EcoFlow Delta Pro Battery Review: Maximum Solar Power For An Uncertain World

It's hard to imagine, but the time may soon come when a $3,699 100-pound wheel battery will be something you need or even need.

Perhaps that is why you want to insure against backup power now that heat waves, fires and floods are increasingly destroying the public power grid. Or maybe, like me, you want to take advantage of your employer's new work-home policy to spend a few weeks in the woods with a laptop, Starlink motorhome, Super73 ZX e-bike and all the latest gadgets. Modernity

In any case, you need a very powerful battery, flexible enough to be charged in any way possible. In other words, something like EcoFlow's Delta Pro.

The Delta Pro is a suitcase-sized battery designed to handle unexpected situations. It's relatively portable, comes with powerful DC and AC outlets, and can be charged in half a dozen ways, including solar panels and thousands of level 2 electric vehicle charging stations.

A 3.6kWh Delta Pro solar panel and a 400W Ecoflow solar panel not only charged my entire family of five for three weeks without dropping below 55%, but also proved that this large solar generator could power a home for wheels and the whole house without blinking an eye. .

I have been working with EcoFlow since the company launched its first product in 2017. Sonos customers will recognize this approach right away - you start with one speaker, then a second for true stereo separation, then a Sonos soundbar to create a home theater experience, and finally a subwoofer to complement 5.1 audio. At this point, you're so engrossed that you probably won't buy anything else.

With EcoFlow, you buy a flagship Delta Pro 3600Wh battery, then one or two EcoFlow Extender batteries to increase capacity to 10.8kWh, and then charge your EcoFlow solar panels in an environmentally friendly way. You'll find you don't always use your $10,000 setup, so install an EcoFlow Smart Home panel in your electrical box to power your entire home during a power outage, then seriously add a generator to EcoFlow Dual Fuel to keep everything running at in the event of a power outage. emergencies like you. Run it on diesel or propane. Or disable all of these devices to boost productivity with EcoFlow ready-to-use power kits installed in remote cabins or residences. So, relax with the Ecoflow Portable Air Conditioner and watch the fossil fuel-obsessed world burn.

I tested the European Delta Pro model, which is slightly different from the US version. The EU model has four 230V/16A AC outlets, while the US model has four standard 120V/20A outlets and one 120V/30A outlet. Both models produce up to 3600W (7200W peak), which is enough to hold almost any device, big or small, thrown at it.

The Delta Pro is equipped with a new generation Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP or LiFePO4) battery that offers several advantages over traditional Li-ion batteries. These include faster charging times, longer battery life, lighter weight, and improved safety. EcoFlow claims the Delta Pro will stay at 80% capacity after 3500 cycles, which will last about 10 years if you charge and discharge daily. By comparison, the iPhone's lithium-ion battery reaches 80% in just 500 cycles.

Delta Pro's 1.8 hour charge time is "world's fastest" according to EcoFlow. This impressive value is achieved by combining different charging methods for a maximum power consumption of 6500W. Delta Pro can be charged in six different ways.

I've only tested three of the Delta Pro's six charging methods: conventional AC input via shore power while parking in a motorhome (fast to max from my van's 12-volt socket while driving (slow but better than nothing)) My test the sample was not loaded. . With an optional type 1 adapter that allows you to charge up to 3400W when parking at an electric vehicle station. The other two charging methods are proprietary EcoFlow solutions that I haven't even had a chance to test: the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel (3400W), which turns the Delta Pro into your home's short-term backup battery, and the EcoFlow Smart Generator, which charges batteries up to 1700W. on diesel or propane fuel.

For this review, I took a large 400W EcoFlow solar panel with me. Delta Pro supports solar panels up to 1600W from various manufacturers with a wide voltage range (11-150V). Working with a single panel weighing 16 kg (35.3 lb) at 239 cm (94.1 in) when open is quite heavy. However, it folds up for easy storage in the back pantry (like the garage) of my rented motorhome.

I previously tested a 400W EcoFlow panel and a Delta Pro with a fancy solar-tracking EcoFlow robot. The panel delivers a maximum of 310-330W of continuous power, enough to charge a 3.6kWh Delta Pro battery at about 10% per hour. I was lucky with the weather, and in the 21 days of our absence, I liked it the most, except for a few sunny days. 330 watts was only possible in direct sunlight and with the panel tilted 90 degrees. But without the help of the sun tracking robot, my charging rate would have reached 100 watts, because I was too lazy to move the panels more than 3-4 times a day.

Charging issues in vans are similar to the range problems experienced by EV owners. Luckily, EcoFlow provides several ways to manage input and output in real time. The Delta Pro itself has a large LCD that tells you which ports are active and how many watts they are using. Otherwise, EcoFlow will sell you a custom billboard that you can hang on the wall or just use the iOS and Android app, which is what I did. Apps connect via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi; The former works great inside the van, while the latter (when connected to my mobile hotspot or Starlink RV) allows me to monitor the power situation from over 100 feet away.

I don't know if access to this data lessened or increased my anxiety, but I found it compelling and compelling. The drop in solar gain was a good reminder to reorient the panels so they were facing the sun. The app keeps a historical graph of income and expenses, but only as long as the app is open. Too bad, because I would like to see a daily archive of this data in order to better understand my spending needs.

During my three-week absence, I could rely almost entirely on this 400W panel to keep the Delta Pro charged, and usually ended the day with nearly 100% battery. I've only connected the PSU to ground once to test and was amazed at how quickly the battery charges above 2600W. The Delta Pro's only input is the reinforced three-prong plug my motorhome uses, but my shore power cable has a two-prong EU plug adapter. I plugged the Delta Pro into a van's 12-volt car outlet while driving in my quest to always charge - the needle moved very slowly, but I was glad I got it.

Despite using many devices that require regular charging, including a GoPro, two MacBooks, multiple phones, a projector, a Nespresso portable coffee maker, a Starlink RV internet home, and an e-bike, my battery never ran out. ... never drops below 55 percent when diligently charged, although a depleted 615 Wh e-bike battery needs to be connected to the Delta Pro every few days.

Delta Pro can power even larger devices. For example, I once had to plug a Fiat Ducato directly into an Ecoflow battery after the van's battery ran out of power while standing in the same spot for several days (charging the van's alternator only while driving). The Delta Pro allowed me to turn off the van's water pump, lights, and two refrigerators for a few more days.

I even built a fun house in Delta Pro, not just a house, but a small house designed for off-network Swedish forest retreat. It worked as expected, supplying electrons to a large room battery via the van's cable and boom power adapter. The forest home is typically powered by six rooftop-mounted 320W solar panels to charge a 4800Wh battery during the long northern summer days, making the Delta Pro 400W/3200Wh kit I traveled a smart solution.

Solar generators like the Delta Pro certainly have their advantages (they can be used indoors, are quiet and environmentally friendly), but diesel generators with the same specs tend to be cheaper and run as long as you have the fuel. , which is a simple dark fuel. Swede Reserve stock for such a house in winter. But if cost isn't an option, EcoFlow sells the aforementioned dual-fuel generator that automatically turns on when the Delta Pro's battery drops below a user-set threshold. Like I said: an ecosystem.

Other comments:

The battery itself is not waterproof (you can buy a waterproof case), but it is very durable. We parked it between the captain's seats where my dog ​​scratched it and used it as a travel seat. And the wheels endured gravel, mud, and sand because they were pulled by telescoping struts that never buckled under load.

The Delta Pro's fast charging inputs generate a lot of heat, which means its fans can get pretty noisy. Within an RV or tiny house, things can get boring. It is much louder than the smaller, slower, less powerful Zachary solar generator I tested in July. Luckily, there's a button on the back of the Delta Pro that can reduce fan noise, but also slow down download speeds. You can reduce the download speed of the application by setting the preferred power.

As if six charging methods weren't enough, EcoFlow offers an on-the-go air solution for the Delta Pro that can be a boon during storms when the sun is out and the power grid is out.

The application can sometimes glitch. For example, the maximum CA rate for incoming calls is not set until you exit the application and open it again. But overall the app is very good and gives you almost complete control over the Delta Pro battery and its ports.

I just got back from a day at Europe's largest motorhome show and overheard three attendees talking about how excited they were with their Ecoflow setup. One or two will be random and three will be significant. I understand why.

Ecoflow is an interesting company that is building an interesting ecosystem of portable energy solutions perfect for construction sites or anyone who wants to live off the grid for a weekend or lifestyle. Its easy-to-use products can also be your roadside insurance in the event of a problem where you live.

Products such as the $3,699 Delta Pro (which is often sold at a lower price), as well as its large storage capacity, high AC performance, portability, wide range of applications, and a wide range of ports and charging port options, allow people, who want to go off the beaten path for a long time going home, and then can be used as a backup power source for everything in your home. That kind of freedom, without having to worry about having all your devices turned on for work and play, can be truly liberating.

Photo by Thomas Riker/The Verge

Ecoflow Delta Pro is the best lithium power plant we've tried!