ACOPOWER 120W Foldable Solar Panel Kit

Review of the ACOPOWER 120W Foldable Solar Panel with the ProteusX 20A PWM controller For our RV we were looking for some solar power as we exclusively boondock, and do not like running the generator. We looked at different possible solutions like either hard mounted on the roof flexible or classic panel, or some portable/foldable solutions. As we camp a lot during winter months, we decided to go with a portable/foldable solution as in winter you need to be able to orient the panels more vertically to catch most of the lower sun. Even if in the future we decide to mount hard panels on the roof, we will still use those portable/foldable panels in winter or when park in the shade. At this point, we looked at portable hard panel vs. soft foldable panels. Due to the weight (around 33lbs vs 8lbs for a soft foldable), and the space we decided to go with a foldable panel. And we looked at the most watts we could get. We looked at different brands/products (Dokio, renogy, hsqs, lensun, etc.) and while not the most powerful panel (in terms of watts) the Acopower 120W foldable panel looked really solid with a good controller (and we knew it was not a MPPT one). The other brands were either not enough powerful or really looked flimsy and not really well made. When we received the Acopower 120W foldable panel, we were surprised at how well it was made and looked really solid. We are happy by our choice, and it was a breeze to setup the panel and the controller. The panel itself is fold as a suitcase and open up when deployed. The legs in the back are great for when not hanging it on the side of the RV. We are using strong suction cups to hold the panel on the side of the RV. For sure if it is too windy the back legs will not be enough to hold the panel but this is not the problem of the Acopower panel but due to the nature of the foldable panel being light (and we were looking at light here vs. the 30+ lbs of solid portable panel as going to be a pain to setup everyday). The PWM controller is basic but is, like the panel, built really well and offers the needed features. We are happy by the controller being simple and not offering extra useless features, like that it is simple and straightforward to use the controller. The provided wiring and connector are well made and enough long. I like that you can detach the MD4 connectors easily without needing a specific tool. We also got the Acopower 20ft extension wires for when we want to put the panel away for the RV if the RV is parked in the shade. We installed a SAE connector on the side of the RV in order to be able to plug directly the SAE connector coming out of the Acopower PWM controller. Being winter, it is hard to check on the maximum output of the panel, but so far the output is equivalent to hard solar panel when exposed to the same winter sun. We will update this review once we get some solid decent sun. Bottom line, this Acopower 120W foldable solar panel and its PWM 20A controller is a super light, compact and solid foldable panel that it is easy to setup (hanging on side of RV with suction cups, on the ground hold by its 3 foldable back legs or flat on any surface including an Rv awning), and to put away in a RV, while still offering good performance as any similar wattage panel. At the price of this panel, we wish that AcoPower would have offer a MPPT controller instead of a PWM in order to get the most out of the 120W panel. Update (2/4/2021): we did some test in full sun for a couple of days (still winter sun here in California in February), and the 120W solar panel was able to produce over 120 watts during the couple of hours around midday. Here are few of of the data we collected on one day (directly measuring the solar panel output without the controller): - 12pm: 24.1V and 5.2A => 125 watts - 1pm: around the same values than above at noon - 2pm: 23V and 4.8A => 110 watts - 3pm (with also some light clouds coming in): 21V and 4.1A => 86 watts Again those values were taken in a sunny day in early February in California; we are pretty stocked with the power generated by the panel. We will update this review in few months around spring time.