Jackery, one of the top solar generator brands, recently launched its most powerful portable battery station to date. The Jackery 3000 Pro boasts some exciting new technology, with super-fast battery charging, quieter operation, and improved cooling. This Jackery 3000 Pro review unpacks all the details.

Solar power is the future. This is becoming increasingly evident with each passing year. While the enthusiasm for photovoltaics has a lot to do with environmental awareness, many simply enjoy the convenience of a portable generator that can be used indoors, is superbly quiet, and doesn’t require gas or maintenance.

Is the Jackery 3000 Pro worth it?

I know the Jackery 3000 Pro price may leave some quivering in their boots. The launch price for the basic portable power station is just under $2,800. If you include the solar panel kit, it will come uncomfortably close to four grand. That’s a lot of cash.

Solar generators may appear to be prohibitively expensive on the face of things but think about it. Gas prices are going to keep increasing. Sunlight is guaranteed and it’s completely free. Pay once, and you have free electricity for years.

Okay, when sunlight is not an option to charge your solar generator, you always have the option of charging the battery using grid power. Utility power isn’t free, but it’s reassuring to know that you will always have electricity stored in a battery for an emergency, come rain or shine.

The environmental savings are, in the immortal words of Mater Card, priceless. We can’t ignore the reality of our time. Climate change is real, and we all need to make a concerted effort to reduce our carbon emissions. Solar electricity has proven to be one of the best ways of achieving this.

Making the change from gas to solar for our portable energy needs makes perfect sense. It’s a lot more practical and easier to use. It’s better for the environment. In the long run, solar electricity pays for itself. The money you save on gas and generator maintenance over the years amounts to a lot more than the price difference between a solar generator and a gas-powered equivalent.

When evaluating the price of going solar, you need to think long-term. It’s an investment that will save you money for many years to come. Whether it’s for home backup power or an off-grid electricity supply for camping, the Jackery range of portable battery power stations has become a dependable source of clean green electricity for many.

If a portable battery power station with solar charging capabilities is what you’re after, the Jackery 3000 Pro is certainly worth it. It has the capacity to supply all our basic home backup emergency electricity needs and is ideal for off-grid RV power.

Jackery 3000 Pro | Comprehensive Review

Features & Specs:
  • Output Capacity: 3,000W (6,000W peak).
  • Battery: Lithium-ion 3,024 WH; 70AH @ 43.2V; 2,000 cycles (>70% discharge capacity).
  • Output ports: 4 X 120V 20A outlets; 1 X 120V 25A outlet; 2 X USB-C 100W MAX ports; 2 X USB-A quick charge MAX 18W ports; 12V 10A max car charging port.
  • Input ports: AC 120V 15A max; 2 X 11 – 17.5 VDC 8mm ports; double to 8A max 17.5 – 60 VDC 12A; double to 24A max current.
  • Charge times: AC wall charger – 2.4 hours; 12V car charger – 34 hours; 1 X 200W solar panel – 18 to 19 hours up to 6 X 200W (1,200W) solar panels – 3 to 4 hours.
  • 99% efficiency MPPT solar charger.
  • Weight: 63.9 LBS.
  • Low-temperature operation – 14 to – 4°F (-10 to -20°C).
  • Smart app for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi remote control and monitoring.
  • Improved, quiet cooling system.
  • Advanced battery management system (BMS).
  • Retractable handle, wheels, and non-slip Teflon pads.
  • Warranty: 5 years (2 + 3)

Review:

The Jackery Explorer series has been around long enough to prove its reliability and durability. Unlike the smaller Explorer models that essentially provide battery storage to charge devices like phones and laptops, the Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro can provide whole-house backup electricity. Well, almost.

Power Output

With a 3,000 W constant running capacity and 6,000W peak or surge power, the Explorer 3000 Pro can run a refrigerator and room air conditioner simultaneously. It obviously won’t have any hassles powering your lights, TV, computers, and charging devices directly from built-in USB ports which is more efficient than using AC wall chargers.

Unlike some other solar generators, Jackery models don’t allow for parallel connectivity. This means you can’t connect an additional Explorer 3000 Pro to increase your output wattage capacity.

Battery

The 3,024WH lithium-ion battery is pretty standard for a solar generator of this size. It’s highly unlikely that anyone will be using the maximum 3,000W output capacity continuously for any length of time. If you do, the battery will only supply power for about an hour.

If we look at real-world operating conditions, the Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro can supply a super-efficient, Energy Star refrigerator for up to 5 days under ideal conditions. Realistically, you should expect about 2 – 3 days for the average refrigerator under normal working conditions.

Since we use a portable power station to supply more than a single refrigerator, expect to power your home for about a day or two on a single battery charge without paying too much attention to your power consumption. If you make an effort to conserve electricity usage, you could stretch your battery time for an additional day. In a dire emergency, using only lights and a few low-power devices, you could probably get up to a week from the battery.

Unfortunately, Jackery doesn’t offer the option of extending your battery storage. Many of the other top solar generator manufacturers, like EcoFlow and Goal Zero supply additional battery packs that can be daisy-chained to increase the battery capacity.

Charging Capacity

The Jackery engineers have done an extraordinary job of increasing the solar charging capacity of this model. The MPPT solar charger is extremely efficient. This means that it will be able to charge the battery when sunlight is limited.

You’re able to configure the panels in various formats of series and parallel connections. The Jackery Explorer can accommodate up to 1,200W solar input, up to a maximum voltage of 60V (24A). On a good day, it can charge the battery in as little as 3 hours. It will take longer on cloudy days but even on a particularly cloudy day, the batteries will still charge in about 4 hours.

It also allows for through-charging or UPS mode. You can continue to use the power outlets when the battery is charging. Using a wall charger, it takes 2.4 hours to charge the battery. Because of the immense capacity of the battery, the car charger fares quite dismally, taking 34 hours to reach 100%. You’d need to drive for a few thousand miles to fully charge the 3,024WH battery.

Technology Upgrades

When designing the Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro, a lot of time and energy has gone into upgrading the electronic systems and cooling.

The battery management system (BMS) is one of the best I’ve seen. By implementing a 12-point battery monitoring system, your safety is assured. The battery will also last longer and perform better, even in adverse conditions.

The Canyon cooling system is also a marvelous improvement. Nine temperature sensors ensure that all internal systems function optimally, using the cooling fan only when needed. Even with the fan running, the machine is wonderfully quiet. A great advantage when using the generator indoors.

Using a portable battery power station in extremely cold weather has always been problematic. Lithium-ion batteries don’t function well when the temperature falls. Most will shut off when the ambient temperature is less than 10°F.

By developing a sophisticated computerized temperature monitoring and control system, the 3000 Pro will keep supplying power in seriously cold conditions, as low as -4°F. Though it won’t always function optimally in severe cold, depending on the battery level.

If the battery is between 60 and 100%, the inverter will supply 3,000W maximum power. When the battery level is 30 to 60%, maximum output drops to 2,000W and only 800W when the battery capacity is less than 30%.

The smart app gives you a lot of remote-controlled functionality using either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity. You can monitor all system information, like charge status, output, battery level, and receive warnings on your phone or tablet anywhere in the world.

Design and Features

The Jackery Explorer Pro 3000 control panel is mostly unchanged. It looks a little different from the old model but the usual stuff, like 20A and USB outlets are all quite similar, as is the LCD display.

They have added a 120V 25A outlet that can supply up to 3,000W, which is great for larger appliances and RVs. I read about a guy who used the 3000 Pro to charge his Tesla. Pretty amazing. Granted, the Explorer battery is much smaller than that of a Tesla, so he only managed to gain 8 miles from the exercise but it’s still quite a feat and could be a real lifesaver in an emergency.

Jackery has earned a well-deserved reputation for quality and functionality. The Explorer 3000 Pro has built on this with an outstandingly practical and robust design. The machine weighs almost 64 pounds which is very reasonable for a 3,000W solar generator, but not that portable. An aluminum alloy retractable handle and wheels help a lot in this regard. It also rests on non-slip Teflon pads which is a great feature.

The Bottom Line

The Jackery Explorer Pro is a truly advanced solar generator. It boasts some of the best technology available today and is a well-made product. Power output is great for home and camping.

While the battery is good quality and provides adequate power for most applications, you can’t extend the amount of battery time by connecting additional batteries. The rapid solar charging capabilities make up for this a bit. You should always have enough power if there is sufficient sunlight.

In general, I commend this machine. It’s a practical portable battery power station with amazing solar capabilities. When comparing it to similar solar generators, the Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro is very competitively priced.

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