Rolling blackouts are a permanent part of our lives, so it’s time to seriously consider back-up power.

Portable power stations are arguably the best for those who can’t make permanent changes to their rentals or live in townhouses where neither external installations nor generators, due to their noise levels, are allowed. If you fall in the above category, you may want to consider a solution that is not fixed.

Recently, EcoFlow entered the South African market. Previously, it was sold through distributors. With a local presence, its power stations are now compatible with South African plugs, it offers support, and it will soon have an office in Waterfall.

Introducing the EcoFlow Delta 2

We recently got our hands on the new Delta 2 portable power station, which has 1 024Wh or 1kWh of battery capacity. It uses lithium-ion phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, which tend to have a longer lifespan.

EcoFlow says the LFP battery chemistry will give you 3000+ full charges and you can get 10 years of daily use before you hit 80% capacity. It is expandable up to 3kWh, and comes with a five-year warranty.

It can be recharged using EcoFlow’s X-Stream technology, which it claims is the fastest on the market. It recharges from 0-100% in 80 minutes and 0-80% in 50 minutes.

The unit can be recharged in different ways: Using an AC outlet, car charger, solar charger or through USB-C ports. I recharged it from empty and, as claimed, it fully recharged within 80 minutes.

However, draining a lithium-ion battery to empty is not recommended if you want to prolong its lifespan, so at the 20-25% mark should be okay before you recharge.

The Delta 2 has 2x regular USB-A ports, 2x fast-charging USB-A ports, 2x 100W USB-C ports, 2x 3-pin plugs, and 2x 2-pin plugs.

Appliances connected to the Delta 2

The Delta 2 can handle up to 1 800W output, with an X-Boost of up to 2 400W. I connected a washing machine, which used about 9% of the capacity for a 37-minute load; an 850W microwave that used 2% in one minute; and a 65-inch 4K smart TV that used 10% of the battery in 30 minutes.

EcoFlow

Typically, hair dryers and hair tools are not something you can use during load shedding, but I tested it with two different hair dryers – one with a 1 100W motor and another with a 1 600W motor, and it used 9% and 4% respectively. I preferred the more powerful one in less time, naturally.

I wouldn’t recommend plugging an air conditioner into it, but for the purpose of testing, it was drained from 46% to 1% in a mere 30 minutes. Other appliances that were too powerful for it were a kettle and air fryer.

There’s an app for that

The Delta 2 has an app which is more useful if you connect it to your distribution board and have it fed directly to your house. Here you can monitor consumption and choose which rooms to power during load shedding, or automate stuff.

EcoFlow
EcoFlow app

I didn’t do this, but while connected via bluetooth, could see the number of hours available to me, update the firmware, and adjust the 1 200W recharging speed or choose the charge and discharge levels.

Should you buy the Delta 2?

The Delta 2 allowed me to use appliances I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to use during load shedding, such as a washing machine, microwave, and hair tools. At 12kgs, it’s not too difficult to move around and is more flexible if not wired to your DB board.

It costs R24 999, which is a lot of money but at that price point, you should check what other brands, such as Gizzu, Jackery and Bluetti, offer.

You will be paying for portability, and it offers fast charging in less than two hours, which is its biggest drawcard. If you want to get through load shedding Stage 6 and upwards, then the Delta 2 is worth it.

Published here: https://www.news24.com/news24/tech-and-trends/review-the-ecoflow-delta-2-portable-power-station-20230327