EcoFlow’s new modular power kit makes installing a battery system for your RV, home, or off-grid cabin simple. With the plug and play design all you need to do is plug in a few components and you can have a fully functional AC and DC power system with LFP batteries. EcoFlow power kits are especially great for people who don’t want to design a system for their RV or cabin and for those who don’t want to pay for someone else to design a system.
EcoFlow’s modular system brings together many components that you would have previously had to purchase separately and design to work together in order to have a fully functional and safe battery based electrical system. EcoFlow sent me their Independence Kit for review so if you are considering it, I hope these detailed photos and specs can help. They also gave me a 5% off code (it’s at the bottom). Let’s take a look at the components and I’ll share some of my thoughts on it.
Power Hub
The Power HUB is the brains and the control center for the system. It can handle charging from a vehicle alternator, from up to 4,800 watts of solar from 3 MPPTs, from the EcoFlow gas generator, and from AC from the utility. To connect these various inputs to the power hub you just have to plug them in with the supplied cables. It can output 3,600W of AC power and up to 70 amps of 12V DC power. The power hub comes with the necessary cables to connect up the various inputs/outputs. The beauty of this system is that you can simply plug most of the connections right into the power hub and start using it right away.
Smart Batteries
The power kit only makes sense if you are getting batteries. EcoFlow sells two types of batteries that work with the power hub, a 2kWh and a 5kWh. Both are LFP chemistry and are rated for over 3,000 cycles. For most people 3,000 cycles means more than 10 years of full capacity since a cycle is depleting the battery to 0% then charging back to 100%.
They are 48V batteries and require thinner copper wire because of the lower amperage to get the same level of power. The smart batteries also have a self-heating function that will allow them to operate even in below freezing temperatures (down to -4F or -20C). They also stack very nicely on top of each other (see photo). For each power hub EcoFlow says that you can connect up to 3 smart batteries. Unfortunately, though, you can’t mix the battery sizes. So you need to get all 2kWh or all 5kWh batteries for your system. The batteries also come with the necessary mounting hardware for mobile applications to keep things safe.
Capacitive Touch Display Screen
Monitor and control almost every aspect of the system with the very bright and responsive touch screen. The screen comes with a long ethernet cable that connects to the power hub. It gets its power from the power hub (power over ethernet) so it does not need extra batteries. Also, as a nice touch, there is a USB-A port on the display so you can conveniently charge your phone or other device.
Smart Distribution Panel
The Power Kit come with an optional smart distribution panel. With it you can control the AC and DC output circuits for your RV or for your home. You connect the AC and DC output from the power hub to the smart panel then connect your load circuits. Not only do you get the ability to physically switch and check on the breakers, you can control and monitor them remotely with the display screen or with the EcoFlow APP on your phone. The smart panel has outputs for (6) AC circuits with circuit breakers and (12) fused DC circuits.
Power kits come in different configurations and with the cables you need to get started with each configuration.
My Thoughts
This kit was very easy to setup and if you can wire an electrical outlet in your home I bet you won’t have any trouble setting this up. Of course, you can always hire an electrician for any work that you do not feel comfortable doing yourself.
I would recommend this system to anyone who didn’t want to design their own off-grid equivalent and wanted a plug and play system that can be setup quickly. The power hub AC output is limited to 30 amps so make sure you consider your needs. I installed this system in my RV with a 50amp service and had to make a few adjustments (video below) but I got it working just fine.
I also like that you can use solar panels and the EcoFlow gas generator to charge the system when you do not have access to the power grid. The power kit works with any solar panels as long they fit within the maximum voltage/amperage values (150v, 30amp) for each MPPT (there are 3 on the power hub) for a total of up to 4,800 watts of solar. You can also charge the batteries from your vehicles’ alternator if you wanted to connect that up (up to 1000W).
If you have any questions about the system or components please feel free to shoot me an email (look at the contact page).
EcoFlow has given me a discount code of 5% off for a limited time on any Power Kit purchased on their website. https://geni.us/EcoFlowPowerKit (this is an affiliate link – which means I might get a referral fee) Make sure to USE THE CODE “FRUGALKITS5” to get 5% off.
If you want to see me install this system in my RV with a 50 amp service, you can check it out here: