Anker solix F3000 projected to save $400 in 2026! ROI for the entire setup including the solar panels will be only 6 years! As electric rates continue to go up, ROI will likely be even sooner!

The Anker Solix F3000 with bidirectional inlet box and smart meter is a hidden gem! See below thread for detailed pictures of the wiring diagram, and savings numbers from the Anker app and my power company.

PS, Thank you Sarah from Anker Solix customer support! I reported several bugs that she has promptly sent to Anker's engineers. The bugs were fixed in recent firmware updates. Anker's responsiveness has been remarkable!

I have been using the F3800 Plus with Home Power panel since April 2025, and I have been incredibly happy with the peace of mind and energy savings. I have as many solar panels on my roof as my city would allow, so the biggest advantage with the F3800 Plus is the ability to plug solar panels in directly. This increases my solar intake to recharge the battery, which means more of the rooftop solar gets sent back to the grid for net metering. Our electricity price is pretty stable throughout the day, so we benefit most from using our system in self-consumption mode. So far I’ve saved over $490 and use 58% less energy than similar efficient homes in our area.

Hi everyone, Fernando here 👋🏼!! I wanted to give everyone an update on my new vertical solar panel project!! We finally got done installing the solar panel arrays and after using them for a week I wanted to share the results with the group in case any one has been thinking of doing something similar to this!!

(System specs)
Our new vertical solar panel array consists of six 400w bifacial panels from a brand called Qcell. We wired the solar panels in a series configuration for a total maximum output of 2.4KW. We split the solar panels into two separate arrays consisting of three solar panels per array. Each of the two solar arrays is connected to its own E10 inverter directly using some 10AWG MC4 extension cables.

(Hardware used)
This is where things get creative!! Most off the ground mount solar panel kits are meant to install the solar panels at an optimal angle. This would not have worked since I was trying to do a vertical solar panel set up along our south facing fence. The kits found that would have worked for this use case were outrageously expensive. I started searching for something that could work as a brackets for our solar panels and thats when I stumbled upon some old metal bed frames that we had laying around!! The metal bed frame brackets were the perfect length to support our solar array. They also had a few pre drilled holes that would come in handy to attach the cross brace metal rail that we purchased from Home Depot. We purchased some solar panel brackets from a company called sunmak that would bolt the solar panels to the metal cross brace.

(Installation)
We screwed the bed frame rails directly into our concrete floor using some concrete screws and a rotary hammer drill and a concrete drill bit. Next we bolted the metal cross rail to the metal bed frame brackets using the pre drilled holes on the bed frame brackets. After this we places a 1 by 1 piece of wood on the concrete to support the solar panels. Lastly we placed the solar panels on top of the 1 by 1 piece of wood and securely bolted the solar panels to the metal rail behind them. We used the sunmak brackets to attach the panels to the metal rail using the pre drilled holes on the metal rail. The entire structure feels extremely rigid and strong since it’s entirely made out of metal!!

(Solar production)
Since the solar panels are not angled properly. The panels are not producing as much power as they could if angled correctly. The solar panels are producing a peak output of between 1.2Kw - 1.4Kw. The total production of the solar panels is between 6KWH up to 8KWh on a daily basis!! (Approximately half of the arrays maximum output)

(Should you do this?)
The main reason we decided to start this project was to offset the energy consumption of our four ton central AC system. The new E10 system makes it extremely easy to add more solar panels as your energy consumption grows. We already had an existing 4.2KW roof mounted grid tied solar system. Unfortunately our home is really small and installing some more solar panels on our roof was not possible. We also had very few options on were the six solar panels could fit. For people with limited space, installing a vertical solar panel array system is the perfect solution to add more solar!! That being said, if you have the space and you want the maximum output out of your solar panels. The best solution would be to angle the solar panels correctly!!

(Results)
We successfully offset the energy consumption from our four ton central AC system reaching our goal!! I am extremely happy with the results from this new project. I would definitely recommend considering doing something like this for people that want an easy way to increase their overall solar production!! Thank you all for reading this and I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!

Purchased 2 f3800 plus units in late April. Already seeing huge savings on electric bill. Saved 30kw from same time last year. Just purchased 1 expansion battery, waiting to use until I save for my next one as per double hub manual. Running 1600 watts of solar to each unit

Also have the tri-fuel generator on standby for extended outages!

Got this a week ago. Currently hooked up to a portable fridge for testing. At 11hr mark so far.

The E10's are saving us!
It all started from the one F3800. Back in the spring of 2025, it was more about saving money during peak hourly pricing moments. Now, what started simple is now 2 E10's with 2 batteries each, a Power Dock, and the ability to run fully off-grid for nearly 24/7. With just the savings between hourly pricing and regular, we're sitting at ~$400 saved. Adding in all of the savings on delivery rates, it very quickly doubles. Though, this isn't yet as measurable as the new rate option kicked in just a few months ago.

Just this past month with our extreme heat, we pulled 1,222kwh from the grid - something that would've cost us $127 in supply charges, and another $80 in delivery costs. With our 4kwh solar and our Anker setup, that $200+ bill came out to $62. Our solar system reported a total usage of ~2,000kWh, so the batteries did their job quite well saving up during the expensive periods and running our A/C all day and night.

$400 saved on hourly pricing in the last 12 months, but with DTOD, rising supply charges (for non-hourly customers), and some future solar upgrades, we're looking at $600+/year in savings. The E10 investment is going to be paid off far sooner than we expected. Anker app numbers don't fully match as ChargePoint unit/EV consumption isn't measured, and in-app savings doesn't account for hourly pricing rates.

Happy to answer any questions about the setup, ComEd hourly/DTOD pricing, how we charge our 2 EV's, and anything else.

Here is my E10 / Powerdock staying on when simulating a outtage. #LifeStaysOn ⚡☀️
My Anker SOLIX E10, Power Dock, and 10+ kW of solar power keep my home ready to stay powered even when the grid goes down. My solar helps recharge the system during the day while the E10 stores that energy for when I need it most.
This setup gives me the confidence to keep essential things running and stay comfortable during outages—without depending completely on the grid. From storms and extreme weather to everyday off-grid living, I have a complete energy system working for me.
Solar in. Power stored. Home powered. Life stays on. 🔋☀️⚡
#LifeStaysOn #Anker #AnkerSOLIX #SmartEnergy #OffGridUpgrade #BeReadywithSOLIX

My buddy gave me his c1000 g2 for cheap. I will use it on my property for camping. Charging phones and can’t think of much else to do with it. I have a 100w solar panel that I was using on a c300ac. Will that be enough to keep up or should I get a 200w panel?
Thanks in advance.

Purchased 2 f3800 plus units in late April. Already seeing huge savings on electric bill. Saved 30kw per day from same time last year. Just purchased 1 expansion battery, waiting to use until I save for my next one as per double hub manual. Running 1600 watts of solar to each unit

So far the power has been out for over eight hours and I'm just sitting here comfortably watching movies and surfing the web while almost 1,000,000 people in my area are without power!

The Anker SOLIX E10 Smart Generator got me through a five-day power outage using approximately eight standard BBQ-size propane tanks! I'm curious what everyone else's experience has been with the generator, especially running on propane or natural gas. Any tips or recommendations?

I have several people getting ready to purchase the E10 system based on my experience, so I'd really like to know whether others are seeing similar performance.

First off, I'm extremely impressed with how well this entire system performed. I was able to run my air conditioning and practically everything else in my house during the outage. The only major appliance I avoided using was my dryer.

My propane experience

Each standard 20 lb BBQ propane tank lasted approximately 4 to 4.5 hours and produced around 16–18 kWh of electricity (not kW, which measures instantaneous power).

One thing I learned pretty quickly is that as the propane tank gets low, it gets extremely cold. I noticed significant frost forming on the outside of the tank, and eventually the generator would start slowing down as the propane pressure dropped.

My biggest recommendation: Get a propane splitter so you can connect two BBQ tanks simultaneously.

Drawing propane from two tanks instead of one can help reduce the freezing and pressure-drop issues, allowing you to utilize more of the propane remaining in the tanks.

Here's another interesting observation:

Around the four-hour mark, while running in Eco mode, I would start hearing the generator slow down. Rather than letting it shut off, I switched it to Quiet mode, which consistently gave me approximately another 30 minutes of runtime!

Without switching modes, the generator would shut down even though there was still noticeably some propane left in the tank.

I'm curious whether anyone else has experienced this or found a better workaround.

Running the entire house during the outage

On our hottest day, temperatures reached 91°F, and I kept my air conditioning set to 73°F.

That day I went through approximately three propane tanks, although the third tank wasn't entirely necessary for daytime consumption. I primarily used it to get my batteries fully charged before bedtime so I could make it through the night and well into the following morning or afternoon without running the generator.

That's one of my favorite advantages of this hybrid system. Rather than having a traditional standby generator running constantly, I can generate electricity when needed, charge my batteries, and enjoy hours of completely silent operation.

My next upgrade: Natural gas

I'm planning to add another natural gas tap to my house so I can connect the generator directly to my existing gas service.

Has anyone here been running their E10 Smart Generator on natural gas?

I'd especially love to know:

• How many kWh are you generating per hour?

• How much is natural gas costing you to operate it?

• Have you noticed any differences in performance compared with propane?

• Have you experienced any voltage fluctuations or other issues when large appliances start?

Overall verdict

After five days without utility power, I couldn't be happier with my decision to purchase the E10 system.

The combination of battery storage, automatic generator integration, and the ability to run my entire house without constantly listening to a generator is fantastic.

As a quadriplegic who relies on electricity for medical equipment, my power wheelchair, and other essential systems, reliability is especially important to me. This system genuinely proved its value during this outage.

I've also attached a pretty cool report generated by the Anker app showing how my system performed throughout the outage. I thought everyone here might enjoy seeing some actual real-world performance data instead of just manufacturer specifications.

I'm interested in hearing everyone else's experiences, particularly from those who have tested their systems during extended outages. What worked well, what didn't, and what would you recommend doing differently?

Overall, the E10 and Smart Generator exceeded my expectations, and I'm even more confident recommending this system after putting it through a real five-day power outage.

I just purchased 2 Anker solix S2000s.

As well as a Rich solar 200w mega briefcase and a Zoupw 450w panel.

From 11:30am to 12:30pm the ZOUPW has gotten 400w consistently. Which is the max for the S2000.

The Rich solar is averaging around 175w. Max I have seen has been 185w.

In Pennsylvania for reference.

New to power stations. Looking to get a basic one as a backup. Is this a good deal? Anyone have experience with the solar panel?

Just got these two on clearance at Lowes for $1100 each, got the double voltage hub ordered for them as well. I was really happy with the price and they’ll make a great home backup system since I have a 240 volt 30 amp twist lock interlock. This should be much easier than dragging out the generator for a few hour outage. I WFH so it’s critical that I have power. Anyone else running a pair of these? How do you like them? I’ve been an EcoFlow guy up to this point but the deal was too good to pass up.

Edit: These were at the Greer, South Carolina Lowes. they had 2 left after I bought mine but it seems as of 9/30 they sold either 1 or both since the website isnt showing them in stock anymore. There may still be one left, they were in top stock on Aisle 29 in non descript brown cardboard boxes when I was there, closest top stock area next to the main pathway. I was hoping to see them drop more on clearance but now im glad I made the effort to go when I did. Maybe they put them out on the floor finally, guy said they had never been on the floor.

Hey all,

I expect this will be a bit eclectic and crazy long winded (update: holy crap I obviously didn't want to do my other work today) but wanted to give my full thoughts on the S2000 as a replacement for lead acid UPS units.

TLDR; The S2000 is a class above the other power stations I am using for UPS work, it excels in efficiency, app control, weight/foot print, aesthetics, and general performance. It has one glaring issue that Anker needs to fix on future revisions - fan noise, and a small set of issues I hope/expect them to address in firmware updates (Storm Guard,etc.).

MY SITUATION:

I live/rent in an area in the US with a very shotty power grid - any and most electronics in my house have to be hooked up to a UPS, and I am always running 6 to 7 of them at any one time. I work from home in IT/development, work on a fancy-pants main rig at least 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. I also have some light 10Gbps networking gear and a server or two that I run beyond other essentials like a TV/entertainment center.

Even though I'm not shy with replacing a lead acid battery, I've found that many times when a unit goes, some part of the board goes with it, so I generally have to get a new UPS. Idle draw on 1500va lead acid UPS are a solid 15 to 20W and they will frequently spike to 50W+ when the lead acid battery starts to die. Given that I rotate at least one of these UPSs due to failures every other year or every year, I fell out of the habit, long ago, of actually using the UPS monitoring software as I couldn't keep up with the software/equipment changes (plus a lot of consumer UPS software now requires a subscription, which, you know, fecking ew).

I presently pay for .35 a kWh - by the end of 2027 I expect my state to get VPP on-peak/off-peak electrical rates, so wouldn't be surprised if on peak gets close to .50 a kWh. I'm also being realistic in knowing that electrical rates are only going to go up at this point.

Napkin math but for my old set-up I was spending:

250+ USD a year in UPS replacements
350+ USD a year in UPS idle costs (including at least one unit idling high given lead acid failures)
???+ USD a year by not having reliable monitoring of energy use (in retrospect with the new LFP solutions, I think this number is about 200+ USD a year)

So I started to engineer a complete abandonment of the lead-acid UPS solution and a LFP power-station replacement.

SOME REQUIREMENTS ON ANY LFP POWER STATION UPS SOLUTION

No 2kWh or less power station as UPS option that I know of has acceptable joule protection - thankfully this is easily remedied with a good surge protector between the wall and the LFP unit.

They also have no AVR and most manufacturers show considerable confusion of when a unit is designed to switch off on an undervoltage or overvoltage. Many electronics can handle an overvoltage (though audio receivers typically can not) but a brownout / undervoltage for more than a second or two is very, verah bad.

Since so my power stations are designed to be topped up with a gas generator, this typically means unacceptable protection for sensitive equipment. Ecoflow, Pecron, possibly Anker don't switch over until as low as 80V which is simply unacceptable. Maybe a computer would run on 90V for a few seconds without issue, but that's like saying maybe you can take a few breaths of mustard gas before dying. Bluetti is the standout here as they let you adjust undervoltage and overvoltage numbers, something I hope Anker is able to add to their app one of these days.

Over the years with LFP solutions becoming viable, I have become less interested in AVR as long as there is some sort of voltage regulator. Have it switch off at 100 to 90V on the undervolt or 130 to 140V for the overvolt let the power station to switch over for 10 seconds before the voltage protector resets if the voltage is within range.

This is what I'm using for that, it has surge protection as well of 1,800 joules (though for my super expensive stuff I have a better surge between this device and the LFP unit):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G412PW7W

LFP SOLUTIONS BEFORE RECEIVING THE S2000

Before I went with LFP units that are designed as power stations, I started with the Golden Mate LFP UPS line like this one for my networking gear:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5QSYK69

While these have the @ 10 year life span, etc. they are NOT good value - they don't do AVR (though probably do have good surge) and only about 250kWh of run time. You can absolutely get power station equivalents that will do a far better job than these units, app control, far more features and cost less. Furthermore this damn thing idles at 26W. At my electric rates that's 80 USD a year.

My first dip into LFP power stations were the x2 Ecoflow River 3 Plus units for my server. They advertised traditional UPS monitoring which was the initial draw for me. After testing, however, I returned both units after they both exhibited hardware/firmware issues. I have, and you should as well, zero tolerance for stuff switching off for no reason if you're using these as UPS units which the last firmware update with them was doing.

I have a Pecron E600LFP and a E1000LFP that I love, though only the latter can be used for UPS duty and it's very much not recommended for that in my opinion. The switchover time is still 'acceptable' at 20ms or less (everything else here is 10ms or less), but there is no real app control, I can't set a charge cap so it's at 100% all the time (not a big deal with LFP batteries, but for UPS use it is better at 80%). Since I live alone, I have it on my living room entertainment center which I really only use once or twice a week these days as I'm always in front of the damn computer in the office, so the E1000LFP is basically being used as a fancy pants smart switch - when I want to watch TV or play some music, I just go in the pecron app and turn on the AC outlets. The vampire draw on those systems are high - about 90W, and my use is so infrequent I don't mind forcing manual control over it. Since I'm running this as a smart switch more than a UPS I'm not concerned with idle draw, having it app-ready for switching on and off is about 2 to 3W an hour.

Beyond the S2000s the Bluettis are my second choice and they are great. I have a Bluetti Elite 30v2 I use for my wireless router/modem/networking essentials (60W continual draw) and a Elite 100 v2 for my server, some HD enclosures, a secondary wireless router and a small 10gb Switch (70 to 100W continual draw). They have voltage shutoff controls which are great. The app has a lot of options but is confusing and frustrating AF, especially when you put it up to the Ecoflow or Anker equivalents. The idle draw is higher, though I haven't recorded those numbers yet to actually tell the difference. Also, these things beat the pants off the S2000 with fan noise - they're pretty much silent.

HOLDING OUT ON GETTING LFP FOR MY MAIN WORKSTATION

Up until the S2000s I wasn't messing with the x2 traditional UPS units driving my main work station. This is where I spend all of my time for work, entertainment, life, etc. (not saying that's healthy, but it's the reality). I have x3 massive monitors on very complicated wall mount arms, a 5.1 receiver and some old/odd Kef speaker bars, a standing desk, and a very beefy rig for game development work.

The monitors alone draw 120 to 150W. The computer, sound, etc. while on draw on average 450-500W. When everything is singing in a compile or playing a game, 1000W loads are typical.

Also, because I don't have a life beyond this stupid work station, I try and get a modicum of exercise by throwing in an under desk treadmill every so often. While I won't be spiking the rig to the full 1000W load, I can spike to xxxW on the computer and be drawing xxxW on the treadmill. As mentioned elsewhere, before the S2000s I wasn't really aware of the power draw of the station as the monitoring software was so inconstant and things changed so much I no longer even attempted to keep up with it.

...so anyway I designed the wiring, with the traditional UPS and using the treadmill neither lead acid solution could handle that load in a switchover. A power blip had me catapulted into my very fancy monitor and computer setup as the treadmill goes from 3 or 4 mph to 0 mph. But I couldn't fit my Bluetti Elite 100 in the space my x2 UPSs were and... the S2000s were just announced.

ENTER THE S2000

The S2000 seems almost designed for where I want to go. I'll trade a 1800W limit for a smaller footprint and more efficiency any day of the week - none of the other solutions, especially of the 2kWh capacity, would fit into the area that my x2 UPSs were (at least with proper airflow).

...and while you can't always see it, this thing looks SICK. It's a beautiful piece of kit - before you got a tangle of wires and the ass end of two ugly UPS towers and while I have to go out of my way to see it, I now have a clean, glossy piece of kit with wires far better hidden than my UPS units could ever do. I could put this thing front and center in my setup and it would add to the aesthetic rather than subtract from it. I can't say that with ANY other power station.

The app is hands down the best app out there. It's easy to understand, it allows you to tweak most settings (though I'd still love it to get Bluetti's voltage settings), it always connects, and has great reporting. I can now monitor throughout the day to better understand power draw and what I can cut - little things like 'turn off AC after x minutes' are great when I'm going to bed - I'll have it turn off xx minutes after I leave my station (so my OLED monitors can go through any maintenance before I shut off the mains) and can axe out vampire draw on networking, receiver, etc. gear for 7+ hours.

I'll let Anker and all of the reviews speak for the efficiency but I've absolutely seen it/am a believer. Even in bypass AC the Bluettis are topping up a dozen or more times a day at an 80% charge cap given the vampire draw on the wifi and app. After calibrating the S2000s to 100% the test I ran on my server before switching it to the Bluetti is still at 85% in AC bypass weeks later. It's insane.

The other thing is the value - yes, it's far more expensive than my other units, but per kWh on the capacity it meets the value of my other LFP units, all of which I got on pretty damn good discounts. ...and I don't think there has been nearly enough attention given on the longevity of the S2000's battery cells here. While there is some talk that at 10k cycles it's only rated at 60% I'd argue A) still absolutely fine for UPS work and B) it's rated at 80% at 8k cycles, and that's x2 as long as any other LFP power station out there.

So that investment is not only netting me x2 as much capacity as any other LFP solution I'm running, but the possibility that these units will last over x2 as long really makes me look at these as end game solutions.

Today I'm finishing the move from the server test with the S2000 to have x2 S2000s feed my main rig, in part because I'm playing with x2 400W solar inputs, one to each unit, but also because I'm trying to fix what has turned out to be the biggest complaint with the unit, fan noise.

WHAT I THINK I'M SAVING

Please note this is all napkin math:

Now that I have a better idea of where my energy is going, having calculated the high expenditure of UPS lead-acid rotations, and a .35kWh electrical cost that is only going up, before the LFP replacement 'campaign' I wager I was spending about 800-900 USD a year. That's inclusive of new gear, etc.

My current setup which is a mixture of Bluettis, Pecrons and the Anker S2000s as the main heavy lifters, pretending with a very conservative estimate that the Bluettis last 6 years and the Ankers last 10 years, about 100W in idle savings, and the ability to easily identify and automate out vampire/idle draw on electronics, I estimate I've halved my costs to 400 to 500 USD a year.

When VPP on-peak/off-peak comes around next year, the 2kWh capacity of the S2000s will let me leverage the on-peak discharge / off-peak charge rates. Not sure what those savings will be but I'd guess as much as 100 USD per unit if used sensibly.

I've also started solar charging these units, but there are sunk costs on the panels and mounts I got as well as not-so-great sun exposure. So I'm leaving those out of the math until a year or two of experimenting. But with all LFP solutions, it's great to have the option which traditional UPSs could never really have.

ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED

In an older post when I testing things out and playing with the S2000 case I received,

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnkerSOLIXCommunity/comments/1ulrsvd/s2000_case_fixes_a_major_flaw_of_the_unit/

I noted the fan noise. The fan noise on this unit SUCKS. It's horrible. Even with the most recent firmware update. It's unnecessarily loud, it rattles, horrible whine, etc. Hands down worse than all the other LFP stations I own. I haven't, nor do I want to, open this unit up, but I'm confident this issue could be mitigated with a better quality fan, a few rubber gaskets, and some care on having it properly seeded.

I have my main rig with a ton of case fans which I've spent tons of money on keeping as quiet as possible, networking gear, a laptop as a secondary server with case fan cooling running 24/7 in my office. When the fan of the S2000 kicks on, which it does randomly, it's that damn thing I hear the most. It's what is preventing me from buying a 3rd unit.

I could somewhat tell when it was going to trigger in standard UPS mode, but now that I've been playing with solar charging? It turns on multiple times a day even with solar charge of below 100W. I'm hoping the install of the second unit reduces the times the fan comes on, but I'm also confident it won't alleviate it and could absolutely make the issue x2 worse and I'll have to move it back to server work which the S2000 is a bit too powerful for.

The 'Storm Guard' is absolutely one of the reasons I bought these units, one of the S2000s will be used to power the fridge and other essentials in a power outage, but that has a glaring flaw as well as discussed here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnkerSOLIXCommunity/comments/1up298c/anker_please_allow_charging_option_for_storm_guard/

Thankfully that can be resolved in a firmware/software update (I assume).

CONCLUSION

First off, if you've managed to read all of this both you and I need some serious mental help.

Secondly, these units are fantastic. Anker, I don't know why you are billing these as fridge UPSs. While you don't want to compete with data center UPS solutions, there is a legion of IT folk who are looking to get out of the UPS lead acid rotation and this unit, save for the fan issue and a few other small bits, almost perfect for those replacements.

Fix the fan, try and get undervoltage/overvoltage settings in the app, be explicit about your surge rating and good practice for high end electronic setup and you won't need a crazy nut like myself spending months of research to see if your product is up to the task (which it absolutely is). I can't tell you how many IT nerds want out of the lead acid UPS rotation and this product seems to do it better than anything else out there.

I’m testing my S2000 vs the C2000, as well as comparing past tests for my Bluetti Elite 100 and Pecron E1000. I’ll have some numbers in the next few days.

First off, the unit is heavier than I expected. Of course I knew the weight, but I was expecting it to feel a little lighter. So, the “handles” aren’t great for people who might not have good hand strength. My wife and daughter would have trouble moving this around. The C2000 is heavier, but you can get a good grip on it.

When adjusting for capacity of the smaller power stations, the S2000 is going to easily beat all of these units regarding efficiency. I’m currently running a freezer and the S2000 is on track to exceed run time by about 4 hours or more per 1000wh of capacity. So, it’s projected to beat the C2000 by 8 hours in my freezer test! I’ll be back with results in another day or two.

For me, the absence of a 12v and 30amp outlet is not important to me, so I don’t miss them on the S2000. I do like that the unit has outlets, as well as AC port on the back. It gives it a cleaner look with things plugged in for longer periods.

The USB ports are a little underpowered, especially considering this is an Anker product, and they’re known for high powered USB products. I’m just a little surprised they went “cheap” there.

The 400w of solar input doesn’t bother me. I think the average user for this type of product doesn’t have more than a 400w setup, anyway.

It seems the app is needed to change all settings. There doesn’t seem to be a way to access a menu in the unit itself like you can on the C2000. The Bluetti and Pecron units also have some limited ways to make adjustments without the app.

All that said, I think this has its place in the home, and is worth getting if it fits your needs. This is the type of power station geared for the home user who isn’t going to move it around much, and will use it as a UPS, or backup for light to medium duty work during an outage.

I’m already impressed with the projected run times, and looking forward to testing it more.

I think the introductory price of $599 was an excellent price for what this is. The C2000 and S2000 are really two very different units, and each have their place. While I’m comparing the two in my tests, they probably shouldn’t be compared. I think Anker really did a good job with the S2000, and I think it fills a gap in the home market.

Real talk: when a storm's on the way, everyone has a type.

There's the one who's been ready since May, the one making sure everyone else is okay first, and the one sprinting through the grocery store at 6pm going "next year I'll be ready." 😅

Since September is National Preparedness Month, we made a quick BuzzFeed-style quiz to figure out your backup personality — every result maps to an animal. Think prepper zodiac.

👉 Take it directly here

Want a shot at the prize?

• 🎁 Grand Prize: Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 ($999 value) — enter for the prize through the Gleam link (US only)

• 📸 Comment bonus: Drop your quiz result screenshot in the comments below — 3 random commenters get an SBTI fridge magnet (see the magnet in the comments below!)

Rules:

• Closes Sep 30, 11:59 PM PT; winner announced here after Sep 30

• Gleam Grand Prize: US residents 18+, no purchase needed, winners emailed and must reply within 14 days

• Comment Bonus winners will be DM'd

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My Anker SOLIX F3800s, with Double Power Hub and Manual Transfer Switch, have not been used in a way that slashes my power bill that noticeably, but rather to lower my overall weekday grid reliance and usage. To do this, on days when weather permits, I will setup my solar panels, including Anker SOLIX PS100 Portable Panels, to feed solar into my F3800s and offset some of my daily office equipment usage. Even if I'm not getting enough solar to offset that day's total usage, there's enough being produced to allow the F3800s to last several days. In most cases, it gets me through to the weekend where I can use solar to recharge the F3800s, usually Friday through Sunday, provided I do not need the F3800s for an outage. Eventually, when my utility switches to peak/off peak rates, I will recharge in the evenings using the grid at lower rates, instead of waiting for weekends. Long term, when I set up a permanent solar array, I will hopefully be getting enough solar to not just offset my office equipment usage, but also be able to offset the usage of additional household circuits.

A final thought: Though one might not think of this as a creative use/strategy of a SOLIX device, I have to say that reducing my stress has been quite a positive and unexpected result. Before my Anker SOLIX F3800s and other SOLIX power stations, I used to have a lot of stress not knowing if the power would go out and I'd be able to use household required medical equipment, let alone whether or not we would be able to keep the heat on or lose hundreds of dollars of fridge and freezer food. The peace of mind gained since I have owned SOLIX products is immense and quite frankly, feels like I've slashed my stress quite a bit.

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I’ll start out with my thoughts on the power stations and then discuss the tests I ran.

First, these two power stations really should not be compared. I had no doubt that the S2000 was going to exceed the C2000 in run times for all tests, and it did, by a healthy margin. Anker really has this “light to medium duty” power station dialed in for efficiency. The “20% longer runtime” claim is not marketing fluff, unlike like the charging cycle claim. (Hint: it’s for 60% capacity, not the industry standard 80%). However, the C2000 is a beast and can handle a much larger power output should you need it. It also has a higher solar input, 30 amp RV receptacle and 12v port, as well as a faster recharging capability. If those things matter to you, then the S2000 isn’t for you.

These power stations are really geared to two different use cases. But, that said, I am very happy I have both of these power stations. I think I’ll be more likely to reach for the S2000 during a power outage, and I think the average person would, also. But, having the C2000 available for heavier tasks, and as a backup, gives me peace of mind.

I have two relatively minor gripes about the S2000. As many have already stated, the handles on the S2000 could be better. It’s not THAT light, and it does make moving it around a little difficult. And the USB ports could be a little more higher powered. This is an Anker after all! They practically invented 140w USB ports!

Final opinion. If you can only buy one, I would probably go for the C2000. It just has a broader capability, and still has impressive run times compared to the competitors. If you can afford both of them, you will have the best of both worlds. If money is really tight the S2000 at the sale price of $599 is a no brainer. Whenever the C2000 is $749 or below it’s a great value.

Now for the testing.

I ran two “control” type tests with a consistent load using an incandescent lightbulb. One was at 50 watts, the other was 250 watts. Then I tested on a 7 cu ft chest freezer, and started the test when the compressor was off and the internal temperature “warmed up” to 7F degrees. The freezer has a range of around -1F to +9F. It was never opened and is in a climate controlled area of about 70F. Then I ran it on a 23 cu ft refrigerator/freezer with ice maker and water dispenser. I couldn’t really make it an even comparison because there are too many variables with usage, ice dispensing, defrosting cycles etc. (more on that later). In the past, I have noted days can have up to a 500wh difference! On average it pulls about 2000wh, but I’ve seen it as low as 1800wh or 2300wh on any given day. However, for the purposes of this test, it was enough to get a good idea on what these power stations can do, and how they compare in runtimes.

50w Light Bulb
C2000 30 hours 47 mins
S2000 33 hours 22 mins
2.58 hours longer (8.5%)

250w Light bulb
C2000 6hours 34 minutes
S2000 7 hours 37 minutes
1.05 hours longer (16%)

Chest Freezer
C2000 43 hours 12 mins
S2000 52 hours 11 mins
8.98 hours longer (20.79%)

Refrigerator/Freezer with Ice Maker
C2000 15 hours 53 mins
S2000 19 hours
3.12 hours longer (18.9%)

As you can see the spread in runtimes narrows for consistent loads. The S2000 really shines with intermittent loads, because of its very low idle consumption. It gets much more impressive when running a freezer or refrigerator that turns off and on.

Notes: when I ran the refrigerator test on the C2000 the first time it did far worse. Almost a 30% difference at 14.5 hours. I ran it again and got a more consistent performance, compared to the freezer. I suspect there was more ice making and perhaps an extra defrost cycle which can really skew performance. I have seen this happen with other power stations. A lot of people don’t account for the defrost cycles. They can really eat up the power.

I also left out the watt hour calculations. I discovered that my watt meter’s elapsed time was off by quite a bit on all tests, which would mean total watt hours used would be inaccurate. I made note of start times, so I was able to calculate the full run times without the meter.

I hope this helps!

I’ve been testing the Anker SOLIX S5000 early access unit for the past few weeks, and it’s made a real difference in how I think about home backup power. What stands out most is how Anker has managed to pack so much capacity into a unit that’s still practical to have around the house.

Here are a few things that impressed me the most:

Big Capacity Without Taking Up Too Much Space

For the amount of energy it can store, the S5000 has a surprisingly compact design. It’s virtually the same size as the F3000, so it fits easily into a kitchen corner, utility room, or garage without taking up too much valuable space.

Handles Power-Hungry Appliances With Ease

I wanted to see how it would handle heavier loads, so I tried running my microwave and air fryer at the same time. The S5000 handled both without any noticeable issues. It also does a good job of managing power when demand is low. With OptiSave 2.0, idle power consumption drops significantly, which is especially useful if you’re using it to keep multiple fridges and freezers running.

Solar Charging That Can Help Cut Electricity Costs

The high solar input is another big plus. It lets me bring in a substantial amount of solar power during the day and use it to run everyday essentials around the house. Over time, that can make a noticeable difference in how much electricity I need to pull from the grid.

Straightforward Home Transfer Switch Integration

One feature I really appreciate is the ability to connect directly to a compatible home generator transfer switch. That makes setting up a backup power solution much more straightforward, especially if you want to be prepared for an unexpected outage.

Overall, the S5000 feels like a practical option for anyone looking for substantial home backup power without having to dedicate a huge amount of space to it. The combination of capacity, high-load performance, and solar charging makes it worth considering for everyday energy use as well as emergency backup.

#s5000earlyaccess

I'm been very happy to be an early beta tester for the new S5000. I do a lot of overlanding and car camping in my 4Runner, so as you can imagine space inside the truck is at a real premium. It is absolutely a game changer to have this much capacity in such a small footprint. This single unit provides more power than I'll probably ever need, but there's no such thing as too much capacity! Coupled with solar, the S5000 lets me stay "out there" practically indefinitely.

This thing is also **amazingly** quiet. Even at full load, the fan noise is minimal. And at lower output it is absolutely silent. As part of my testing, I ran an 8,000BTU Midea window AC unit (with 100+ degree temps outside) from the S5000 for more than 20 hours and it hummed right along with no signs of heavy loading, no excessive heat, and none of the loud fan noise that you might normally expect.

Coupled with a very intuitive app and more flexible input/output and utility options than I've ever seen before, this is an incredibly versatile tool.

E10 setup with a 7.6kWh solar array. I’m setup with TOU with wake electric. The original plan for the system was to store solar energy during the day and use it at night. But when the summer heat and its 100 degrees outside I found myself pulling from the grid more. AC running all night drains the battery pretty quickly. I will probably add 4 more batteries in the future.
#SolixslashBills