When you are on a road trip or camping, you often need the power to charge your gadgets or sip a coffee. You might be owning a portable battery station but it does run out of juice eventually. It is when these solar panels come to your rescue. Especially, if you own an RV, solar panels are an integral part of your life.
There are tens of solar panels available in the market. Picking one among them is always difficult. So to help you out we have done some research and compared two of the best brands in solar panels against each other.
Both of these panels are Suitcase type which is foldable, robust, and more efficient than flexible type. Solar panels compared in this article are Renogy 100W Suitcase and Goal Zero Boulder 100W Briefcase.
If you are buying a new solar panel, our buying guide on solar panels may be helpful to you, so please have a look.
Don’t forget to find the coupon code at the end of this post
What’s in the Box?
Renogy
- 100W Mono Foldable Solar Suitcase
- 20A Voyager Charge Controller
- MC4 to Alligator Clips with fuse
- Carry case
Goal Zero
- Boulder 100 Briefcase with cord
- Canvas Carrying Bag
Technical Features
Let us look at how both of these solar panels Renogy and Goal Zero stand against each other in terms of technical features.
| Renogy | Goal Zero | |
| Max Power | 100 W | 100W |
| Price Per Watt | $2.5/W | $3.0/W |
| Max Voltage | 18 V | 14 – 22 V |
| Max Current | 5.56 A | 7 A |
| Open Circuit Voltage | 21.6 V | 18 – 22 V |
| Short Circuit Current | 6 A | 7 A |
| Solar Charge Controller | Included | Not Included |
| Controller Type | PWM | – |
Renogy and Goal Zero both are 100W solar panels. The cost per watt of Goal Zero is slightly greater than Renogy but is compensated by the max current output. Renogy has included a 20A charge controller whereas Goal Zero doesn’t include it. Goal Zero says no need of charge controllers if you are using solar panels to charge its own Yeti Power Stations. But if you want to use it with something else, you might need a charge controller (both PWM & MPPT works)
General Specifications
When it comes to physical specifications both Renogy and Goal Zero Boulder are suitcase-type solar panels. Both of these are of the roughly same weight and dimensions. Moreover, the use of Monocrystalline cells makes these the high efficiency foldable solar panels.
| Renogy | Goal Zero | |
| Panel Type | Suitcase | Suitcase |
| Weight | 25.6 lbs | 25.9 lbs |
| Dimension (Folded) | 19.9 x 27.2 x 2.8 inches | 26.75 x 21.75 x 3.75 inches |
| Stand Included | Yes | Yes |
| Cell Type | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline |
| Operating Temperature | −40°F to +185°F | Handles up to 120°F |
| Waterproof | Yes | Yes |
Both Renogy and Goal Zero are waterproof whereas Renogy can operate at a higher temperature compared to Goal Zero Boulder.
Renogy vs Goal Zero Boulder: Which one to consider?
Comparing these two solar panels, you can see that there are some differences between the two. Firstly, Renogy comes with a solar charge controller while Goal Zero doesn’t. Also, Goal Zero costs way higher than Renogy. If you are hard-pressed on budget, go with Renogy, it won’t disappoint you.
Renogy is available on Amazon as well as its official website. On Amazon, the price is significantly higher than their official website.
- 【Plug and play solar kit 】complete kit includes a 100W solar suitcase,...
- 【Highly portable design】 foldable solar suitcase small in size, provide...
- 【Remarkable efficiency】Renogy solar panels using grade A plus...
If you want to save some money, purchase it on their official site by using coupon code “RNG4G10” to get 10% discount
- Innovators in portable solar power | For over a decade, Goal Zero has paved...
- Empower human potential | We are driven by a vision for success defined by...
- Professional grade solar | Field-tested in a wide range of environments,...
If I were you, I would go with Renogy due to its low price and included charge controller
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Last update on 2024-04-16 / Links / Images from Amazon PAAPI
