Briefcase Portable Solar panels

Briefcase Portable Solar Panels: Fold-Out Charging for Batteries and Stations

Briefcase portable solar panels are two rigid panels hinged together with a handle, latches and fold-out legs. Open them, point them south, clip the leads to a 12V battery and they charge. The Rich Solar MEGA briefcase models go one step further by building the charge controller into the panel itself, so a trailer, boat or cabin battery needs no extra hardware between the sun and the terminals.

This collection holds 3 products: the Rich Solar MEGA 100W and MEGA 200W briefcase kits, both in stock, and the EcoFlow 125W bifacial modular panel, which is sold out at the moment. Prices start at $230 for the 100W kit and reach $435 for the EcoFlow panel.

How to choose a portable solar panel kit

• Battery size sets the wattage. A 100Ah 12V battery holds about 1,280Wh. The Rich Solar MEGA 100W 12V Briefcase Portable Solar Panel returns roughly 400 to 500Wh on a clear day, enough to offset lights, a water pump and phone charging. A 200Ah bank or a 12V fridge calls for the Rich Solar MEGA 200 Watt 12V Briefcase Portable Solar Charging Kit.
• Built-in controller or external. The MEGA 100 carries a waterproof 10A controller and the MEGA 200 a 20A controller, both mounted on the panel. That makes them a complete portable solar panel system for any 12V battery with nothing else to buy. If your rig already has an MPPT controller wired in, you would bypass the built-in one.
• Cell quality. Both Rich Solar kits use 23.2% efficiency cells and carry a 25-year output warranty. The EcoFlow 125W panel uses 25% bifacial cells that also collect light reflected off the ground behind them.
• Expandability. The EcoFlow 125W is modular: up to eight panels connect in parallel for 1,000W, with a tilt adjustable from 30 to 60 degrees. The Rich Solar briefcases are self-contained units you deploy one or two at a time.

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Setup and usage tips

• Run the Solar Kit Calculator with your loads and ZIP code before buying. It estimates how many panel watts you need to keep a battery of a given size from draining over a weekend.
• Connect the controller to the battery first, then open the panel to the sun. Most controllers need to read battery voltage before they accept panel input.
• Set the legs so the glass faces the sun squarely and re-aim twice a day. A briefcase flat on the ground at 4 pm produces a fraction of its rating.
• Keep the cable short. The built-in controller means the run to the battery carries 12V current, and long thin cable wastes watts as heat.
• Latch the case before moving it, and store it upright in the vehicle. The glass is tempered but the corners take the hits.
• Pair the 200W kit with a lithium battery that accepts at least 20A of charge current so the controller is never the bottleneck.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best portable solar panels for a travel trailer? For a single 100Ah house battery, the MEGA 100 briefcase is enough to hold charge through a weekend. Trailers with a compressor fridge or two batteries should step up to the MEGA 200.

Can I plug a briefcase panel into a power station? The Rich Solar kits are designed to charge a 12V battery through their built-in controller. Some stations accept a controller's output, but check your unit's solar input specification before connecting, or ask us.

Do these work on cloudy days? They produce, but at a fraction of rated power. Expect 10 to 25% output under heavy overcast, which is why sizing for portable power with solar panel charging should assume two or three poor days in a row.

Both Rich Solar kits ship free to the mainland US from brand partner warehouses, usually within a few business days, with 30-day returns. Unsure whether 100W or 200W covers your battery, call and we will size it with you.