Pecron Portable Power Stations: Connect Any Solar Panel

Can I Connect Any Solar Panel To A Pecron Power station?

In this article, I am going to tell you everything you need to know about connecting solar panels to the Pecron solar generators. Their power stations do not include panels unless you buy a bundle.

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.

Table of Contents show

Pecron Power Stations: Models and Specifications

In the table below, I have listed every power station currently being made by Pecron. 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.

Power Station Model	Input Port & Limits
E300LFP	DC5521: 12-28V, 7A (100W max)
E600LFP	DC5521: 12-18V (100W max), GX16: 32-96V (300W max) – Includes MC4 to GX16 adapter
E1500LFP	DC5521: 12-18V, 7A (100W max), GX16-5: 32-95V, 15A (700W max) – Includes MC4 to GX16 adapter
E2000LFP	DC5521: 12-18V, 7A (100W max), GX16 x2: 32-95V 15A (600W max, 1200W total) – Includes two MC4 to GX16 adapters
E3600LFP	DC5521: 12-30V, 7A (150W max), XT60 x2: 32-150V, 20A (1200W max, 2400W total) – Includes two MC4 to XT60 adapters

The voltage limit should never be exceeded. If you already have a panel with a voltage too high for the specific model, you can 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.

However, the max input wattage can be exceeded with most power stations. The charge controller will not send more than the amperage limit to the battery, but it’s able to regulate it. Note that you should always check with the manufacturer of your power station whether it is ok or not. You must usually exceed the amperage limit to reach the max input wattage. You can read more about that in this article.

Solar Panels – What You Need To Know

Now that we know the input limits of the Pecron 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.

Most power stations, and all Pecron models, have built-in solar charge controllers, which is why they are 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.
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 use an adapter. See what’s included with the panel you want to buy.
Since all models except the smallest E300LFP includes MC4 to DC connectors, they’re compatible with a lot of 24V solar panels right out of the box.
To connect a panel with MC4 connectors to the E300LFP or to the DC5521 on any of the larger models, use an adapter like this (click to view on Amazon).
The DC5521 input supports between 100 to 150W depending on the model, so if you want to connect more panels than that you must use the GX16 input found on the E600LFP and larger, or the XT60 input on the E3600LFP.
If you don’t plan on connecting more than 150W, you can use the DC5521 input. Then the Voc (open circuit voltage) of the panel should not exceed 25V. The Vmp (voltage at maximum power) should be within the input limits of your model.
The GX16 and XT60 inputs have a minimum voltage requirement, which is 32V (30V according to Hobotech). A typical 12V 100W panel has a working voltage of 18-20V. Therefore, you cannot connect a single 12V panel to the GX16 or XT60 inputs. It requires a 24V panel that has a working voltage of around 32-36V, or two 12V panels wired in series which will double the voltage. In my panel recommendations below, I have listed the working voltage.
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.
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.

Pecron’s Own Panels

PV100 – A 100W panel with a DC5521 connector, and a 19.4V Vmp. Compatible with the DC5521 input on the E300LFP and E3600LFP.
PV200 – A 200W panel with MC4 connectors, and a 38.8V Vmp. Compatible with the E600LFP and larger, use the MC4 to DC adapter included with the power station. You can connect two of them in either parallel or series, or one to each input on the E2000LFP/E3600LFP.
PV300 – A 300W panel with MC4 connectors, and a 34.5V Vmp. Compatible with the E600LFP and larger, use the MC4 to DC adapter included with the power station. You can connect two of them in either parallel or series, or one to each input on the E2000LFP/E3600LFP.

Rigid Panels

Renogy 50W – MC4 connectors, 18.6V Vmp.
BougeRV 100W – MC4 connectors, 31.1V Vmp.
Newpowa 120W – MC4 connectors, 34.74V Vmp.
Megsun 160W – MC4 connectors, 18.2V Vmp.
Rich Solar 200W – MC4 connectors, 37.6V Vmp.
Dokio 400W – MC4 connectors, 31V 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 Pecron power station.
Renogy 220W Lightweight – MC4 connectors, 20V Vmp.
Renogy 400W Lightweight – MC4 connectors, 40V Vmp.

Portable Flexible Panels

Togo Power 60W – Includes several connectors compatible with different power stations, including DC5521. 18V Vmp.
Sunsul 100W – Includes several connectors compatible with different power stations, including DC5521. 20.7V Vmp.
EcoFlow 110W – MC4 connectors, 18.4V Vmp.
Elecaenta 120W – Read my review of this product here. Includes several connectors compatible with different power stations, including DC5521. 18V Vmp.
Renogy 200W – MC4 + USB A and C connectors. 20.16V Vmp.
EcoFlow 400W – MC4 connectors, 41V Vmp.

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.

E300LFP – Elecaenta 120W – A 120W panel that includes several connectors, including a DC5521 that plugs into the E300LFP.
E600LFP, E1500LFP, E2000LFP, E3600LFP – Pecron PV200/PV300 – Pecron’s 200W and 300W portable flexible panels are great options for the E600LFP and larger. Use the MC4 to DC adapter included with the power station to make the connection.

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.

Connecting two or more panels together in series is necessary when using 12V panels to reach the minimum input voltage of 30V of the E600LFP and larger, unless you connect a single panel to the DC5521 input.

Extension Cables (Optional)

Here are my recommendations when it comes to extension cables.

MC4 – Geosiry 12 AWG Solar Panel Extension Cables
DC5521 – iGreely DC5521 Extension cable 14 AWG (up to 15A)
GX16-5 – Pecron MC4 to GX16-5 Extension Cable

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.

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.