Tiny home solar power kit: size the panels to refill the battery
Updated 2026-11-10 · Kit: Tiny home solar kit (BLUETTI Apex 300 Home Battery Backup + 2 × BLUETTI SORA 500 Portable Solar Panel): $3,197 on bluettipower.com, $3,037.15 through this link, which opens BLUETTI's checkout with both in the cart and the discount already applied (tested 2026-11-13): https://dealectric.com/go/kit-tiny-home-solar
Short answer. Buy a BLUETTI Apex 300 inverter and two 500 W panels: after the 20 W idle draw, 4 sun-hours leave 3,520 Wh a day, refilling the 2,764.8 Wh battery from empty in about 0.8 day. For more storage on the same panels, the 2×B300K bundle holds 8,294.4 Wh and refills in 2.4 days.
Searched as: tiny house off grid solar kit complete 48v battery inverter panels Renogy Eco Worthy Signature Solar 2026
How this table was made: each figure comes from the maker's own US product page or manual, or from the reviewer named next to it, checked 2026-11-10. Dealectric does not test units itself. Rows with a Buy link are products Dealectric lists: the links are affiliate links, and their codes are re-tested in the brand's own cart every day (last check 2026-11-13).
| Model | Job in the set | Battery (Wh) | Solar (W) | Solar left per day after 20 W idle, 4 sun-hours (Wh) | Days to refill from empty | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUETTI Apex 300 | Kit: inverter and battery, 3,840 W at 120 V and 240 V together, 20 W idle | 2,764.8 | 2 inputs, 12–60 V, 20 A each (Notebookcheck) | Uses 480 of it (20 W × 24 h) | Set: 0.8 (2,764.8 ÷ 3,520) | $1,499 on bluettipower.com, 2026-11-05 | $1,424.05 through this link discount applied by the link; tested 2026-11-13 |
| BLUETTI SORA 500 (×2) | Kit: one panel per input, 49.1 V Voc against the 60 V limit, 13.31 A Isc against the 20 A limit (Impulse Gamer) | Set: 2,764.8 | 500 each, 1,000 for two | 4,000 − 480 = 3,520 | Set: 0.8 | $849 on bluettipower.com, 2026-11-10 | $806.55 through this link code DEALECTRIC at checkout; tested in BLUETTI's cart 2026-11-13 on the BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station |
| BLUETTI Apex 300 + 2×B300K + 2×500W bundle | Same panels, two 2,764.8 Wh B300K batteries | 8,294.4 | 1,000 | 3,520 | 2.4 | $5,499 (maker, 2026-11-10) | |
| BLUETTI Apex 300 + B300K + 2×350W bundle | Smaller panels, one B300K | 5,529.6 | 700 | 2,800 − 480 = 2,320 | 2.4 | $3,998 (maker, 2026-11-10) | |
| BLUETTI Apex 300 + 2×500W bundle | The kit's set sold as one store bundle | 2,764.8 | 1,000 | 3,520 | 0.8 | $3,299 (maker, 2026-11-10) | |
| BLUETTI Apex 300 + B300K + 2×200W bundle | 400 W of panels on 5,529.6 Wh | 5,529.6 | 400 | 1,600 − 480 = 1,120 | 4.9 | $3,499 (maker, 2026-11-10) | |
| Sun Gold Power SGR-8K10E | Hardwired 48 V kit: 8,000 W 120/240 V inverter, 2× 51.2 V 100 Ah batteries, 8× 450 W panels | 10,240 | 3,600 | 14,400 before the inverter's own draw (maker's figure) | 0.7 before the inverter's own draw (10,240 ÷ 14,400) | $4,949 on sungoldpower.com, 2026-11-09 | Buy |
What the differences mean
The inverter's idle loss comes off the top every day, before the battery gets anything: 20 W × 24 h = 480 Wh. That is 17.4% of the kit's 2,764.8 Wh (480 ÷ 2,764.8).
Kit refill: 1,000 W × 4 h = 4,000 Wh, minus 480 Wh, leaves 3,520 Wh a day, and 2,764.8 ÷ 3,520 = 0.8 day from empty.
The 400 W bundle: 400 W × 4 h = 1,600 Wh, minus 480 Wh, leaves 1,120 Wh, and 5,529.6 ÷ 1,120 = 4.9 days. Its panels have to cover the same 480 Wh idle loss out of less than half the output.
With a duller sun: Impulse Gamer averaged closer to 400 W per SORA 500 in Australian winter. 2 × 400 W × 4 h = 3,200 Wh, minus 480 Wh, leaves 2,720 Wh, and 2,764.8 ÷ 2,720 = 1.0 day.
Price per stored Wh: the kit is $3,197 for 2,764.8 Wh. The 2×B300K bundle is $5,499 for 8,294.4 Wh on the same panels, so the extra 5,529.6 Wh costs $2,302.
| Use | Set |
|---|---|
| Weekend cabin: lights, fridge, laptop | The kit: 2,764.8 Wh, refills in 0.8 day |
| Full-time tiny home, plug-in, no inverter wiring | Apex 300 + 2×B300K + 2×500W bundle: 8,294.4 Wh, refills in 2.4 days |
| Full-time, hardwired by an installer, 240 V well pump or mini-split | Sun Gold Power SGR-8K10E: 10,240 Wh, 3,600 W of panels $4,949: https://dealectric.com/go/sungoldpower-sgr-8k10e-off-grid-solar-kit |
Why panel watts decide whether the battery keeps up
A battery sized for several days of power only helps if the panels can refill it between cloudy spells. BLUETTI says the Apex 300 cuts idle loss to 20 W. That loss runs around the clock, so a small array spends most of its output keeping the inverter on.
The inputs limit how many panels you can use. Notebookcheck lists the Apex 300's built-in solar inputs as 2× XT60 at 12–60 V and 20 A each. Impulse Gamer lists the SORA 500 at 49.1 V open-circuit and 13.31 A short-circuit, so one panel goes on each input. That makes 1,000 W the most the built-in inputs take from these panels. BLUETTI's 4,000 W solar figure carries the footnote 'Requires a SolarX 4K'.
Buying the items separately costs less than the store's bundle. The Apex 300 on its own ($1,499) and two SORA 500 panels ($849 each) come to $3,197. The store's Apex 300 + 2×500W bundle is $3,299 for the same set, $102 more.
The kit: Apex 300 + 2× SORA 500 The kit: Tiny home solar kit (BLUETTI Apex 300 Home Battery Backup + 2 × BLUETTI SORA 500 Portable Solar Panel): $3,197 on bluettipower.com, $3,037.15 through this link, which opens BLUETTI's checkout with both in the cart and the discount already applied (tested 2026-11-13): https://dealectric.com/go/kit-tiny-home-solar
If you're hardwiring with an installer, the Sun Gold Power SGR-8K10E gives more of everything for $4,949: 3,600 W of panels, which the maker rates at 14.4 kWh a day at 4 full-sun hours, a 10,240 Wh battery and an 8,000 W 120/240 V inverter. The listing doesn't give its inverter's idle draw, so its refill time above is before that loss.
Not recommended
Apex 300 + B300K + 2×200W ($3,499). Its 400 W of panels leave 1,120 Wh a day after the 20 W idle loss, so the 5,529.6 Wh battery takes 4.9 sunny days to refill from empty. On the same store, the Apex 300 + B300K ($2,599) plus the 2×200W panel pack ($798) is $3,397, which is $102 less for the same set.
Sources
- Apex 300: 20 W idle loss, 2,764.8 Wh, 3,840 W, 120 V and 240 V together, $1,499 alone, 4,000 W solar 'Requires a SolarX 4K' (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
- Apex 300 built-in solar inputs: 2× XT60, 12–60 V, 20 A each (Notebookcheck, Christian Hintze; read 2026-11-10) — www.notebookcheck.net
- SORA 500: $849 each, MC4 (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
- SORA 500: Voc 49.1 V, Vmp 40.92 V, Imp 12.22 A, Isc 13.31 A, about 400 W average in winter, MC4-to-XT60 cable in box (Impulse Gamer, Andrew Paul; read 2026-11-10) — www.impulsegamer.com
- Apex 300 + 2×B300K + 2×500W: $5,499, 8,294.4 Wh, 1,000 W solar (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
- Apex 300 + B300K + 2×350W: $3,998, 5,529.6 Wh, 700 W solar (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
- Apex 300 + 2×500W: $3,299, 2,764.8 Wh, 1,000 W solar (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
- Apex 300 + B300K: $2,599, 5,529.6 Wh (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
- BLUETTI 2×200W panel pack: $798 (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
- SGR-8K10E: 14.4 kWh a day at 4 full-sun hours, 3,600 W of panels, 10.24 kWh, 8,000 W 120/240 V, $4,949 (read 2026-11-10) — sungoldpower.com
- BLUETTI warranty policy: solar panels and accessories 12 months; claims need proof of purchase from BLUETTI or an authorized seller; coverage limited to the country of purchase (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
- BLUETTI refund policy: 30 days to return an item for a full refund; item must be complete, unused and in the original package; buyer pays return shipping (read 2026-11-10) — www.bluettipower.com
Published 2026-11-10; updated 2026-11-10. The buy links are affiliate links; see the disclosure. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.