Product profile: Solar in a box

Setting up solar systems in rural or remote areas can be difficult, as there are often no solar installers available. However, you might be able to do the job yourself with a simple solar-in-a-box system such as the SunPack.

The SunPack comes as a pre-configured system, complete with battery, inverter and solar panels that you just swing into place.

The system is fully configurable, with solar PV ranging from 100 W to 1400 W, inverters from 200 W to 1600 W continuous (up to 4000 W peak), and battery storage from 1.2 kWh to 10 kWh, in lead-acid, lithium or hybrid chemistries. You can even omit the inverter if desired and just go for a DC system for lights, communication gear etc.

All systems have remote monitoring, and AC systems can also charge from the grid or generator (configurable from 360 W to 600 W of charging), making them suitable as solar-based UPS systems. User displays include equipment status LEDs, battery state of charge and power flows in the system, with details visible on a smartphone via Bluetooth or wi-fi.

The system measures 1000 mm x 650 mm x 1300 mm (folded) and weighs up to 300 kg depending on configuration. Pricing starts at $5990 for the DC-only model and $6190 for the AC model.