Renogy Christmas sale 27-32%discount, recommend for low budget

[CaptainRivet]

Hi low budget LI DIY,

If you are on a budget Renogy is a very Good Choice and now it got better, they have a huge Christmas sale with 27-32% off.
https://www.renogy.com/on-sale/

No affiliation or anything with them other then they are very good products for their price and you get support. I don‘t know anything with this sale prices where you get more for your money.

[Sand crab]

I put some of their panels on my RV. They worked so there's an endorsement.

[stormalong]

Very interested. I would like to hear from more Renology product users. The good, bad and ugly.

Important question for me is do their MPPT controllers cause RFI on HF bands?

[ABJ87]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Very interested. I would like to hear from more Renology product users. The good, bad and ugly.

Important question for me is do their MPPT controllers cause RFI on HF bands?

Had a mppt from them on my camper van. Dead within a year. Kept “forgetting” charge parameters and defaulting to wet cell.

Have / had 2 flexible 100w panels from them, lasted 12 months, replaced under warranty. 18 months later only one is still working. Have some friends that have had good luck with the larger flexible 170w panels going strong 3 years later.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by stormalong

Very interested. I would like to hear from more Renology product users. The good, bad and ugly.

I have chosen not to use Renogy because of the reputation for customer service. This is worth a read of their UK branches:

https://uk.trustpilot.com/search?exp...c&query=renogy

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I have chosen not to use Renogy because of the reputation for customer service. This is worth a read of their UK branches:

https://uk.trustpilot.com/search?exp...c&query=renogy

UK is worse, US is very good. Its not the product but the company.


I used their DC2DC as several I know and they work fine. 40A DC2DC is standard used by Electrodacus BMS users as much cheaper then Victron and works well via remote.

The MPPT loosing the parameter was a known flaw in the software that has been corrected.if that happens you got old stock delivered.

The new combined MPPT and DC2DC should be very good, only heard positive about them.
Flexible Panels are bad quality. you should avoid them anyhow as too expensive plus all off them break much earlier then fixed.

[wholybee]

I have the 60A DCDC charger and am happy with it. I don't use it very often. It has connections for switches, so I can switch it off, or 30A/60A. Usually it is off, but, if need be, I can run my engine for an hour at 60A, or if I am motoring a long distance can run it at a 30A.

I have a 20A LFP charger that works, but is about as bare bones and minimal as possible. I only trust it while closely supervised.

I consider it a given that all MPPT controllers cause RFI on HF bands. Install chokes.

[pnw2022]

I have three solid 200watt panels and one 100watt flexi panel.

This replaces (with some additional framing on the boat) four flexi cheap-o (I forget the name) 100 watt panels I had that I got about three years out of. I was surprised they actually lasted that long - flexi panels just don't have the same lifetime. Plus the way my were installed they could get subject to heavy winds and continuous flexing creates micro-cracks I guess in the cells. They were not totally dead and I gave them away. Those I did not expect to last anyway, but the price was right at the time.

Anyway - so far so good with the Renogy panels. Substantially higher percentage power output ratio than the old ones, and the the physical workmanship on the fixed frame ones seemed great and the aluminum frames are definitely strong.

They have only been installed about 8 months now though.

I was steered towards Renogy via conversations with other boaters here in the Seattle area that have had solar installs for some years. Seems Renogy panels and Victron MPPT controllers is a popular combination. Of course that could just be herd mentality in the local neighborhood and I just jumped on the bandwagon

[SoonerSailor]

I have had two Renogy 100w rigid momocrystalline panels on my boat for 5 seasons. When new, I would 104-105 W from each when new under best conditions. Now I never see more than 85 W under the same conditions.

[LeaseOnLife]

Originally Posted by SoonerSailor

I have had two Renogy 100w rigid momocrystalline panels on my boat for 5 seasons. When new, I would 104-105 W from each when new under best conditions. Now I never see more than 85 W under the same conditions.

Were these the "Eclipse" series, supposedly using Sunpower cells? If so, I have had three of these with the same symptoms.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by wholybee

I have the 60A DCDC charger and am happy with it. I don't use it very often. It has connections for switches, so I can switch it off, or 30A/60A. Usually it is off, but, if need be, I can run my engine for an hour at 60A, or if I am motoring a long distance can run it at 30A

Didn‘t know that feature that’s exactly what I want. Manually chose to limit current.

that’s puts the 60A Renogy high up and definitely before 2xVictron 30A Orion’s which cost nearly the doubled and cannot even do that limiting.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by CaptainRivet

UK is worse, US is very good. Its not the product but the company.

I am stunned by this statement. Their tech support users forum is filled with abandoned users. Seems the products are often good, but if there js an issue, you're screwed.

My personal experience with US Renogy is they are awful. Over the years, I have purchased 3-4 Renogy items (panels, DC-DC charger, Monitor). Last year I purchased a 2000W inverter. Was DOA (kept showing over-temp error.....in mountains of Colorado with ambient temp in the 60sF). Tech Support gave erroneous information ("your [12.4v] battery [bank] is dead and needs to be replaced"). You can only reach them via email and it takes days between replies so troubleshooting it tortuous. I finally filed a BBB complaint (Better Business Bureau, a non-govt arbiter of consumer complaints) and a credit card dispute. Inteeestingly, Renogy had claimed A+ BBB rating which was apparently untrue as the badge was removed after BBB becsme involved. Renogy finally issued an RMA, but even then it took 3 months to get them to actually issue a credit.

My advice is to purchase via Amazon where there is an enforced return policy. Or better yet, avoid them altogether

[ben373]

There service is terrible. The manual for the DC to DC is wrong with regard to dio switch settings for Lifepo4. They still ship this wrong manual after 3 years of knowing and only the UK site has the correct manual.

Be very wary.

[CaptainRivet]

OK surprised about the negative feedback/comments. bought several of there 40A DCtoDC to help friends installing them in RV and boats, never had troubles with them 1/3 price of Victron +10A more if you don't need or want Victron integration that's a good deal...well I don't read manuals. a DCtoDC is easyly installed,use custom settings always. Diy solar forum and Will Prose rated their MPPT well but never had one myself. on my system went with the 2x30A Victron DC2DC because the whole system is Victron besides BMS but how they perform the 60A Renogy would have been a better fit.

[svJasmine]

I have a 2000 watt inverter / charger. I had trouble and never got help. EVER! USA. It will be replaced this year.