Energy is the ultimate need of every living being on the planet, in one form or another. In simpler terms, there is no life without energy. As the world is progressing towards more versatile and advanced options for managing everyday life activities, each process requires a lot of energy.
A concern with non-renewable resources and their energy-deriving methods is that they produce a lot of pollution and damage the environment we live in. Environmentalists are keen to create solutions that provide easy yet cost-effective solutions to substitute the conventional modes of energy production.
With the increasing trend of solar panels and solar generators utilizing the ever-rich source of sunlight to fulfill energy needs, several companies have stepped forward in order to put their best products in the market. This article will compare two companies that produce solar generators and highlight how their products differ from the other…
Inergy vs Jackery – Which company has the better line of solar generators?
Inergy has better high-end generators, but they do not have any lower-end generators. Jackery has a whole array of solar generators ranging from 160Wh to 1000Wh. Therefore, we cannot say that one company is better than the other in terms of their generators because they make ones that are completely different than one another in terms of size.
Inergy
Inergy comes with the sole purpose of providing affordable solar power to the world. They believe that energy is the most important need of everyone from people who work in complex mechanisms to people who live simple lives in rural areas. To serve this purpose of providing affordable energy to everyone out there, their idea is to come up with portable solar power systems.
This portable power system technology tends to fulfill your energy need no matter where you are and without the need to worry about fuel availability and costs. Another advantage of this portable solar power system is that the dependency on local power grid systems is totally eliminated. Also, the fear of moving to remote areas with no electricity and direct supply from the grid is reduced. This provides them the fulfillment of purpose by giving everyone the freedom to live and a lifestyle that is healthy and just according to personal needs.
The company started with an idea among a few passionate individuals, but that passion soon became a brand leading a revolution in renewable power. Unlike other clean-tech companies that take a “top-down” approach to renewable energy generation through large-scale ventures, Inergy, with their groundbreaking portable solar consumer goods seek to democratize solar power. Inergy believes that power is the driving force of life, their motto states that power may be the difference between merely being trapped and being the best version of oneself.
Their product line can be classified into generators, solar panels, accessories, and kits.
Solar Generators
Pertaining to the mission of providing affordable solar power throughout the world, their generators comprise of portable solar power stations. The solar power station called the Inergy Apex is the center of the storage market for compact, renewable energies. The Apex is the world’s smallest, lightest weight and easiest plug-and-play source of clean, portable power.
With an internal battery of 1,100 watt-hours and a lithium-ion battery, this device is an ideal power provider for people willing to have a handy power source on their next trip or even for small everyday uses. The Apex solar power station takes a maximum of three hours to charge with a battery life expectancy of up to 2,000 cycles or 10 years. This battery life is nearly four times longer compared to the majority of competitors on the market today. It also allows users to charge devices via the USB, USB-C, and 12V output ports without having to turn on the inverter. Another wow factor for this product is that it weighs only 25 pounds which is 35% percent lighter than its competitors.
Solar Panels
Inergy also deals in solar panels that are made with polycrystalline material and semi-flexible material. These solar panels provide an excellent wattage of 100 watts and you can combine them together to your liking/preference. Portable enough for mobile applications, but still robust for permanent exterior mounting, this panel is a perfect match for any application.
To connect the solar panel and solar generators to a suitable power source, Inergy also deals with accessories, along with a guide to the requirement of accessories specific to each product type and class. These accessories include everything from LED lights, portable adapter, wires, chargers, protection bags, and even solar panel stands.
Kits
Inergy also deals in kits that offer a complete package. Their Bronze kit, Silver Kit and Gold kit provide varying charge times depending on the customer’s needs and requirements.
Inergy has won multiple awards and recognition in the light of their efforts and flexibility to deal with every type of situation.
Unlike other companies, Inergy focuses on making sure those affected by natural disasters are taken care of with their products while providing the best equipment for their customers as well.
Similar: YETI 3000 vs Titan – Two of the Most Powerful Solar Generators
Jackery
Jackery was founded in Silicon Valley in 2012 by a former Apple battery engineer. In 2015, Jackery unveiled the world’s first Lithium Portable Power Station, with state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing expertise. As a market leader in environmentally friendly portable technology, Jackery specializes in providing explorers with green outdoor technology solutions. Jackery follows the goal of providing portable power stations that can be easily recharged by solar power. These power stations provide ease in carrying outdoor functions.
Jackery realized that mobile lifestyles would need portable outdoor power stations to keep you running even when you’re off the grid. Innovation in Jackery and improved technology is the only way to furnish your rising need for outdoor electricity. The solar-ready portable power station enhances outdoor and mobile living. Now you have the strength and resources to go anywhere you want to go. Jackery deals in a variety of products including portable power stations, solar panels, portable chargers, and also another innovation which sets them apart from the rest, Honda by Jackery.
Solar Generators
A portable power station is a generator powered by rechargeable batteries. A portable power station is almost always the exact same product as a solar generator. Packed with AC plugs, DC carports, and USB charging ports, they will keep your gear charged, from smartphones, tablets, laptops, to CPAP machines and small appliances such as fans, mini coolers, electric blankets, etc. Their power stations come in a variety of ranges and power capacities while 1000Wh being the highest capacity and 160Wh being the lowest. A battery-driven generator operates without vibration, fumes, and emissions as opposed to a gas-powered generator. And it can team up with a compatible solar panel, where you can get portable electricity from the sun. In the long run, it’s sustainable, economical, and as the name suggests, it is portable, so you can take it anywhere anytime.
Solar Panels
Portable solar panels for Jackery can be folded and fitted to make it easy to transport and use. At one of the industry’s highest 23.7 percent efficiency, you can make the most of the sun and turn the sunshine into renewable energy. By working together with Jackery’s rechargeable power stations, solar power can be stored in a lithium power station and can keep all your gear charged. This also allows it to be a backup power and off-grid solar-generator system. Jackery has a wide range of solar panels supplying different wattages of power, from 50W to 100W, their promise is to provide the most high-grade solar panels. These solar panels are made from monocrystalline solar cells with adjustable stands and give a charging efficiency of up to 24%.
Portable Chargers
Jackery portable chargers, or so-called power banks, come in pocket-sized form from a mini battery capacity of 3350mAh all the way to 26800mAh. These portable chargers provide a one-stop charging solution to a high number and capacity of devices.
Honda Power Stations are Lightweight, Lithium-ion power stations with varying capacity. This product line comprises of three different products – each one equally established to be accompanied along a trip or an adventure.
The Honda 290 Lithium-ion portable power station with 292 Watt-hours power capacity. The Honda 290 Power Station offers safe, quiet mobile power.
The Honda 200 Power Station also known as the HLS200 offers a 208 watt-hour energy storage system, the most lightweight lithium-ion portable power station in its class at just 3.83 pounds.
The Honda 9000 Power Bank by Jackery (also know as the HPC9000) is a rugged power bank with an adventure-ready IP67 rating featuring a 9,000 mAh power supply capable of going wherever outdoor enthusiasts want to go.
Jackery claims to have all its products made according to the rules and regulations of environmental safety guidelines. They claim to follow strict quality control and customer service guidelines that exceed those of their competitors in the market.
Inergy vs Jackery
Both Inergy and Jackery offer a wide group of products that are both affordable and easy to carry. The commonalities in their products are that they duly follow the environmental safety standards and focus on creating easy energy solutions that are portable. However, with Jackery they have a wider range of products for solar panels and solar generators providing an easy of choice and a flexible decision. On the other hand, Inergy has an upper hand when it comes to dealing with accessories and specially designed packages in the form of kits.
What is a Solar Generator?
A simple definition of a generator is that these are the devices that produce electricity and power for you during the period of power outage or breakdown. No matter the input, the output and core function of a generator always remain the same. A solar energy generator is an alternative power source that uses energy from the sun to produce voltage.
Many solar energy devices can fall into this category including farm solar panels, a smart solar box, and a power station system. Solar generators are used to supply electricity to certain equipment or electrical grids. In most situations, a solar energy harnessing system cannot stand alone, as electricity cannot be immediately supplied. A battery or other form of energy shall be used in conjunction with a harnessing system for solar energy.
The mechanism is a simple one to understand. Solar power is produced by the energy-carrying photons present in the sunlight reaching the surface of the earth. These photons are captured by specially manufactured solar panels that transmit the collected energy to the battery of a generator. An inverter converts it to alternating current electricity before the power is collected which is what most devices use today. From there, the generator can generate whatever “normal” electricity that fossil fuels would.
A solar power system typically includes solar panels, a battery charger, solar batteries, and an inverter. The solar panel is responsible for the direct conversion of electricity, and this electricity is processed through the battery charger. Several batteries are charged using energy from the battery charger. The power stored in each battery has the option to be converted to AC power. More advanced solar power devices contain a circuit breaker which prevents too much electricity from being drawn from the devices. A portable DC power supply is also used as a source of energy for backups. Depending on the application, solar array mounting racks may also be used. These stand-alone racks can be installed on a building’s roof, and need little maintenance.
Similar: What Can a Solar Generator Power? (Charging, Capacity, and More)
Workings of A Solar Energy Generator
A solar generator combines a battery pack, a charging controller, solar panels, and an inverter into a compact device to turn solar energy into electricity. Each portion is designed to suit the system receiving power to its electricity rating. Standard solar generator tension ratings are 12, 24, and 48 volts. Due to its long service life and reliability, lithium-ion batteries are the most commonly used batteries. Often widely used are lead-acid batteries. The battery serves as an intermittent source of energy which can be saved for later use. To protect against electrical damage, the charge controller is responsible for controlling the electrical current. This means not too much current is sent to the batteries. A battery rating shows how well the batteries can withstand current. Many electrical devices use AC current, thereby converting direct current (DC) into alternating current using the inverter. Items that use DC current don’t need the inverter. The inverter raises the voltage of the generator to 110 or 240 volts, from 12, 24 or 48 volts.
Many manufacturers in the market have taken new approaches to develop and promote power generation products working on the principle of solar power generation. These companies are striving to take edge over one another by incorporating innovative ideas into their designs and using technology blended with solar power in the most fruitful way.
Similar: Gas Vs Solar Generators – Which Makes More Sense?
Conclusion
Just like any other power production system, a solar generator also has certain limitations and shortcomings when it comes to a continuous power supply. The amount of energy supplied depends on the system itself. In general, solar generators offer between 0.1 and 2 kWh of storage capacity. Therefore, there is no need to expect a single solar power generator to power large-scale systems. An appreciable plus point with a solar generator is that they are not deafening. Their operation is quiet and does not produce a lot of sound, which could create uneasiness and is a common problem with the diesel generators. The problem arises when there is a need for a large power supply. That’s when solar generators cannot be as efficient as one might like them to be. In these cases, a diesel generator takes a clear edge.
One the other hand, there are complaints that a solar generator is too slow to charge and takes up a lot of batteries to reach the threshold where it can provide the required power to the system. Saving huge quantities of energy using lead-acid batteries will make transportation difficult for solar generators. They can only release energy at a given rate, in the form of an AC output. The rate at which the battery can be charged in a device and the rate at which it can be discharged are regulated by the battery charger and the inverter and are typically only sufficient to satisfy the type of electrical charge associated with a light and mini-fridge – But this is dependent on the size of solar generator you get. For example, the Maxoak EB150 or EcoFlow Delta 1300 solar generators are higher-end systems. These large solar generators can power entire refrigerators. However, these power generation devices are also costly compared to a fuel-powered generator with the same power output, and also compared to a fuel-powered generator with 10 times greater potential for electricity production.
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