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More and more people are looking to solar energy to meet their needs, and why not? It’s clean, green, affordable, and doesn’t produce carbon emissions, so it doesn’t contribute to climate change.
Solar powered outdoor outlets are an affordable entry-level option for getting into solar energy. However, their limited capacity leaves you at the whims of the weather and sunlight since they have little to no storage capabilities.
Solar generators, on the other hand, come in variable capacities, so you can find one to suit any of your energy needs. Which unit you buy ultimately depends on how you want to use it, what you want to power with it, and how much available sunshine you have.
Let’s explore this further.
What Is a Solar Powered Outdoor Outlet?
A solar powered outdoor outlet is just what the name says: an outdoor electrical outlet that uses AC electricity like any standard household plug-in but is powered by solar panels. Also called photovoltaics, they’re small and lightweight, with a built-in inverter to convert the DC electricity the panels generate into AC electricity that most devices need to run.
Since they’re small, their capacity is limited. You can run small devices with them when the sun is shining, but you won’t be able to power a portable fridge or anything else that needs more power.
What Is a Solar Generator With Outlets?
Technically speaking, a solar generator is any technology that uses photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electricity and store it in a battery. This is the key difference between the two: the generator stores the energy in a battery, like EcoFlow’s Solar Generator series, which contains its batteries within a portable power station.
Such power stations also contain an inverter to convert DC into AC electricity and other Balance of System components that ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently and help extend the life of the battery. Photovoltaic generators are more versatile than the outlets because they can store much more energy and power much bigger devices. You have your choice of what size battery you want.
For instance, if you’re looking for a highly portable generator that you can bring camping or fishing with you to charge your devices, play music, or even run small appliances for much longer than a solar outlet would work, an EcoFlow River 2 Series Solar Generator such as the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro with 220W photovoltaics is the perfect camping companion. You might be surprised what you can do with an EcoFlow RIVER 2.
However, suppose you have an RV with a refrigerator, an air conditioner, and other energy-hungry devices. In that case, you want a battery with a larger capacity, like the EcoFlow DELTA Max 2 with its 2-6kWh expandable capacity to fit your energy needs. That model is powerful enough with its expandable capacity to double as your home backup solution, with enough power to run most household appliances.
EcoFlow has an entire range of DELTA series power stations from entry-level home backup to powerful off-grid solutions that can power an entire home. You just need to choose which EcoFlow DELTA series is right for you.
Solar Powered Outdoor Outlet vs. Solar Generator With Outlets
Whether you buy a solar-powered outlet or a generator with multiple outlets depends entirely on your energy needs. The photovoltaic outlets are much more affordable but are also highly limited in their use and capacity.
Solar generators, on the other hand, come in a wide range of capacities, and since they store energy, you are not dependent on the weather or sunlight to have power when you need it. Let’s explore this further.
| Advantages | Disadvantages | |
| Solar Powered Outdoor Outlet | – small, lightweight, and compact-affordable option-runs small appliances and devices-environmentally friendly with zero carbon emissions | -very limited to no storage capacity – only powers small devices or appliances-many will only work when the sun is shining-typically only powers one device at a time-only meant for use outdoors |
| Solar Generator With Outlets | -comes in a wide range of capacities to suit your needs, from small, lightweight units for hiking or camping to whole-home backup solutions for large homes-typically comes with multiple AC, USB, USB-C, and DC plugs so you can power many different devices-larger capacity and multiple output plugs mean you can run multiple devices at once-can be used indoors or outdoors-environmentally friendly with zero carbon emissions | -more expensive than the outlets-heavier, although how much weight depends entirely on the capacity of the battery – larger capacity units weigh more |
Solar Powered Outdoor Outlet
Advantages
- Portable and lightweight for outdoor activities when the sun is shining
- Simple to install and use
- Powers small devices and appliances
- The cost is very low
- Environmentally friendly, producing no carbon emissions
Disadvantages
- Will not run larger appliances
- Typically, it can only run one device at a time
- Not reliable since they are highly dependent on available sunshine and good weather – they may only work when the sun shines and work poorly in bad weather
- Limited capacity
- Only for outdoor use
Solar Generator With Outlets
Advantages
- Available in a wide range of capacities to suit your needs, from those that can power small devices to large, powerful units that can run large energy-intensive appliances like air conditioners and dryers
- Variable capacities mean variable weights, from small, lightweight units that can be brought hiking to large, powerful units with expandable capacities to run an entire home for days
- Multiple output ports with AC plugs, USB, USB-C, and DC so you can run a wide range of devices all at once
- Compared to traditional generators, they are quiet and fume-free, and they can be used indoors, in a tent, RV, etc.
- They are extremely reliable since they store energy in their battery, allowing you to use them at night or during bad weather
- Environmentally friendly, producing no carbon emissions
Disadvantages
- They cost more than solar outlets (but they do a lot more!)
- They typically weigh more; the larger the capacity unit you buy, the more it will weigh
- Since they have a large capacity, they can take a while to recharge that capacity, depending on their solar input rating and how many photovoltaic panels you have.
Which One Is Right for You?
Whether a solar-powered outlet or a photovoltaic generator is right for you depends entirely on how you want to use it. If you’re looking for something inexpensive to power your phone or a speaker or something small for use during the day when you are outdoors, then the outlet might be good enough for you.
However, if you want to run anything larger than a small device or need power at night or during bad weather, the outlet may be the wrong choice. In those cases, you’ll need a solar generator instead, which has varying capacities to suit your energy needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can buy cheap and easy-to-use solar-powered outlets. They can be used anywhere outdoors and will run a small device or appliance when the sun is shining. However, they’re dependent on the weather and will not run large devices.
Solar-powered outlets do work, but they have limited capacity and are heavily dependent on the weather. Due to their limited capacity, they typically only work while the sun shines. However, if you have a small device you want to use while you’re outdoors enjoying the sunshine, they’ll work just fine.
Final Thoughts
Whether you choose to buy a solar-powered outdoor outlet or a more robust EcoFlow Solar Generator depends entirely on how you want to use it and your energy needs. If you just want to power your phone or a speaker to enjoy music while you’re outside working on a sunny day, then an outlet would work perfectly.
However, if you want to run larger devices or multiple devices at once, use them at night, or during bad weather, then a solar generator is what you need.