3×100 watt solar panels makes the system more of UPS as I’m pulling more energy than I’m taking out.

I have yet to see what the winter looks like (9 months of rain is coming here in the Northwest) but even if I can get 1/3 of the energy during the day I should be good. Love the product, the ease of setup.

Top of the line quality at an amazing price. I could not have received a better New Year’s gift from my wife. This generator proved to be the ultimate lifesaver. As the unexpected Arctic storms zipped through and left many without power, my family was able to manage these difficult times thanks to Nature’s Generator.

As others struggled without power and lack of fuel for their generators, we were able to power our entire home and other important devices. The vast runtime and quiet engine is a huge perk. I was pleasantly surprised at how much recycled energy this machine uses.

This is definitely a must have for all people. Hands down, Nature’s Generators are the best. I highly recommend them.

Bought this system to provide power to a shed. It’s worked great so far. Charges batteries for power tools, runs a fan inside the shed for hours while I’m working, also handles a circular saw like a pro.

Will eventually install the solar panel on the roof, but the power cable is long enough to extend the length of the shed and away from trees nearby into full sun. Can’t wait to try it on my next camping trip.

Portable. 50 foot cable from solar panel to unit is great. A little on the heavy side, but it has wheels and a handle to pull/push.

I have been researching power stations for the last year or so. The rapid charging capability of the Ecoflow brand is what sold me on this unit. Initially I charged it by plugging it into a wall outlet and the advertised rapid charging held up.

My second time charging it, I used an Ecoflow 160W solar panel. While two panels would provide the optimal solar charging experience, I was very pleased with how well one panel worked. In less than three hours the battery went from 57% full to 100% full.

I purchased this to primarily power my husband’s C-PAP when we camp. However, it also gives me peace of mind to have it on hand for any power outages. We decided to test the Delta Mini at home before using it in a camping situation.

The first night my husband operated his C-PAP with the heated humidifier going. In that setting he could easily get two full nights out of one charge on the Delta Mini. The next night he turned the humidifier off and based on power consumption could easily get three nights of usage off of one charge.

We are very satisfied with how well this will suit our needs. We also expect to get some usage out of this tailgating or doing other outside activities where having a power outlet will come in handy.

This will easily power a blender, electric cooking appliance, musical devices and any other entertainment necessities. The unit isn’t excessively heavy and the handles on both sides make it fairly easy to carry.

If you buy one of Ecoflow’s solar panels they are also easy to transport. The panel is well constructed and feels more substantial than some other foldable panels I have seen. I highly recommend the Delta Mini for the average person’s power station needs.

I have watched this closely from the original kickstarter concept to retail execution. I now own three of these units and three extra batteries. They’re pretty close to being the perfect power station on the market.

Here are some highlights: The inverter is absolutely top notch. This thing will take your heavy loads from your home, RV, van or outdoor lifestyle and power them without breaking a sweat. The unit is rated for 3600W continuous but I’ve found that I can exceed that by a fair bit for a few minutes before it shuts down.

You can pair two of them with their double voltage hub accessory and connect to your home transfer switch. You can run split phase 240V loads like well pumps, electric dryers, or even smaller central air conditioners (with a soft start kit).

The best part is that you can keep this inside away from the rain, snow, high winds or potential theft and there are no fumes, no fuel and little noise. You can charge this up, often for free, at a level 2 EV charge station.

These are the Chargepoint or similar stations. The cost is like a few bucks for a full charge or free in some cases. You can connect your own solar panels (SOLAR PANELS ARE NOT INCLUDED) any brand and charge up the units with free electricity from the sun.

The battery is Lithium Iron Phosphate which even if you use it every single day will last more than 10 years. You can control the unit from an app on your iPhone or android. Unlike some competitors – these are confirmed safety certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.

This is an absolute game changer for home backup, RV or van life. Ecoflow has won so many awards and accolades for this unit. There are a few things that they could improve on, such as stability of the app.

It’s also pretty heavy but that’s to be expected.

I bought the Nature’s Generator Gold system and 2 extra power pods. I was shocked at how quickly a 900-watt load would drain all three batteries. This system is not ready for any type of usefulness during a power outage.

I’m not actually sure what this system is useful for. Do yourself a favor and do some research before buying this unit. I’m extremely unhappy with my purchase. Unfortunately, I can’t take it back or I would.

I live in Texas and after what happened last winter in the state, I decided to get a solar generator. I have been testing this EP500 in most of my appliances to see how long I could run them. I am truly satisfied.

I recommend it.

This company may be new, but they sure know what they are doing. Their products come in a very timely manner, and in excellent condition. But thier customer service is what really sets this company apart.

I just purchased this generator and unfortunately my baby rabbit chewed one of the wires. Didn’t know if this was going to be an issue, but these guys made it very simple ON A WEEKEND! They are sending me a replacement wire Monday! Thanks Cutting Edge Power! I would recommend this generator or any products from this company to anyone!.

We were super excited to find this at our local Costco to use at our remote Alaskan cabin. The reviews were great and the sales person went on about all the things it could power. We had been using deep cycle batteries for the past few summers and were welcoming a light weight silent generator that would be solar powered.

The unit held up to the light weight, easy to connect promise but that is where it ended. The promise of being able to run power tools and low wattage electrical was nonexistent. The battery drained trying to charge our 18v battery that we charged all summer long on the old battery.

It did run a toaster which promptly drained the battery after 3 cycles. It would NOT run the power saw or the little ciggerett lighter attachment air inflator device for the pool toys. Unless you have extreme full Sun the fan draws more power and runs consistently and not silently the entire time you are trying to charge it.

The last trip out it only reached 42% after 5 days. Granted it was partly cloudy a chunk of the time. The fan got even louder when we did find an electrical device it could power. When we discovered we couldn’t even use it in the winter months (mostly below 32 degrees) we decided to return it to Costco.

Luckily they have a great return policy. We recognized tree hat perhaps we got a lemon unit but do not recommend this product for remote use in interior Alaska or similar remote areas.

We have a grid tied solar system for company property. I was researching solar generators for backup power a couple of years ago and found Lion Energy but it was during hurricane season and the generators were sold out.

Fast forward to 2021, I was considering a duel fuel generator but did not want us to have to deal with the maintenance and storing gas, nor trying to refuel in event of extended power outages. To my delight, hubby and I happened to be shopping at Costco one day during a Lion Energy road show.

We purchased the Safari ME which came with three solar panels, and a Cub Go w/panel. Two of the solar panels were missing covers, but one call to Lion Energy and the covers were shipped out the same day.

At another Costco road show we ordered the XP bundle with three solar panels and EMP bag, also took home a Prowler 2-pack. The XP bundle was delivered fast — in two separate shipments — the same week we placed the order.

I wall charged the ME with XP. The ME and XP are well made and the combo is heavy so I planned to get a dolly to wheel it around but hubby found that we already had a wooden furniture dolly on hand that fit the bill.

The solar panels come with black stiff neoprene zippered covers with the Lion Energy logo, are well made and have some weight, we’ll get an additional dolly to stack them on and to wheel them outside for set up.

We plan to buy two more solar panels to max out at eight. The first week in August our electric company had a planned power outage for maintenance that lasted 7 hours. Hubby set up the solar panels for pass through power and we hooked up the Safari in the hallway.

The only sound was the inverter fan that periodically came on and that was minimal. We connected two full size refrigerators, a floor fan and a Vitamix. There was not enough power to run the portable a/c (6,500/10,000 BTU) with the two refrigerator-freezers connected.

When the refrigerator compressors kicked on with the a/c running the ME shutdown, so we used the floor fan. We are very pleased with the overall performance of the Safari ME+XP, easy setup, and outstanding customer service.

Renewable energy, no fuel required, portability, what’s not to like? We are considering the Lion Sanctuary system at a later date and then we’ll use the ME+XP for camping, etc. I noticed a couple reviews suggest a longer Anderson cable be available.

That can be solved with purchasing additional cables for the length you need. At the road show I asked the Lion Energy rep about an extension or adapter and he showed us how the ends simply connect, no adapter required.

– Lion Energy Safari ME and Expansion pack units seem having many serious design and operation defects and problems, both in hardware and bugs in the internal software, some of which are explained below.

If Lion Energy decides to censor this review, the same comments and review can also be found in other websites. – This unit is missing many standard features and functions, with today’s technologies in 2021.

– I have purchased and tried three Safari ME units and two Expansion packs. So, the issues mentioned here are not isolated instances. I have returned three units and received a defective set from Lion Energy with the same issues.

I found two open screws at the bottom of the unit and the back of battery pack was half open. Do they have any QA? – This product seems not mature enough to be introduced and presented to the market, and probably Costco should not sell this product before all issues are fixed.

So lucky we are that Costco has a great and admirable return policy, and we should not abuse this privilege. – Not everything is bad about this unit. It has integrated several units in one pack, which saves you money, and it is a convenient pack.

It has nice and clear display. It is robust and all internal wirings are fixed and glued. If this unit didn’t have the issues that I have mentioned here, it would be a very good and affordable product.

– When the internal battery drains to 0% and completely depleted, the entire system dies and does not come back up again! The system does not preserve any power, required to bring its own system back on and produce power.

It seems no power left and preserved for the processor(s) and internal circuits, in order to be able to recharge from solar panels or wall outlet. You cannot sit next to the unit all the time to watch that your load is not completely draining the battery! There is no output signal pin, or software access, to monitor the battery level externally so that you can turn your load off before the unit completely dies.

– It seems when the battery charge goes under some level, the expansion battery never charges back to 100% again and stays below 20%, regardless if it is charging from wall outlet or solar panels, and you continually hear annoying beeps twice every few seconds.

From that point on, you don’t have any Expansion battery anymore, and only beeps! This happened to me after about three days, not only on one unit, but on all three units that I purchased, as well as on the replacement units from Lion Energy.

– The user manual of this product is very unprofessional, weak and brief, with minimal information. – There was no separate user manual, specification or any document in EX pack box that you paid over $2,000 for it! – There are no block diagrams, flowcharts, timing, reset and power-up diagrams, inverter or charger information, what circuit boards and functions are included inside the system, how they are interconnected, and so many other useful and important information that you normally find in many other reliable electrical and electronics equipment and devices.

– During the night, when there is no sun energy generation, and when the ME unit is plugged into the wall outlet, ME keeps discharging if it is ON with no load. Sometimes it does not automatically switch to the wall outlet, and keeps discharging while there is no load connected to the unit.

– When the unit is sitting idle with no load current, it drains and consumes current, fans operate and the unit does not go to sleep. – Reset button is non-functional and doesn’t do anything! – There is no communication port with an external computer or device such as USB port, Ethernet, GPIO, CAN or other means of external access for programing, monitoring, sensing, upgrading or remotely controlling the unit.

No external software exists with this unit. – There is no access to any internal signal such as the charge level, in case if you want to switch the load off, to prevent complete depletion of the battery.

– Other than ON/OFF pushbuttons of outputs, there are no keypad or selection switches for programming or monitoring of different parameters, features or functions. – Lithium Ion batteries require protection from being overcharged or completely discharged.

Lion Energy ME and Expansion pack seem lack of having this protection. – There seems to be bug in the software running internally. Operation of the unit is not consistent and not reliable. Its behavior changes.

For example, once you see it is switching between solar charging and line charging, but in another instance, during a strong direct sun, the unit does not show solar detection or charging and uses battery, while both solar panel and line are plugged in.

– There are false claims in the manual, which contradicts with what they tell you over the phone. It is claimed that unit has overcurrent/under current and overvoltage/undervoltage protection. For example, on the manual it is claimed that you can plug almost everyth.

I bought this generator 16 months ago, and it does not work! It looks like everything is fine – but apparently, the inverter is broken. My basement is flooded because – even though my power did not go out – I had my sump pump plugged into it while it was plugged in and getting power.

This company is awful. They were rude on the phone and downright nasty when I asked them to help me resolve this issue. If you want a product that will fail go ahead and waste your money.

I bought the power pod to extend the battery power of my nature’s generator. So far so good, My intent is to use it during any upcoming power outages. I was able to daisy chain and charge it. Even though, the pod came completely charged the label required that it be charged for 24 hours before initial use.

Actually, your store was the only one that allowed a 5% discount, making my purchase a great one. Shipping was fast as well. Thank you.

You should have at least one of these power pods daisy-chained to your main pod for more juice. I ran my 40 LCD TV for over 15 hours non-stop with extra pod attached.

This review is for the Lion Energy Safari-LT (a battery power pack). I received this along with the associated L100 solar panels. The items arrived in two separate boxes. It had been raining in my area and the boxes arrived very wet.

I mention this because one of the cautions in the product manual is “Do not allow unit to become wet”. Luckily the water had not penetrated onto the product. ———————————————- Quick summary: – The main on/off button doesn’t work.

– The wall charging brick gets very, very hot. – Quality of hardware engineering and construction is very good – Estimates for usage hours on the basis of 450Wh are close, but actuals are a little lower.

– Overall, a good product and useful to have for minor power outages. ———————————————- The Safari-LT power pack: On the Walmart website there are descriptions and pictures of the Safari-LT.

There is also a link to an 18-page PDF User Manual. Inside the product box there was an 11-page user manual. I was impressed with both manuals in that they provided detailed specifications, clearly written and organized.

The key specs are the 450Wh (Watt-hour) energy capacity and the 500W power rating. The power pack unit appears to be well constructed, with rubberized surfaces, corner protectors, covers for most of the sockets, and everything is labeled clearly, in legible and contrasting colors (good job).

Out of the box, the unit seemed not to be charged at all because pressing the on/off button didn’t light up the display panel. The on/off button needs to be held down 3-5 seconds to work, so I did that multiple times and got no signs of life.

So, I assumed the unit was completely discharged. When I plugged in the wall charger the display turned on, showing it would need 4. 7 hours to full charge, at a rate of about 50W. The manual says that a full charge from zero should take 6-10 hours, so there must have been some charge in there initially, but the on/off button wasn’t working (more on this later).

The actual time it took to fully charge the unit the first time was 5. 75 hours. At another time, after the battery was fully depleted, it took 9. 75 hours to get a full charge. In the list of cautions it says not to charge the battery unattended.

There is good reason for that: the included charger brick gets VERY hot, at about 120 degrees F (ambient temperature was about 90 F in the garage). So, be careful where you place the wall charger brick while charging.

There should be a warning about this beyond “don’t charge unattended”. The good news is that once the unit gets fully charged it cuts off the charging and the charging brick starts cooling. The power unit itself gets mildly warm.

———————————————- Power Unit Testing: I discovered that the main on/off button doesn’t work: after full charge I disconnected the wall charger and I left the unit for about 5 minutes.

When I came back the unit had auto shut off and the display was blank. I tried to turn it on using the main on/off button, but nothing happened. I tried different sequences of pressing the on/off button and the unit would not turn on.

I had seen this issue described in other reviews. Since the display had worked when the charger was plugged in, I plugged in the charger again and this activated the display, but the unit was still in an “off” state.

I had to press the main on/off button to turn on the unit, at which point the right side of the display activated, showing the power usage data. I was then able to turn on the output ports (which have separate on/off buttons).

At this point the charger was still connected, so I disconnected the charger to see if the unit would stay on. It did. Next, I pushed the main on/off button to see if it would turn off the unit, and it did.

But, subsequent pushes of the main on/off button wouldn’t turn on the box. Since the unit has a Rest button, I pressed that to see if will fix the on/off button functionality. Sorry, it did not. Upon further playing with this I discovered that the operation of the main on/off switch is a timing issue.

Here is the scenario: Plug in the charger > display activates > turn on the main on/off button > turn off the main on/off button > disconnect the charger > display goes out and unit is off > within 3 second press the main on/off button > unit turns on.

If you wait more than about 3 seconds, the main on/off button will not work to turn on the unit. Software problem! This is definitely a problem. If you cannot turn on the unit without a charging source, that’s not good.

It’s curious that this issue wasn’t discovered in factory testing. ———————————————- Power Unit Testing Continued: The user manual has examples of device usage times based on 450Wh capacity.

But it also says that the unit efficiency is about 88%. I wanted to see if the 450Wh is before or after applying the 88% efficiency. First test was to use one 100W incandescent light bulb and time how long it can stay lit.

When I turned on the light bulb, the display showed 3. 6 hours of estimated run time and detected a draw of 96W to 105W. The actual run time was 4. 3 hours. When the battery runs out of charge, the unit cuts off power instantly, rather than reducing voltage and causing the light to dim.

The observed capacity was about 430Wh (using bulb rated power). Second test was to run a 200W TV and a 20W cable box (after a full charge). The display estimated 1. 6 hours of run time and detected a draw that varied between 150W and 246W.

The actual run time was 2 hours. The approximate observed capacity would be 440W (using the device rated power). ———————————————- The 12 VDC and USB Outputs: The specs say that the 12VDC outputs can range between 9 to 12.

6 Volts. I measured this and got about 11. 9VDC, which is good enough. I didn’t run any 12V devices because I had none. This power unit has four 12VDC output connectors, which is strange because I can’t think of too many devices that use those anymore.

I tried charging my cell phone with the USB ports and all worked well. ———————————————- Odds and Ends: – In the manual, under AC output voltage, it says “120VAC 60Hz / 230VAC 50 Hz”.

My unit doesn’t have any outlets for 230VAC. – Depending on where you live, note that the operating temperature ranges are well within typical temperatures found in various parts of the U. S. – I was curious whether I could make use of the power unit while it was being charged.

You can, if the reserve in the battery is sufficient to drive the connected device, otherwise the output sockets don’t turn on. – The manual says to fully charge the unit before storage, that the unit will hold charge for 1 year, and the warranty may be voided if stored for “extended period without recharge”.

Presumably the “extended period” is more than 1 year, but it’s not specified.