A staggering amount of power

Verdict

Not everybody wants a beast of a power provide, however should you do, the Bluetti EP500Pro is a superb selection. It combines a excessive power output with large vitality storage, making it appropriate to power any home equipment by means of even a prolonged power lower. It was utterly steady and unflustered in even the hardest of our assessments, and proved environment friendly whereas recharging on each mains power check. With versatile mains and photo voltaic charging help and extremely configurable UPS choices, the EP500Pro is a extremely versatile residence power station.

Introduction

Most residence power stations are designed to tackle mild or medium backup duties must you lose mains electrical energy for some time. Bluetti’s EP500Pro is on a distinct degree. This hulking, wheeled battery backup is about as heavy-duty as cellular battery packs get, this facet of an electrical automobile. Packing 5kWh of vitality storage, and capable of provide three kilowatts (3kW) throughout its three mains power sockets, it’ll comfortably power something fitted with a UK plug – doubtlessly for days.

The EP500Pro isn’t nearly getting your laundry accomplished in a power lower, although. It comes with a number of USB ports, and a variety of different outputs appropriate for direct present (DC) gear. On prime, there are two wi-fi charging pads – a useful addition should you want a spot to casually cost telephones and tablets.

This power station can cost its battery at as much as 3kW from mains power, at which price it’ll go from empty to full inside about two hours. Nevertheless, it’ll additionally take as much as 2.4kW of enter from photo voltaic panels. In best circumstances it’ll settle for a 4kW whole enter between the 2 sources, sufficient to hit 80% cost in simply an hour.

Design and options

• Huge and really heavy
• Wide variety of ports and capabilities
• Format could possibly be higher

Bluetti makes two variations of the EP500 power station, each of which have 5kWh of storage. The EP500Pro examined right here is the extra spectacular system, accepting increased mains and photo voltaic inputs. Maybe extra considerably, its 3kW output is the utmost doable by means of a 13A UK socket. The bottom EP500 provides a most of 2kW, which isn’t sufficient to power very heavy-duty units corresponding to some kettles or washing machines.

It’s necessary to grasp that the Bluetti EP500Pro is big – it comes as much as my thighs. It’s fitted with smooth-rolling wheels, the smaller of which on the rear each steer and lock, so it’ll keep the place you set it. Nevertheless, at 83kg it’s far too heavy for a single person to elevate – even two match folks would wrestle to maneuver it upstairs. Given its seemingly function as a heavy-duty backup for important family home equipment, that’s much less of a problem than it is perhaps. Whereas I used to be testing it, I used to be completely happy to only trundle it between my kitchen and utility room.

The EP500Pro has three mains output sockets, every lined by a rubber bung. That’s not overly beneficiant, however you would at all times use a multi-way extension should you wanted extra.

The sockets have fairly a excessive tolerance for momentary overloading, with Bluetti quoting 5 seconds’ resilience at as much as 4.5kW, and half a second at as much as 6kW. That mentioned, the 3kW sustained most is shared throughout all sockets, so you’ll be able to’t count on to run a washer, kettle and dishwasher all on the identical time.

This power station’s sockets are somewhat decrease than best should you’re hoping to plug in worktop home equipment. I discovered the cables from my kettle and toaster wouldn’t attain, and needed to resort to an extension. I’ve no complaints concerning the different output ports, that are hid behind a flap on the highest floor. Inside you’ll discover 4 USB-A sockets, cut up equally between 18W fast cost and 5V/3A specs. There are two 100W USB-C ports, along with a 12V/10A automobile and 12V/30A RV socket. Lastly there are two 12V, 10A DC 5521 sockets.

The EP500Pro’s 10A DC circuit is shared between its three 12V/10A ports, that means you’ll be able to solely draw 120W in whole, which can restrict how you should use them. Equally, you’ll be able to’t use different DC ports if the 12V/30A is linked. The highest panel is accomplished with two 15W wi-fi charging pads.

This power station’s inputs are hid behind a flap on the entrance panel, slightly below the mains sockets. It’s a disgrace they’re not on the again, the place they’d be simpler to cover away. Mains power is linked by means of a CP1 aviation port, a round three-pin connector secured with a locking ring. Subsequent to it’s a smaller CP2 aviation port for connecting photo voltaic panels rated from 12-150V, and as much as 24 amps in whole throughout two arrays. Bluetti provides the suitable mains lead, together with a cut up photo voltaic MC4 adaptor succesful of connecting two 12A photo voltaic panel strings.

The ultimate port is for communications. It’s used to hyperlink up with Bluetti’s elective Dwelling Integration Package, which helps you to join the EP500Pro as a grid-tied residence backup provide. You’ll want a professional electrician to put in and configure this for you.

On smaller power banks, the show normally simply offers info, however on the EP500Pro you get a touchscreen with a menu. It’s a good system, however barely advanced – reflecting the assorted superior modes and settings accessible.

You can too management the EP500Pro by means of Bluetti’s app, which mirrors some of the choices and knowledge accessible on the touchscreen. Join utilizing Bluetooth and it’ll assist you replace the power station’s firmware and be part of it to your wi-fi community, after which you’ll be able to entry it from any web connection wherever you might be. 

The app enables you to flip the EP500Pro’s AC and DC ports on and off, amongst different issues, however you don’t get all the identical options accessible within the touchscreen menu. This makes me nervous, because the display is sort of uncovered on the prime entrance of the power station, so a dropped instrument or kitchen implement may result in catastrophe. It’s doable to purchase display protectors on-line, and this looks like a smart further £10 to guard your funding.

Charging

• Cost from mains, automobile, or the solar
• Most 4,000W enter
• Very quick and versatile charging, regardless of large battery

The EP500Pro can cost from both an AC or DC enter, or each on the identical time. It’ll settle for as much as 3kW of mains power, or 2.4kW of photo voltaic, but when each are linked without delay, it’ll prime out at 4kW. Bluetti says that this most is sufficient to get it to 80% cost in simply an hour. However when you can cost at 3kW (13A) from the mains, common customers are restricted to Primary Mode, which tops out at 2.3kW (10A). You’ll want a passcode from Bluetti to unlock Superior Mode.

Bluetti additionally sells a 500W power adaptor – you would join it to the DC enter and attain a 2.8kW whole enter, or 3.5kW should you’ve unlocked Superior Mode.

This power station provides you management over the batteries’ state of cost, letting you configure a most and minimal share. If the EP500Pro is offering power, it gained’t enable the batteries to discharge beneath the minimal, and should you’re charging through mains power they gained’t go above the utmost. This function’s helpful should you solely have a mains enter and also you wish to delay the batteries’ life by retaining them inside a sure window. It’s additionally helpful if you wish to set a threshold above which any additional cost will come from photo voltaic panels.

I couldn’t match the EP500Pro by means of the hatch the place the cables from my photo voltaic panels terminate, so I may solely check it with an AC power supply. I set the minimal and most state of cost to 0 and 100%, which allowed me to entry the total battery capability. Set to the utmost 10A accessible in Primary Mode, it charged at an indicated 2.4kW or so, and was totally charged in simply over two and a half hours. My power meter measured 5.79kWh of electrical energy used which, given the batteries’ 5.12kWh capability, equates to a powerful effectivity of 88.4%.

Many customers are more likely to experiment with this power provide’s varied UPS mode settings. You possibly can configure the EP500Pro as a regular UPS, which provides mains power by means of a bypass circuit till the mains enter fails. When it does, the power station can swap to battery power in 20ms, which needs to be sufficient to forestall most computer systems and different delicate gear from crashing. It’s not as quick as a devoted UPS, although. There’s additionally no knowledge hyperlink by means of which it may warn a linked pc to close down when the battery is almost exhausted, although.

The EP500Pro provides a time management mode, the place the batteries are charged throughout cheaper off-peak hours, then discharged in the course of the day to keep away from peak-rate consumption. This can be a nice function when you have common off-peak hours, however be aware that there’s no service to routinely sync it to variable price tariffs corresponding to Agile Octopus.

The remaining modes embrace a PV (photo voltaic) precedence mode, wherein the batteries solely cost to 30% on mains power, with any remaining cost coming from photo voltaic. Or you’ll be able to outline your personal customized UPS behaviour with bespoke share, time and enter settings.

Efficiency

• Rock-solid power output
• Glorious effectivity, particularly at medium and heavy hundreds
• Very quiet, even when working arduous

This power station’s excessive specs meant that testing it to its limits was a problem. It may comfortably cost my electrical automobile on the highest 2.3kW setting that its customary plug charger helps, so I added a second 750-watt load to get the whole simply above 3kW. The EP500Pro indicated it was supplying nearly precisely that, and it continued to take action for somewhat over 90 minutes till its batteries had been lastly drained.

Surprisingly, however reassuringly, the EP500Pro barely appeared troubled by the exertion. Its cooling followers stepped up and down periodically, however they by no means grew to become particularly loud. By the top of the check the case was simply barely heat in a pair of areas. It’s fairly possible that its measurement is a bonus in each regards – larger cooling followers shift extra air, and are quieter.

Few folks will wish to cost an EV from a power financial institution, so I attempted just a few extra typical hundreds. The EP500 Professional had no downside powering my 1.8kW kettle concurrently both my toaster or microwave, every of which peak at about 1.2kW. It coped with my washer concurrently my heat-pump dryer, too. It’s necessary to notice, although, that there’s a bit of variation in home equipment: some kettles are 3kW, for instance, whereas it’s widespread for laundry machines or dishwashers to make use of round 2.4kW. Combining heavy responsibility home equipment may simply take you over the 3kW restrict, which might shut the EP500Pro down.

I used to be somewhat underwhelmed by the shortage of knowledge accessible from the app and touchscreen. Like different power banks, the EP500Pro reveals how a lot power goes out and coming in, nevertheless it doesn’t do the sums to let you already know when you’ll be able to count on it to cease charging, or run out of vitality, relying on the steadiness. Lastly, you’ll be able to’t schedule both the AC or DC outputs to activate or off, or set a timer to routinely flip them off after a given interval.

Utilizing a mains power meter, I measured a complete output determine of 4.5kWh for my heavy responsibility check. Assuming the Bluetti’s 5.12kWh battery utterly discharged, that’s a powerful effectivity of 88%. It did even higher on a second check, hitting 90.8% when supplying a middling 1.7kW load. Like different power stations, its effectivity was decrease on an extended, low-power check, with the EP500Pro reaching 82.4% when powering a sustained 200W load.

My solely actual disappointment at this power station’s efficiency got here in my USB check, which makes use of a continuing 60W load to examine DC effectivity. Different power stations usually report their greatest consequence right here, however the EP500Pro equipped solely simply over 3kWh, an effectivity of 59.1%.

It’s arduous to make certain why this was, nevertheless it’s doable that it’s all the way down to the working power of the EP500Pro itself throughout this multi-day check. Bluetti doesn’t give a determine for the unit’s personal power consumption with the DC ports on, nevertheless it quotes 25W with each AC and DC lively, which might be sufficient to elucidate the lacking vitality. It’s a disgrace you want the totally powered system to attach DC gear.

In observe, one of the simplest ways to work out a power station’s effectivity is by taking a look at a spherical journey. Utilizing my greatest figures for charging and recharging, I measured a powerful round-trip effectivity of 80%. In different phrases, for each kilowatt hour I equipped to the Bluetti, I used to be later ready to make use of 0.8kWh.

However the place the EP500Pro actually excels is in worth. Bluetti says its batteries will retain 80% of their acknowledged capability after 3,500 cost cycles, and 50% after 6,000. Calculated for the primary 3,500 cycles of its life, this power station may retailer slightly below 18,000kWh – that’s 18 megawatt hours. The EP500Pro’s asking value diverse in the course of the time I had it for evaluation, nevertheless it was typically accessible at £3,999. Divide this by its lifetime storage capability and also you get a determine of 22.3p per kWh saved – comfortably one of the bottom we’ve seen.

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