This is the third in a series of articles around the amazing Bluetti Apex 300 Versatile Power Station.
Part I covered the Unboxing and Features.
Part II dealt with the Testing and Recommendation
And today, we’re dealing with a simulated blackout situation in anticipation of the real one.
How does the Bluetti Apex 300 hold up when the grid goes down?
In our testing we’ve found out the capabilities and the limitations of the Apex 300.
The capabilities are impressive and any limitations you might experience only relate to not enough capacity for your needs and not having a reliable way to recharge the unit when the power is out.
So, let’s tackle those “limitations”.
First up, the Apex 300 is a very expandable system. You can increase capacity in 3kWh increments by adding extension batteries.
In the next review we will do exactly that when we add a B300K module to the main unit.
Next, how best to recharge the Apex batteries when your neighbourhood goes dark?
That’s the scenario we want to examine today.
A little flicker.
That’s how it usually starts.
Probably another branch falling on the powerlines…
The power goes out for a second, comes back on for a moment and then stays off.
Depending on what you’re doing or need to be doing, it can be very inconvenient.
Not knowing how long the outage will be, I hook up my fridge and the freezer.
I know exactly how long I can keep them running on just the main Apex 300 unit: a day and a half.
But we still wanna make ourselves a cuppa, use the tap (we get water from our rain tanks) and heat up some food.
These are the minimum requirements.
The Apex 300 will quickly run out of juice with those various energy demands.
So, what can we do to keep the unit topped up?
Enter solar power
Of all the various ways to recharge this power station, solar is the cleanest and easiest solution.
Unfortunately, we don’t have an array of solar panels gracing our roof (a future project).
But fortunately, Bluetti sent us their latest foldable solar panel, capable of producing 350 Watts of power.
On a sunny day we can now hope to keep the Apex 300 going all day and perhaps have a fully charged unit still for the evening, night and early morning.
We will test that shortly.
Under the Loupe: Checking out the 350W Solar Panel
Bluetti has a range of solar panels on the market, from a small 60W unit to this prince of panels, able to generate 350 Watts.
This should rapidly recharge any power station, particularly brands that have MC4 connectors.
Interesting note #1:
Solar panels usually have MC4 connectors that give a solid connection and are weatherproof. The Apex 300 has a couple of XT60 connectors.
Up till now, Bluetti has not included a MC4 to XT60 connector cable with either the Apex 300 or their solar panels.
So, you will have to buy that cable separately. They come in various lengths so that you can always place the panels in the optimum spot.
These cables are not expensive, but I feel that Bluetti should include these.
That way, you know you have the correct cables.
In my case, there was a bit of uncertainty because the cable I ordered had a different maximum voltage specification.
Just have checked back with Bluetti and apparently it is not in their immediate plans yet…
Interesting note #2:
The 350W solar panel was already available before the Apex 300 was announced.
So, the short User Guide includes the AC200MAX as the power station in the illustration.
No problem with that BUT that unit has the XT90 – not the XT60 – type connectors which require a so-called multi-functional Aviation Cable!
So: double-check your connectors!
Back to the solar panel: It has splash and dust protection (IP65) but I wouldn’t leave it out in the rain even though it’s made of durable ETFE material.
The 350W solar panel is rated at 47V/9.3A and eminently suitable for camping or for emergency situations.
As with any new “baby” in our growing Bluetti family, here are the all-important specs:
Weight: 15.8Kg
Dimensions (Unfolded): 2372*928mm
Dimension (Folded): 593*928mm
Setup
The 3 stands can be adjusted in 3 positions: 35, 45 and 55 degrees.
The sun is fairly high in the sky this time of year so it’s best to have it on the 35 degree inclination.
Initially, the day I set it up it was a heavy overcast and brief spells of rain.
So, I placed the panels a bit under protective cover and also not in an optimum position.
The wattage generated crept slowly up, from a measly 40W to a maximum of well over 300W during the sunny spells in between.
Here’s the amazing thing: for a brief moment the 350W panel produced a whopping 385 Watts!
See my screenshot below.
Not sure how this was possible and if this was just an anomaly or if it can be repeated…
I have not seen that high output since.
On this less that perfect day I started out with the battery of the Apex 300 at 48%.
I had the fridge and freezer running and the solar panel kept up well.
At the end of about 2 hours of charging, the battery state of charge even gained a few percentage points.
Then the rain started again…
The Crucial Test
The main criterium for me is can the Apex 300 manage a representative average minimum use during a power outage.
For us, this scenario means: fridge/freezer and a medium-sized freezer are hooked up the whole time; every 3 hours we make 2 hot drinks in the microwave, and we use the water pump every hour for 5 minutes.
We also charge 1 laptop fully and 2 phones fully from about 10%.
Finally, our WiFi router and mesh system is constantly on as well as 4 security cameras.
How long can the Apex system handle these minimum requirements?
The results are a bit of a mix.
On fully sunny days: no problems, mate.
Just remember to rotate your solar panel occasionally during this time.
On cloudy days: you might be lucky to pump in 50-100W on average during the day.
This is not enough to offset these minimum electricity needs.
And on days with a mix of sun, clouds or high overcast, all bets are off.
And figuring it all out is a very imprecise business.
On that score, I would like to see the Bluetti app not only to show the actual wattage flowing in and out, but also the average and cumulative numbers.
That will give us a much clearer picture.
Conclusion
From our tests we are fairly confident that the Apex 300 unit on its own, coupled with the Bluetti 350W solar panel, will be able to provide our household with sufficient power to keep the essentials going in a grid down situation for most of the time.
For us, this means that our food stays cool and frozen, we have water, can make a few cuppas during the outage and have access to the internet. Also, our phones, laptop and security cameras stay fully functional.
Granted, these are the basic minimums for our modern lifestyle.
Here are the provisos:
As already stated, it depends very much on the sun’s contribution.
We tested that on very cloudy days, during weak sunny days and when we needed a hat and other sun protection.
Obviously, the more battery capacity we have, the longer we can keep the electrons flowing to our appliances.
So, the next phase will be to add a Bluetti B300K battery to the mix.
We’ll also have a close look at an interesting accessory for the Apex line: the Hub D1.
And gradually we hope to take you on a journey to get almost fully independent of the grid.
In the meantime, please have a look at the Apex 300 product page and also the one for the 350W Solar Panel.
We thank Bluetti Australia for providing us with the components to help us to configure a useful backup and blackout solution.
For our readers we have a DRN10 code for 10% off the Apex 300 Combo until October 31, 2025.
There is also the discount code DRN5 which is valid for the whole product range with long-term validity.
