expiredowl posted Feb 01, 2022 07:57 AM
Item 1 of 6
Item 1 of 6
expiredowl posted Feb 01, 2022 07:57 AM
Costco Members: EcoFlow River Pro Portable Power Station
& More + Free Shipping$430
$579
25% offCostco Wholesale
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With the Tesla pricing, that's about $778/kWh (without taxes, installation, circuitry, etc), and the Powerwall is not portable, if that matters to some of us.
With the EcoFlow pricing, it's $791/kWh (without taxes and still need something like a power transfer switch installed) at the Costco price or $1,000/kWh (at the EcoFlow retail price of $3,600) and $750/kWh for the extension batteries (at the EcoFlow retail price of $2,699).
I consider the EcoFlow Delta Pro model as a DIY (as someone else has put it) starter version of a home battery backup system, with some other benefits, such as having clean energy for camping and other peripheral uses. To have it fully able to be a home backup system for a decent amount of time (12-24 hours), I will probably need 4 of these linked in series, which might be the max at this point in time. With ~14kWh, that should be more than enough for my essential needs, if I turn off non-essentials. (I'm using around 6-8kWh for essentials per day and about 12-14kWh for a typical day that includes non-essentials, too. This is in San Francisco, so no A/C.)
The Delta Pro can power essential things for at least a few hours in a serious pinch.
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Then it's fairly mobile since only 882wh...
Refurbs carry the 2 year manufactures warranty BTW..
I would buy it to power the router and cable modem and small USB fans.
I would buy it for charging smartphones and tablets.
ie. My utility's TOU plan is $0.11/kWh overnight and $0.56/kWh during peak day 2-9pm.
Even with just 10kWH total battery capacity, that's $4.50/day savings, or $1,642/year saved (assuming one uses all that electricity during peak hours).
https://www.indiegogo.c
https://magazine.northw
I had previously investigated building my own system, but I could only break even the battery cost, not the inverter / charger cost. Also, I would have had to create a TOU controller, since most systems are designed for solar applications. The blipOne can just replace my APC UPS. Granted it's not a whole house backup, but 5 of them scattered around the house should address most of my wants.
That's a long peak though, wow.
Peak shaving is what power companies want you to do, it is why they introduce TOU rates in the first place. From my understanding, power companies have to guess how much power will be used, because the energy can be generated but not easily stored. When demand is high, peaker plants need to be used to satisfy the extra demand, or there will be power outages. These are the most costly (and usually environmentally unfriendly).
So yes, maybe they would change the TOU from midnight to 2am because too many people have installed batteries, but I don't think they would get rid of it entirely. I saw something similar happen to my EV rate, which had a peak from 2pm - 7pm, but now is 4pm - 9pm (probably because of all the solar installations). At the same time, they moved the EV charging time from 11pm to midnight, likely because people were charging at 11pm and a lot of people hadn't gone to bed yet to reduce power demands.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/0...icity.html
The solar panel is trash! Soooo difficult to set up. I'm guessing all of the Ecoflow panels are just as annoying. I had a Jackery Chinese clone panel that I got an $8 mc4 adapter for that works soooo much easier. Going to sell the Ecoflow panel. I'd suggest not getting that combo.
For the solar panel though, I am very happy with the 110W (I also have the 160W) - they are very well made and IP67 rated (ie, you can even dunk them in 3' feet of water for 30min). While the setup may seem flimsy/awkward with the carry case as the stand, it works as it should (all the panels don't need to line up 100% straight). The MC4 connection is very robust as well. You can also build a PVC frame for the panels. Both panels tested in excess of 90% efficiency. I have a couple other 60W-200W folding panels with built-in kickstands, and their fabric construction and other open ports leave a lot to be desired when used in less than ideal conditions imo.
Also have the River Pro with extra battery (bought from Costco last time around when the had the deal), and it works great as well my purpose (600W inverter capacity).
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1) Inverter strength - what you plan to power and the energy demand it has
2) Capacity - how long you want/need to power said device
3) Charging speed - how fast can it get to 100%
I have the EcoFlow River Pro with the extra battery. My usage scenario is predominately for power outages/emergencies so that I don't need to break out my dual fuel generator and the occasional camping trip. The benefits of this are that it's quiet, can be kept inside the home, and is very portable at 20 lbs. The combo can power my fridge and backup freezer for 8-10 hours before needing a recharge. When it does need a recharge I have several options: use my solar panels, charge it in my car, take it somewhere that has power and fast charge it, or break out my dual fuel generator. In an emergency, I have other things to keep the lights on that are battery powered and can cook with a gas stove or portable butane/propane stoves. For prolonged outages where I need my generator, then I can power it up as needed, typically 2-3 hours at a time to get the battery charged to full and shut it down, conserving fuel. With a 20lb propane tank, I can get approximately 30 hours of run time, which could give me about 3-5 days with some energy to spare. Beyond that, I can tap into my vehicle's gasoline and go longer.
These types of devices are particularly useful for devices that cycle on and off like fridges/freezers and are considerably more efficient than a gas generator that needs to be constantly running. These are terrible for resistive heating such as heaters, blow dryers, etc. If you live somewhere really cold and need heat, then consider a 12V blanket or just buy something like a Mr. Buddy with propane tanks.
This is also a good option for people that live in an apartment/condo that need to keep their fridges running. It would be impossible to use a gas generator or a powerwall. Even better if they have a sun facing porch so they can throw on some solar panels to get a little more juice. Even if they don't, due to the fast charging, you could go out to your local Starbucks or McDonalds, grab a coffee/lunch and charge it up in an 1-2 hours and likely keep your fridge running for 8-12 hours.
If you're in a blackout prone area and have a lot of valuable food/medications in your fridge, something like this is a good consideration.
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