Anker Portable Power Stations: Connect Any Solar Panel

Can I Connect Any Solar Panel To An Anker Power station?

Anker, a leading brand in portable power solutions, offers a range of power stations compatible with various solar panels.

The short answer to the question above is yes. Some panels are going to be easier to connect than others, but with the right adapters, cables, and accessories you can connect almost any solar panel.

In this guide, we’ll explore the different Anker power station models, their input limits, and the best solar panels to pair with them.

Whether you’re camping off-grid or preparing for an emergency, this guide will help you set up a reliable and efficient solar charging system.

If the information in this article is too technical for you, scroll down to “I Don’t Understand! Can You Just Recommend A Solar Panel?” to find a basic recommendation for every model.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will help you as soon as possible.

Anker Power Stations: Models and Specifications

In the table below, I have listed every power station currently being made by Anker. If yours is missing, let me know by leaving a comment.

For a solar panel to be compatible with a power station, it must have a compatible voltage. That means the working voltage of the panel must be within the input limits of the power station. You can learn how to find the input limits of your power station here, or see the table below.

The solar panel voltage is a bit easier to find, and you can learn how to do it here.

You might have noticed that I recommend solar panels above that are rated higher than the max input of the power station. That’s because it’s usually fine to exceed the max amperage, because the solar charge controller in the power station will regulate it and ensure a safe charge. You can read more about that here. Note that you should always check with the manufacturer of your power station whether it is ok or not.

The voltage limit should never be exceeded. If you already have a panel with a voltage too high for the specific model, you could use a DC buck converter like this (click to view on Amazon). It’s an adjustable power supply module that lets you reduce the voltage from 10-65V to 0-60V, and up to 12A. It requires some tinkering, and I don’t have any experience with them, so if this is something you would like to do I am going to have to refer you to the product manual.

Solar Panels – What You Need To Know

Now that we know the input limits of the Anker power stations, it’s time to select a solar panel.

There are a couple of things you need to know before doing so, and these are true for all of the different models above.

1. Most power stations, and all Anker models, have built-in solar charge controllers. That’s a big reason they’re often referred to as “solar generators”. The charge controller regulates the electricity produced by the panel and charges the battery at a safe speed. Because of this, you should not connect a panel that has an external charge controller. You want to make a direct connection between the panel and the input, with nothing in between except for maybe extension cables. If you already have a panel with a charge controller, see if it’s possible to bypass it.
2. To make the connection between the two, you must either choose a panel that comes with a connector that is compatible with your specific model, or purchase an adapter. In the table above I have specified whether the specific model uses an 8mm or XT60 input connector. See what’s included with the panel you want to buy.
3. If the solar panel you’re considering buying uses MC4 connectors and the power station has an 8mm input, you need to purchase this adapter (click to view on Amazon) to make the connection.
4. If the solar panel you’re considering buying uses MC4 connectors and the power station has an XT60 input, you need to purchase this adapter (click to view on Amazon) to make the connection.
5. If you have or plan to buy a panel that doesn’t use MC4 connectors, you’re going to need a different adapter. Please leave a comment and let me know what connector the panel has, and I will help you find the correct adapter.
6. I’ve mentioned it earlier, but the most important thing is that you find a panel with a compatible working voltage. Read this article to learn what to look for.

Solar Panel Recommendations

There are a lot of different type of panels, and I have written an article that talks about the pros and cons of each that you can read here.

Below I have listed panels from popular and reliable brands, but these are obviously not the only options you have to choose from.

Anker’s Own Solar Panels

• Solix PS30 – USB A (5V/2.A) and C (5V/3A) ports
• Anker 625 – XT60 connector, USB A and C ports. 26.5V Voc.
• Solix PS100 – MC4 connectors (includes MC4 to XT60 and XT60 to 8mm adapter), USB A and C ports. 24.5V Voc.
• Anker 531 – MC4 connectors (includes MC4 to XT60 adapter), 48V Vmp.
• Solix PS400 – MC4 connectors (includes MC4 to XT60 adapter), 48V Vmp.

Rigid Panels

• Renogy 50W – MC4 connectors, 18.6V Vmp.
• Newpowa 70W – MC4 connectors, 20.41V Vmp.
• Renogy 100W – MC4 connectors, 20.4V Vmp.
• Megsun 160W – MC4 connectors, 18.2V Vmp.
• Renogy 200W – MC4 connectors, 19.2V Vmp.

Flexible Panels

• Xinpuguang 50W – MC4 connectors, 19.8V Vmp.
• Renogy 100W – MC4 connectors, 20.7V Vmp.
• Eco-Worthy 130W – MC4 connectors, 20.05V Vmp.
• BougeRV 200W – MC4 connectors, 17.1V Vmp.

Portable Panels

• Renogy 100W – MC4 connectors, 18V Vmp.
• Renogy 200W – MC4 connectors, 20.4V Vmp. Bypass the charge controller before connecting it to your Anker power station.
• Renogy 220W Lightweight – MC4 connectors, 20V Vmp.
• Renogy 400W Lightweight – MC4 connectors, 40V Vmp. Only compatible with the models that support 40+ input voltage.

Portable Flexible Panels

• Togo Power 60W – Includes several connectors compatible with different power stations, both 8mm and XT60.
• Sunsul 100W – Includes several connectors compatible with different power stations, both 8mm and XT60.
• EcoFlow 110W – MC4 connectors, 18.4V Vmp.
• Elecaenta 120W – Read my review of this product here. Includes several connectors compatible with different power stations, both 8mm and XT60.
• Dokio 160W – Includes several connectors compatible with different power stations, both 8mm and XT60. Don’t use the included charge controller with Anker inputs, but you can use it to charge external 12V batteries like an RV or car battery.
• Renogy 200W – MC4 + USB A and C connectors.
• EcoFlow 400W – Read my review of this product here. MC4 connectors, 41V Vmp. Only compatible with the models that support 40+ input voltage.

I Don’t Understand! Can You Just Recommend A Solar Panel?

Absolutely, here are my panel recommendations and adapters required (if any). You can ignore the rest of the article and just buy the panel I recommend here.

• PowerHouse 521 – JJN 100W – Includes 8mm connector
• PowerHouse 511 – Ecosonique 60W – Connect to the 511 with USB C.
• PowerHouse 522 – Elecaenta 120W – (read our review here) – Includes several connectors, including 8mm.
• PowerHouse 535 – Allpowers 140W – Includes 8mm connector.
• Solix C800/C800 Plus – Grecell 200W – Includes several connectors, including XT60.
• Solix C1000 – EBL 200W – Includes XT60 connector.
• Solix F1200 – Zoupw 200W – Includes XT60 connector.
• Solix F1500 – Elecaenta 300W – Includes XT60 connector.
• Solix F2000 – Vtoman 400W – Includes XT60 connector.
• Solix F2600 – Voominhtec 400W – Includes XT60 connector.
• Solix F3800 – Ayahoomane 400W – Includes XT60 connector. You can connect up to six of these to the F3800, by using an extra pair of MC4 Y branches.

Connect Two Or More Panels Together

To increase the charging speed, you can combine two or more panels. If this is something you would like to do, I suggest reading this article that go through the different ways to how that is done.

Extension Cables (Optional)

Here are my recommendations when it comes to extension cables.

• MC4 – Geosiry 12 AWG Solar Panel Extension Cables
• 8mm – iGreely 8mm Extension Cable
• XT60 – Elfculb XT60 Extension Cable

Related Articles

Here is a list of articles that answer frequently asked questions related to this. If you have a question that hasn’t been answered, please leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

• Do power stations by X come with solar panels?
• What kind of solar panel should I buy?
• How fast will a solar panel recharge my power station?
• How to improve the efficiency of my solar panel?
• Do solar panels work when it’s cloudy?
• How to find the input limits of a power station?
• How to connect two or more solar panels together
• Can I exceed the watt input limit of a power station?
• Solar charging: How long will it take?
• Can you connect a solar panel from a different brand to a power station?

Please leave a comment if you have any questions. Share information about your specific setup, models and/or plans, so I can help you as much as possible.