Most portable power supplies feature the ability to store energy, a handle for carrying, and a range of options for charging and discharging. We’ve seen them all over the place, and after examining dozens of various power plants, the Vanpowers Super Power Pro 2000 managed to set a higher standard in almost every respect. It has six AC power connectors, numerous USB power ports up front, a gorgeous display, and a clean, vintage design with a stunning green paint job on the front of the gadget. When the device is turned on, a clear display with plenty of information and pertinent images is illuminated. It is enough bright to read outside in the sun without being oppressive indoors.
Disclaimer: Vanpowers gave the author a Super Power Pro 2000 to use in this review.
The display displays the rate at which power is being supplied and drawn out, the amount of charge left in the battery, if the AC and DC circuits are active, and whether the device is linked to wifi. That’s accurate. In addition to having a name that sounds like it belongs in a science fiction film, the Super Power Pro 2000 boasts wifi, GPS, a SIM card, and a smartphone app. Although I was originally dubious, I discovered that the program had a few cool functions that are useful. It allows you to individually adjust the power of the AC and DC circuits as well as switch the entire device on and off.
To increase the lifespan of the integrated 2kWh battery, you may examine the state of charge and even set a charging maximum. A light bar that is evocative of the current style in electric vehicles is located directly in front of the unit itself. The app contains the control for that light bar. The light may be adjusted for color and brightness, and it turns on whenever the device is turned on. By no means is it a game-changer, but it’s good to have and makes it simple to quickly determine whether the device is on or off. If I had to choose between a device with lots of functions and one that is just moderately equipped and lacks light bars, wifi, and an app, I would always choose the latter.
The Vanpowers app is a little difficult to connect to the unit (we had trouble connecting the wifi), but as soon as I did, a whole new universe of control over the power station became available to me. It gives you complete control over almost all of the unit’s features and many other features that you can’t access directly from the device.
The main unit can be turned on and off, the AC and DC sides of the power output can be independently turned on and off, and you can monitor all of the power flows just like you can on the main display of the device, all from the app. I never would have thought to ask for it specifically, but after using it with the Vanpowers Super Power Pro 2000, I can easily see the benefit of having complete remote control over a power station.
It was convenient to be able to open the app when I first started using the power station to see how quickly it was charging from AC, from solar, or was draining utilizing the DC and AC circuits. It was convenient to be able to turn off the AC or DC circuits with only a few taps of the app rather of needing to approach the device, which goes beyond just looking at numbers. Even though it may not be the biggest of inconveniences, it does create some new opportunities for use cases that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
The storage capacity of the Vanpowers Super Power Pro 2000 is 2,096 watt-hours, or around two kilowatt-hours. It does it in a device that is smaller than many power plants, has a far lower capacity, and weighs just 46.5 lb for a lithium-ion battery with the NMC chemistry. The unit has wheels with a luggage-style extendable handle that makes it simple to move about without really lifting it, as well as an inbuilt carrying handle to facilitate moving it around easier. Although the top double handle initially seems odd, the more you use it, the more sense it makes.
I set it up on the table and plugged in our trustee 800W water kettle to check how it worked in practical situations. The Vanpowers power plant, which has a 2,000 watt continuous output capacity, easily handled the load from the kettle. On paper, it should have enough capacity to run two of these units simultaneously and still have plenty left over for charging the rest of your devices.
I connected my Kitchen Aid Professional 5 Plus mixer and turned it all the way to level 10 to give it more effort. Only 500 watts were drawn, which only slightly above the device’s specified power. When I plugged a few USB devices, the gadget barely even flashed, which I expected. With each additional device added, it merely updated the amount of time it would be able to handle the increased strain. The Super Power Pro 2000 was invincible against power tools as well. The station was easily able to support both my Porter Cable circular saw and my Bosch Colt router operating.
When it was time to recharge the power station, it was simple to connect it into a regular wall outlet thanks to a single cable. Vanpowers streamlined the charging system’s electronics, making it easier to operate in practical situations. The device can recharge at 1,800 watts and reach 80% of its capacity in roughly an hour when plugged into a regular wall outlet. In our two complete discharge-recharge cycles, we confirmed that this estimate was accurate, and we were impressed by the app’s capacity to limit the maximum level of charge to prolong battery life.
The device comes with an adaptor that enables solar panels with MC4 connectors to plug in directly and can recharge at up to 1,800 watts from the sun as well. It goes without saying that 1,800 watts of portable solar power is a lot, therefore employing this power station as the storage and inverter component of an off-grid arrangement rather than a portable solution is more helpful. Vanpowers provided their 200 watt folding solar panel for us to test because it can charge more slowly when there is less solar power connected. Its outstanding 23% efficiency equates to a smaller, lighter panel with a lower surface area, producing 200 watts of solar power. After plugging it in for a day, we were astounded by how lightweight and portable its flat, square form factor was. Even though solar is quite particular about the angle of the sun, we were still able to increase the station’s capacity by just over 1,000 watt-hours with the panel here in California in just 8 hours of full sun charging. It seems expensive since the panel retails for $458 from Vanpowers, but if you look about, you might be able to find it on sale.
As a home backup power source and for providing power in remote locations like RVs, camping, small off-grid applications, and the like, portable power stations are most commonly used nowadays. With kits that really install into vehicles, portable power station manufacturers are gradually going into a slightly more professional environment. A “Power Station” that is roughly double the size of the Super Power Pro 2000 is mentioned by Vanpowers as a potential alternative that will be available “soon.”
These kinds of devices have a lot of potential for use in the construction industry. It’s not difficult to picture a contractor equipping their vehicle with a battery pack and connecting it to a fixed solar panel on top of the cab, for example, to keep it charged. With this design, contractors may operate anywhere they want without having to establish a temporary power line to the nearby utility or maintain expensive generators. They can also capture free solar energy for their job.
The Vanpowers Super Power Pro 2000 is a true workhorse of a device with a rated continuous output of 2,000 watts and a rated peak output of 4,000 watts, and it could serve as the basis for any of the aforementioned applications. Owners can extend the life of their device by charging it only to a maximum of 80% or 90% thanks to the app’s ability to set a maximum charge rate, just like we do with our electric cars today.
Sadly, the NMC chemistry does have a propensity to degrade more quickly than other, more stable chemistries like LFP. Vanpowers anticipates that these batteries will still be functional at least 60% of the time after 3,000 cycles; however, if cycle life is your top priority, Vanpowers also has a little smaller model called the Super Power Pro 1500 that makes use of the more robust LFP chemistry. With a 60% charge, the number of cycles rises to 6,000.
Visit the official Vanpowers Super Power Pro 2000 website to learn more about this device or to place an order.
SPECS FOR POWER STATION MSRP : $1,799 NMC battery chemistry Volume: 2,096Wh 3,000 cycles for Cycle Life (60%) 2,000W Rated Power, VA Time to Recharge: 60 minutes to 80% AC 6 x 2,000W maximum outlets at 100-120 volts DC USB Outlets: 2 x PD sharing 20W AC and 2 x PD 100W 1,800W @ 100–120v, 16A maximum AC 1,800W @ 60–160V, 10A maximum DC for solar charging Solar Charging: Maximum of 10A at 600W @ 12-60v Like the uniqueness and cleantech news coverage of CleanTechnica? Think about becoming an Patreon patron or a member, supporter, technician, or ambassador for CleanTechnica. Don’t miss a cleantech story, will ya? Register for daily news updates from CleanTechnica by email. Or follow us on Google News Want to advertise with CleanTechnica, send us a tip, or propose a speaker for our podcast CleanTech Talk? You can reach us here.
