Jackery's Solar Generator 5000 Plus Offers Whole Home Backup at a Reasonable Price - CNET

The new Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus offers whole home backup, hooks into your existing solar system and is packed with features at a reasonable price.

If you're worried about a power outage or planning a camping trip, a solar generator can be a great option to store and use power when you don't have access to the grid. Unlike gas-powered generators, solar generators can also safely be used indoors, making them a practical option for home backup power. That's where the newest Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus comes in.

It's a home solar generator capable of 7,200 watts of power output with a 5,040 watt-hour capacity and connects to solar panels as well as the grid to store electricity. This isn't a new product category, with Jackery having previously released the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Pro, which consisted of a Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro portable power station paired with Jackery Solar Saga 200 panels. Companies like EcoFlow, Bluetti and Oupes have also gotten in on the action with the Oupes 600W Solar Generator Kit and EcoFlow Delta Mini.

"Safety, sustainability and convenience are at the forefront of every solar generator we produce, and the 5000 Plus delivers at every turn," said Jack Sun, CEO of Jackery. "Whether you need to power your entire home during an outage or emergency, need additional power while embracing outdoor living or reliable everyday power, the 5000 Plus provides the performance, safety and convenience that people need."

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5000 Plus from the side with wheels.

Jackery calls the power station portable, and technically, it has a built-in handle and wheels that let you roll it around. However, at 128 pounds, you'll likely want to keep it in one place most of the time. The portable power station itself is just one component of the system. Jackery offers several modular extensions and add-ons for the Solar Generator 5000 Plus. When you use all of them, you can generate 60kWh of power, which Jackery claims is enough to sustain the average American household's necessities for up to several days, assuming an average daily use of 30kWh.

You can also connect up to six SolarSaga 200W portable solar panels or two SolarSaga 500W panels. It's also compatible with third-party solar panels that use an MC4 connector, supporting up to 4,000W of charging. Perhaps most uniquely, it supports dual-voltage solar charging, meaning you can hook the system up to an existing high-voltage rooftop solar system alongside Jackery's portable solar panels.

There's also the Jackery Smart Transfer Switch (STS), which can deliver 7,200W of power as a single unit. When you add a second unit, it can get up to 14,4000W. The system supports 120V loads and 240V appliances, including dryers, water pumps, ovens and electric power tools. Jackery says it can even recharge RVs and electric vehicles.

In terms of outputs, you get two 18W USB-A ports, two 100W USB-C power delivery ports, a 120W car port and four AC outlets.

The 5000 Plus inputs and outputs.

Like many new portable power stations on the market, the Solar Generator 5000 Plus can also double as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with instant (0 milliseconds) switchover so your devices and appliances never lose power. You can manage the feature with an app, activate UPS mode, schedule charging, monitor your system and more. According to Jackery, while the 5000 Plus is designed for whole-home backup, it also supports off-grid living and grid arbitrage, with features like peak shaving and valley lifting, which can help balance energy consumption and reduce energy bills.

The generator is rated to be fireproof, shockproof and IPX4 water-resistant. It comes with a seven-year warranty (Jackery calls it "5+2"). The generator has 4,000 life cycles with its lithium iron phosphate battery, so it should last a while.

UPS backup feature with 0ms switchover.

The Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus will run you $3,499, making it less than competitors like the Anker Solix F3800 ($3,999), and significantly more affordable than the Bluetti EP500 Pro ($4,999) or the Ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra ($6,098). We're still waiting on availability details, but we'll update you when we have them.

Article updated on October 24, 2024 at 5:30 AM PDT

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