Bluetti AC200P Lithium Solar Generator Review (After 6 Months Use Off Grid)

This is my unbiased 6 month review of the Bluetti AC200P 2000 Watt LiFePO4 Solar Generator Power Station. I discuss the good and the bad while explaining our biggest frustration with this "portable" power unit.

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[EduranceOverlanding]

I have been using the AC200P for 4 months now. And I normally only leave the DC switched on 24/7 to run my camper lights and Vent fan. I have left the DC switched on without any loads (Lights or fan) and after 48 hours there is hardly 1% loss.

[todd.parker]

So glad you posted this video. I too mentioned the high standby power losses in my review but the more I use it, the more it’s clear this is only optimal for a few hours of higher power output. Good for short power outages, not so great for any 24/7 applications because the overhead is larger than the output.

[digitaldion]

I live in South Africa where we have been struggling with power issues for some years. Basically our power grid has gotten older and less reliable and the power consumption needs of our wonderful population have increased significantly. So, we often have ‘planned blackouts’ (2 to 4 hours interspersed throughout the day). I have a Yoobao 500wh power bank (much like the one you reviewed here, just smaller). It is a lifesaver! It runs our internet connection, lights and computers at night, and when I have to teach at the University during the day, it runs a router, laptop and data projector. It is small enough to be carried around with one hand and gives about 15 hours of AC power. Of course it also has 12v power and USB fast charging ports. I love it!

[nigelh]

Very useful video. The fact that you've survived the 6 months using the Bluetti says it all.
You're lucky that you've got good reliable sunshine where you live. Here in the UK, that's a variable feast! Especially in winter.

[shawneeb]

Thank you for the honest review. Its hard when trying to pick the right unit you need with so many out there. So having a good idea about this one is really helpful.

[laronis]

It is the inverter and the regulated DC that is the HUGH power draw, not the BMS. I know you cannot, but I turn the unit off at night and let the solar turn it back on in the morning. When you turn it off, it stays at 100% charged or whatever you left it at. But even if you left the unit on with the AC and DC off, the power draw the BMS uses is negligible, you will not notice it.

[eandm]

Hi nate, thanks for the review.. Be careful with the review though. I have the ac200p and sympathize with standby losses...but it isn't the bms(which simply balances and protects the lifepo cells )that causes the losses. the losses, in this unit, start with the solar charge controller integration which fails to turn off after the sun goes down unlike almost all mppt controller. so there is standby loss there all night even without other use draws. i try to unplug my solar after charging stops for the day(a hassle for sure) if it is late in the day you can plug it right back in and it will stay off till the morning and turn on automatically. then there is the dc voltage regulator which has also some standby and usage loss since it takes the 50+volt battery voltage down to the 13v area. so leaving that on 24/7 is an additional draw... all dc regulators have losses and the only cure is to turn them off when not using. In my experience the inverter standby and inefficiency are the biggest parasitic losses. Leaving that on, even when unused, is huge. If you could see your way to not having to keep both dc and ac accessories on at night and when not using it you would save a significant amount of power for morning use. standby losses in the off mode are negligible . It literally stays charged for months. It is always better to run low voltage devices (cell booster?) off a dedicated battery..ideally a lifpo4 because of the higher voltage which results in lower amp draw ... more efficiency. the refrigerator might just do fine off all night with no door openings and the ambient temp not being excessive. This machine is far from perfect efficiency wise but does have a pretty sturdy construction electronically and physically and the battery chemistry is good. a little extra battery management from the user helps a lot. If there is a problem with your particular unit, which seems likely, I have found bluetti pretty responsive to work with though in this case options may be limited.unlike in the ac200max software updates(read fixes) don't seem to be possible. btw you can add additional batteries to this system . the same ones the ac200max uses, which seems to have corrected many of the complaints we have with this unit. off grid living is very rewarding if one has the self sufficiency spirit to put up with the so called inconveniences of which there are plenty.

[Dorn-Dvinn]

Thanks for the rare honest Bluetti review.

[ilovelalakers]

I appreciate the unbiased review. I was initially skeptical it would be unbiased after your disclosure that Blucetti provided the unit to you for your initial review. After recent purchase, I powered mine with two EchoFlow 220W BiFacial panels on a recent trip to a remote property I purchased. I wanted to power my Starlink and a small portable freezer 24/7 - total power use about 100 watts. After a day, I had to use the Starlink only part of the time since the AC200P charge was depleted when I ran them both. I could run a Keurig to make a 30 oz cup of coffee for about 40 watt hours which I loved. Running a hotplate was great but cooking eggs took 20-25% of the AC200P capacity, which I could not spare. It was surprised at how fast the AC200P battery charge decreased generally. I have since increased the number of EchoFlow 220W panels (IP68 waterproof standard) I have. I have added a B300 backup battery as well. Two B300 batteries can be attached. The AC200P can also be charged from 12V-24V lead acid batteries. Not pleased with Bluetti customer support - in my limited experience, they have been unresponsive and have largely ignored my emails and requests. Just try getting a replacement XT90-aviation cable for instance.

[bbol]

I have been using a Chinese unit in my minivan camper for about 3 years now. The model is sungzu ska1000. It has a 1kw battery and 1000w inverter. I run an AC refrigerator and other small loads. LED lights, tiny TV, device chargers etc all on AC power. If I only use low draw devices I can get about 2 days without charging. ( 2 days if the weather isn’t super hot making the fridge run more) That being said, I recently got into an accident in the van, which totaled it. I have spent the past 2 months converting another minivan, it’s pretty much finished now. My power needs haven’t really changed, i moved as much as I could, including the battery, and refrigerator, to my new build, thankfully it was a low speed front impact that didn’t do too much damage to my camper build, or my body! Anyway, I have been thinking of a battery upgrade for a while, mostly because the sungzu has an odd voltage input for solar and expensive proprietary panels. I never had solar on my van, instead I have a loud, heavy generator on a hitch carrier. I have thought long and hard about this particular product from bluetti. I have watched many different videos, my particular favorites are from a channel called hobotech. He has reviewed and compared all the bluetti and jackery products, and many Chinese products too. I’ve always liked bluetti and knew that I wanted something from them when I did eventually upgrade. In the process of building my new van I made a space that could accommodate the AC200 but was aware that I might buy one of the EB models depending on how much money I had after my tax return. I do not have the money for an AC200, but even if I did this video would have prevented me from buying it anyway. Instead I will be buying a bluetti eb150 and and making the rest of battery compartment into storage. I will be keeping my generator for now but this will allow me to purchase a residential solar panel at bulk price when my dad installs solar on his home later this year. Thank you for the information on both the bluetti AC200P and the bluetti eb240/150. You have helped influence my decision for my personal system and my recommendation to others for their systems. Good luck on the tiny home, I can’t wait to see how it comes out!

[Geminigod]

Good feedback for people that I concur with as an AC200max owner. This is not a good option for always on small loads.

[DutchK]

The AC200/AC200P was not initially designed for Lifepo4. And Bluetti knew the firmware wasn't set up for Lifepo4. They have tried to sell off the stock. The EB200/EB200P and AC200MAX were designed as Lifepo4 systems.

[thizizliz]

The pros & cons. Good info for people making choices.

[champmarly]

I appreciate the honesty because I haven't heard anything about the phantom power draw. Great work my friend.

[aday]

I had a very similar situation with a battery bank system and discovered that the wires between the bms and the cells were criss-crossed so that 2 of the cells were reading backwards at the bms. The cable had a connector at both ends and the wire for cell #1 at the bms was on cell #2 at the other end, and vice versa on the #2 bms end going to #1 on the other end. And in turn the bms thought one was low and one was high whereby it was constantly trying to charge a cell that was already at it's max. Not only did it draw the cells down but it caused swelling in one of them. The one with low voltage went below the allowed amount and destroyed that cell. The bms kept trying to use that cell to charge the other cell it thought was low (but was really high). Apparently the supplier had inadvertently manufactured the cables incorrectly with enough of them to cause this somewhat sporadic event to occur in more than one unit. If I were you, I'd seriously look at checking this out in your unit. If you see any swelling or if any of the cells are producing an abnormal voltage reading, etc., you might want to take the unit outside the home where you sleep and live. I located this issue with the help of my trusty multimeter which caused me to inspect this cable for continuity between the 2 ends of each wire. That's when I discovered 2 were criss-crossed. I merely did a field repair by cutting the 2 and recoupled them where they belonged. Problem was/is solved and I use the bank every day without the nagging issue you are experiencing. I contacted the seller and they were more than happy to supply me with a new cell to replace the swollen one.
Conversely, Bluetti may recall your unit if enough other's complain. Or just replace your's.

[uptowndisco]

Bluetti just replaced my AC200P for a similar issue , it was replaced after about 10 months under guarantee, there was no quibble with replacement, infact I only contacted them for advice , it was them that replied saying sorry that I had an issue and they would arrange a new replacement, they did pay shipping both ways ! new one after a month or so has not suffered the same problem as the older one, different Firmware on the old one I was able to see every cell voltage in settings, this one there is no option to show all cell voltage .

[richardhobbs]

Yup ! ! I Love my AC200P but realize the power draw of the A/C inverter is about 70 watts with it 'on' . SO, since I am constantly bouncing around in my humble abode I simply turn off the A/C inverter after the fridge has finished a cycle and turn it back on later when I notice the fridge temp is back up a few degrees. (Radio-Shack indoor/outdoor thermometer mounted on the refrigerator door with the outdoor sensor clothes-pinned to a middle rack 2" from the side wall.)
If I am in & out of the fridge I just leave the AC200P inverter 'on'. Seldom goes below 50% charge by morning with inverter on & then the sun is shining by 10:30am usually even with 'June Gloom'. By noon am ready to add some charge to Nissan Leaf for an hour !
400 watts average solar input during day.

[ruthaspen]

I picked Bluetti for my off grid van and it arrived with non functioning DC power. The customer service answering and tech mailbox was full so I had to email which took days. Then Max responded and asked for a video of the problem. By that time I decided to get a refund because I cannot survive without power. I sent the video and after a couple weeks I got a refund. I had solar installed with a lithium battery and Victron controller which has worked flawlessly powering 2 20qt refrigerators and use 1 as a freezer plus charge my devices, run the max air fan, Blender, and infrared heating pad on cold morning. I also don’t have to drag the 200 watt panels outside and deal with the wind blowing them over! Get solar, that’s my recommendation!

[KittKattBarr]

We had similar issues with the phantom usage. We ended up getting a AC300 to run our fridge and stand alone freezer. We still have the AC200p and use it for most of our cooking. I find it functions much better for this vs running something 24/7.

[ravenlocke]

The thing is the massive overhead is due to it being able to handle massive loads. The dc alone can handle 25 amps which is crazy. It’s all about use case. If you want to run large household level appliances short term, that is what it is designed for. If you want to run low draw dc or small ac items long term, the eb240 is much more geared for that. For your cabin I would recommend getting a b230 expansion battery for it with the dc charge enhancer and you will have the best of both worlds as the b230 has its own dc subsystem that is much more efficient.