The increase in energy density and drop in price of lithium-ion batteries have opened up a wide range of new applications for them. Electric cars, high power cell phones, electric bikes, and home energy storage are just a few key areas where energy storage is turning what we thought we knew on its head.
EcoFlow has been building portable energy storage devices for years now and sent us the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Portable Power Station for us to run through the paces. The EcoFlow DELTA Pro is a portable power station that defies what we thought we knew about energy storage. At about the size of those old desktop computer towers, the DELTA Pro packs in a whopping 3.6 kilowatt-hours of storage capacity with a power output to match.
Disclaimer: EcoFlow sent the author the DELTA Pro free of charge for the purposes of this review.
The impressive storage capacity of the DELTA Pro is due to the iron phosphate — aka LFP — chemistry used in the battery pack. LFP batteries can support more charge / discharge cycles, are not prone to thermal runaway, and are more affordable than their lithium-ion counterparts. The fact that they are not prone to thermal runaway makes them fantastic options for residential energy storage.
The DELTA Pro can be used as a standalone battery, with appliances, phones, televisions, and the like plugged directly into it, or it can be wired directly into the electrical panel of the home. This is flexibility like we’ve never seen before.
That makes is a great option for renters, as they can simply use it as a standalone unit while renting with the knowledge that they can bring it with them when they move. For even more storage capacity, up to two more DELTA Pro Smart Extra Batteries can be wired into the unit via two dedicated expansion outlets located at the rear of the unit.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
Its five AC power outlets can support a continuous output of 3,600 watts with a surge capacity of 7,200 watts. To put that into context, our home normally pulls between 300 and 700 watts average, with a few spikes when we’re charging an electric vehicle on a Level 2 charger, running the oven, or on one of the few hot days in the year when we actually run the air conditioning.
At 99 pounds, the DELTA Pro isn’t the most portable battery around, but with a storage capacity of 3.6kWh, its weight is understandable. When the time comes to move it around, the DELTA Pro has an integrated handle and a telescoping luggage-style handle that expands up from the base of the unit. It definitely makes moving it around much easier than it would be otherwise.
Image credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
The DELTA Pro is well suited to supply power in situations where a significant amount of power is needed over a long period of time, thanks to its 3.6kWh capacity. It is also a great option for use cases where a portable generator needs to supply a significant amount of power at one time. It can push out 3.6kW continuous and up to 7.2kW for short bursts.
EcoFlow has built an impressive ecosystem around the DELTA Pro that allows for a wide range of configurations to increase both storage capacity and power output. The extensibility of the unit make it easy to imagine purchasing a single unit to see what it can support, then adding more batteries and capacity to support a broader range of applications.
Image courtesy: EcoFlow
As a portable generator, the DELTA Pro is somewhat of a jack of all trades. It’s super capable and can seemingly be used in a wide range of applications. It’s easy to imagine it powering an RV with a set of solar panels attached, powering a home through a grid outage, or providing emergency power in support of a natural disaster.
As if the DELTA Pro didn’t have enough things going for it, it can also be charged up from a wide range of sources. Grid power is the easy, obvious option, but it can also be charged up from solar panels, and the newest version can recharge with a J1772 EV charger. You read that correctly. You can literally plug an EVSE into the side of the unit to recharge it at 3.4kW, bringing the unit from 0-100 in 1.7 hours.
Image courtesy: EcoFlow
Overall, the EcoFlow DELTA Pro offers a ton of flexibility on both the charging and discharging sides of the equation. It is portable and packs a ton of power and capacity to meet just about any portable power need out there. For applications with lower power or storage needs, EcoFlow offers smaller batteries, but the DELTA Pro is definitely the big boy on the block.
Its display makes it easy to see how much power is coming in and going out at a glance, from a wide range of sources. We used it to power a wide range of devices including a 3-gallon Craftsman compressor and were impressed at just how much capacity it had. Of all the devices we tried, only one, a 120 volt EVSE, did not play nicely with it. Your mileage may vary.
For more information about the EcoFlow DELTA Pro or to purchase one today, head over to its official online home.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro Specs
- Price: $3,599
- Capacity: 3,600Wh
- Battery Chemistry: LFP
- Extra Battery: Support up to two DELTA Pro Smart Extra Battery/Smart Generator
- AC Output: 5 outlets, 3,600W total (Surge 7,200W)
- Max Device(s) Power Supported by X-Boost: 4,500W
- USB-A Output: 2 ports, 5V, 2.4A, 12W Max per port
- USB-A Fast Charge: 2 ports, 5V, 2.4A / 9V, 2A / 12V, 1.5A, 18W Max per port
- USB-C Output: 2 ports, 5/9/12/15/20V, 5A, 100W Max per port
- Car Power Output: 12.6V, 10A, 126W Max
- DC5521 Output: 2 ports, 12.6V, 3A, 38W Max per port
- Anderson Port: 12.6V, 30A
- AC Charging Input: 1800W Max, 120V~15A, 3000W Max, 240V~12.5A
- Solar Charging Input: 1600W Max, 11-150V, 15A
- Car Charging Input: Support 12V/24V battery, 8A
- Cycle Life: 6,500 cycles to 50% capacity, 3,500 cycles to 80% capacity
- Shelf Life: 1 year (after a full charge)
- Connection: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, wired
- Net Weight: 99 lb/45 kg
- Dimensions: 25*11.2*16.4 in / 63.5*28.4*42cm
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