See the best solar generators to power your food truck with clean energy
Everywhere you look these days people are talking about protecting the environment by living more sustainably and using cleaner energy as opposed to fossil fuels like petrol and diesel.
More and more food truck owners are also doing their bit to reduce their carbon footprint and switching to more sustainable energy such as solar power.
So if you landed on this article you are also probably looking to do your bit and find out what is the best solar generator for a food truck.
The best solar generators for a food truck are models that can produce on average between 2000 watts and 6000 watts of power and can run multiple electrical appliances for extended periods.
However, the exact model of solar generator you will need will largely depend on how many appliances you have and how long you expect to run them.
So to help you make an informed decision I’ve put together a buyer’s guide and 4 of the best solar generators for food trucks.
Contents:
- Buyers Guide
- BLUETTI Portable Solar Generator
- EF ECOFLOW Delta Max Solar Generator
- EF ECOFLOW DELTA Pro Solar Generator
- Goal Zero Yeti Solar-Powered Generator
- Solar panel kit for food truck
- Key takeaways
Buyers Guide
Power needs
When choosing the right solar generator for your food truck you will need to take into account how much power your electrical items consume (both starting watts and running watts) and how long they will be running on a typical day.
For example, a typical mobile catering unit will have commercial catering items such as fridges, freezers, griddles (flat top grills) sandwich presses, and microwaves that will be in use for around 6-8 hours per day (longer for larger events).
POS systems (point of sale), fridges, and freezers are low-wattage appliances at between 30-150 watts. However, griddles consume much more energy which can range from 1000 watts to 3000 watts plus.
You also have to factor in the appliance you may get in the future as your business expands. It’s, therefore, wise to go for a solar generator that has extra capacity and more than you currently need – Otherwise, you may be upgrading every couple of years.
Alternately, if you don’t want to power all your appliances with solar you can get a smaller capacity model to complement your other power sources which will still reduce your carbon footprint.
How portable is it?
It is also worth considering how portable the generator is if you intend to move it in and out of your food truck or between different locations.
Some solar generators can be very heavy weighing 106 pounds and above so it’s a good idea to pick a model that is mounted on wheels so you can easily transport it.
How many solar panels do I need for my food truck?
Portable Solar panels usually come in a range of between 200-300 watts per panel. This means the higher the wattage the fewer solar panels you will need to reach the required wattage.
For example, to fully charge a 2000-watt battery generator for your food truck you would need seven 200 watts solar panels.
Depending on how much sun you get in your location will determine how long it takes to reach full charging capacity.
You also need to take into consideration how much surface space you have on top of the food truck to fit the right amount of panels.
Useful resources:
1. BLUETTI Portable Solar Generator (2000 watts/best budget)
Features:
- Wattage – 2000 watts
- Multiple charging – Solar/AC
- 6 AC ports
- 2 wireless charging ports
- 4 x USB-A
- Over-current/Short-current protection
- Over-charge/Over-discharge protection
- Over-voltage protection
- Thermal Protection
Pros:
- Multiple plug sockets
- Wireless phone charging
Con’s
- Relatively small capacity
- Solar panels are sold separately
- No wheels
First up is the BLUETTI Portable Solar Generator – the most budget-friendly on our list.
It has a 2000-watt output which is good for running a few high-wattage electrical items such as griddles, and has 6 AC and USB ports which means there are plenty of sockets to plug items in without the need for extension leads.
It also has unique wireless charging for mobile phones which I haven’t seen before on portable solar generators.
The main downside with this model is that it has relatively low wattage in comparison to other solar generators on the list which means it may not be suitable for powering multiple high-wattage electrical items. It therefore may be a good option for supplementing existing gas or electrical power.
Another downside for me is it’s not on wheels which may make it a bit more cumbersome to move around from inside the food truck to outside areas.
2. EF ECOFLOW Delta Max Solar Generator (2400w)
Features:
- Wattage – 2400 watts
- Expandable battery capacity (up to 6 kWh)
- Multiple charging – Solar panels/AC/Dual
- 2 AC ports
- 4 USB ports
- AC fast charging
- 24-month guarantee
- Eco-flow app
Pros:
- Can expand the power capacity
- More features
- Dual charging
- Has an app
Con’s:
- Can be inadequate for more power hunger devices
- Solar panels are sold separately
- Relatively few AC ports
- No wheels
Next up is the EF ECOFLOW Delta Max Solar Generator.
This model offers a slight increase in wattage output capacity of 2400 watts which means you can power more electrical items and comes with a few more additional features.
The main positive for me with this model is you can expand the wattage capacity up to 6kWh by connecting additional batteries. This is very useful if you intend to add more electrical equipment to your food truck over time, without the need to buy additional generators.
Another useful feature is it comes with an app with means you can control and measure usage through your mobile device and can be dual charged so you can charge it with AC and solar power at the same time.
The main downside with this solar generator is the solar panels are sold separately (it’s the same as most models) which pushes up costs and only has 2 AC ports (in comparison to 6 AC ports to the BLUETTI Portable Solar Generator).
Like the previous model, it is also not on wheels which could be a problem for some who want to move it between locations.
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- 5 Best Silent Generators for food trucks 2022
- 4 Best Natural Gas Portable Generators
- What Equipment Do I Need For A Food Truck?
- How Does A Food Truck Get Power?
3. EF ECOFLOW DELTA Pro Solar Generator (3600 watts)
Features:
- Wattage – 3600 watts
- Expandable battery capacity (up to 10 kWh)
- Fast recharge
- EV point charging
- Multiple charging – Solar panels/AC/Dual2 AC ports
- 4 AC ports
- 2 USB-A ports
- 2 USB – A fast charge
- 2 USB-C ports
- AC fast charging
- 24-month guarantee
- Eco-flow app
- On wheels
Pros:
- Higher wattage capacity
- Fast recharge
- Multiple charging ports
- Smart generator – charges more efficiently
- Can charge at EV points (cable sold separately)
Con’s:
- Solar panels are sold separately
- Considerable more expensive than the Delta Max model
The EF ECOFLOW DELTA Pro Solar Generator is the bigger brother of the EF ECOFLOW Delta Max and offers a significant increase in wattage and expandable wattage.
It offers 3600 watts which can power high-wattage electrical items like blenders and coffee makers and can be expanded by adding additional batteries giving you an impressive 10kWh.
It has some additional features not included with the ECOFLOW Delta Max such as fast charging and 2 additional fast-charging USB ports. It can also be charged at an EV point (where electric vehicles are charged), which means you don’t always need to rely on solar power for energy.
As the best all-rounder, finding a fault was difficult for this model. However, I would say, like most solar generators, solar panels need to be purchased separately. There is also a significant jump in cost from the Delta model which for some may be too much for what additional power and features you get in return.
4. Goal Zero Yeti Solar-Powered Generator (6000 watts)
Features:
- Wattage – 6000 watts
- Multiple charging – Solar panels/AC/12v car adapter
- 2 AC ports
- 2 USB-A ports
- 2 USB-C ports
- Yet App
- On wheels
Pros:
- Powerhouse wattage
- Has an app
- Winner of the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award
Con’s:
- Expensive
- Wattage not expandable
- Solar panels are sold separately
- Relatively few power points
Last up is the Goal Zero Yeti Solar-Powered Generator – a serious contender if you want to go completely off-grid and power all your food truck equipment with solar power.
It was the winner of the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award and can produce a whooping 6000 watts which, according to the manufacturer, can run a large fridge for up to 85 hrs and 1000 watt coffee machine for 4.5 hrs.
Like the EcoFlow models, it also comes with an app for easy control and monitoring and is on wheels making it relatively portable (which is important considering it weighs a hefty 106 pounds).
The main drawback for me is despite offering a generous amount of power you cannot extend the wattage by adding additional batteries (like with the Eco-flow models).
Bearing in mind that this model is at the top end in terms of budget for a solar generator, it may be more cost-effective to buy a lower-wattage solar generator with the option to add additional batteries.
Key Takeaways
If you are looking to supplement the power supply you already have from propane gas or diesel or have relatively few electrical items in your food truck then I recommend going for the BLUETTI Portable Solar Generator.
It’s budget-friendly which is always good if you are just starting out and at 2000 watts can provide enough power for low-power items such as fridges and POS systems (card payment systems).
If on the other hand, you have a larger budget and want to go completely off-grid and power all of your items with clean solar energy I recommend either the best all-rounder EF ECOFLOW DELTA Pro Solar Generator where you can expand the wattage capacity from 3600 watts to 10 kWh with additional batteries or the Goal Zero Yeti Solar-Powered Generator which offers an impressive 6000 watts out the box.
They both have the capacity for powering a number of large-wattage electrical items for extended periods making them a good choice for longer events with larger footfall.
They also both have apps which is useful for monitoring how much power you are using and are on wheels for easy transportation from inside the food truck if it is kept outside whilst being used.
Author
Gavin D is the founder of Street Food Central and Tru Foo Juice Bar Co. and has worked in the mobile catering industry for over 7 years.