New Solar Generator Takes Portable Power To The Next Level

Sponsored by Jackery

Go Off-Grid Longer, Easier with New Jackery Solar Generator 

In a review of the Jackery Explorer 1000, we noted how powerful this easy-to-use portable power station was. In another piece, we discussed 9 benefits of a Jackery portable power station. That was with the Explorer 1000.

Now, big brother is home and he wants you to know it. We got our hands on the Jackery Solar Generator 1500, boasting a full 1800 watts of power with a surge wattage of 3600 watts.

Unboxing the Jackery 1500

Unboxing the Jackery 1500 is almost Apple-esque. Foam padding surrounding the orange and black 33 lb solar generator is stout and precision cut. Solar panel Y-adapters are neatly boxed in attractive, branded boxes. There’s no impossible-to-remove shrink wrapping here. The power adapter and cables are neatly enclosed in the included neoprene zipper pack.

The 100-watt SolarSaga Solar panels are individually boxed. Here again, you won’t have any frustrating shrink wrap to cut through. The sturdy panels charge the solar generator. And also provide power in their own right. It features a standard USB-A jack and USB-C port to power or charge devices. You can charge directly from the panel itself. 

What does 1500 watts of power mean?

What does 1500 watts of power mean to the average camper? Say you are powering a portable, powered cooler. They use about 60 watts of power. This is the same as a typical mini-fridge. You can run that cooler for 21 hours on a single charge of the Jackery Solar Generator 1500.

A 32-inch TV is not much more than that at roughly 70 watts. You can certainly count on reserve power to watch the big game if you need to. Often it’s the spike in power that can really kill the house batteries when dry camping or boondocking. You can save on those spikes. Power devices like coffee makers, toasters, blenders, and microwave, with the Solar Generator 1500.

This means you can start your day with coffee and a great breakfast before you head out. With that much power to spare, you’ll have plenty of reserve. Charge your phone, portable GPS, flashlight, and other goodies. For bigger adventures, just load the Jackery onto your ATV. Hit the trails, take all of that portable power with you. 

How do you charge the solar generator?

What if you opt to leave your solar generator back at camp? You can charge it with the shore power provided by the campground. It’s done through the A/C or D/C adapter. Or by using the efficient SolarSaga solar panels. The Jackery 1500 will take up to four panels. Each will get you from 0 to 80% charged in just 4 hours.

Each SolarSaga 100-watt panel folds open to maximize exposure to the sun. On the back side, you’ll find those USB ports. The charging cable, and a unique and simple kickstand arrangement allows you to tilt those panels toward the sun. Panels close back up again to less than 1.5-inch thickness. The smart magnetic handle system makes storage a breeze.

It’s all about the power

At the end of the day, it’s still about the power. The updated display on the Solar Generator 1500 is now in color, and easy to read. A simple touch of the Display button shows you everything. Input wattage, Output wattage, and battery life.

In seconds you can easily determine how much power is coming in through the solar panels. With other inputs, you can how much power is being used by your connected devices. It’s easy to see how much battery power is left. The Tesla-controlled lithium-ion batteries are designed to last 8 years.

Explorer 1500 is equipped with 3 – AC Pure Sine Wave AC outlets. There’s 1 – PD 60W USB-C Port. 1 – Quick Charge USB 3.0 Port. And 1 – USB-A Port.  Also, 1 – 12V car port. It will power up to 85% of your appliances. Including home devices, lights, power tools, microwaves, refrigerators, and other larger power demands. – Jackery website

 

Quality construction

The attention to detail we saw in the packaging is equally evident in the construction of the solar generator itself. There are no edges or knobs to get broken or snapped off. It’s sturdy, even as you move your Jackery 1500 in and out of your home, car, truck, boat, or RV.  It has smooth attractive surfaces, and clear, concise labeling. The well-thought-out control positioning is evident. There is even a built-in light.

The rubber feet are large, deeply embedded, and sturdy. They won’t get knocked off the first time you drag or move the solar generator. There’s stainless steel, recessed, Allen head bolts. These attest to the thought and quality that went into construction. Jackery believes in their quality too. The Jackery company has a two-year warranty for the solar generator. That’s for the solar panels, too.

A Digital Nomad’s Dream

Part of the allure of the modern digital nomad movement is to get outside and get in nature. To do the often mundane task of daily work. Tallying spreadsheets is far more tolerable when sitting in a forest. Or working next to a stream or scenic overlook.

Dragging extension cords and power strips with you so you can enjoy that time is less tolerable. With the Jackery Solar Generator 1500, you have enough power and ports to plug in your needed devices. And that’s without having to drag along those power strips and extension cords. 

Podcasters that typically have a laptop, phone, camera, microphone, and even a light (if doing video) will appreciate the condensed, easy-to-carry power without all the additional entanglements.

Stay off-grid longer in your camper van

For the vanlifer & campervan crowd, the Jackery Solar Generator 1500 is a lifesaver. Whether you bought your Class B van fully loaded or it’s a DIY project of your own design, vans never seem to have all the power you need.

Enjoy a hot meal or even using your hairdryer after that natural shower under that cool waterfall. Stay off-the-grid longer with the solar generator and solar panels.

Break those late night generator rules!

So you’ve had a great day of trail hiking and beachcombing. The kids are asleep but a little popcorn and a movie would be a nice end to the day. Unfortunately, you don’t have enough power without running the gas or diesel generator, and it’s after generator hours.

The Jackery Solar Generator 1500 doesn’t make a sound and will provide you with plenty of power to cook that bag of popcorn, power your phone or jetpack for streaming, as well as the TV so you can enjoy that movie before doing it all again the next day.

The Solar Generator that’s not just for RVing and camping

The Jackery Solar Generator 1500 is a great resource to have on hand in the event of any type of power outage. Having emergency power for CPAP machines or other medical devices is critical. Keeping your phone charged to keep up with family and emergency notifications is no longer optional, and you need power to do that. A good solar generator could power a cell phone for days.

Visit Jackery.com for more information.

Patrick Buchanan

All around RV industry enthusiast who has been RVing for 8 years and enjoys trips with his wife and dogs in their diesel pusher.