2024 Review | Delta 1300 Power Station

The Delta 1300 is not your typical battery power station or solar generator. The advantages, which will be detailed in this review, set it apart from competitors, like Goal Zero. With a high AC output, and the best charging times, the Delta 1300 Power Station is an incredibly practical solution for quiet, emission-free power. This is one of the best inverter solutions for home emergency power, RVs, and off-grid homes.

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Portable battery stations have gained popularity as a great power source for camping and recreational use. Though, most don’t supply the watts to do much more than charge devices. Most of the smaller models, like the popular Jackery power stations, can keep a CPAP machine powered up for a day or two, with limited use, a laptop, or similar low-powered electric equipment. Generally, you don’t get more than a few hours use, and they can take up to a day to recharge.

There are a few more powerful solar generators, like the Goal Zero Yeti 3000x and Bluetti 2400 portable battery stations. These tend to be exorbitantly expensive and offer limited practicality because of long battery recharging times. The EcoFlow Delta 1300 Power Station is set to change all this. It is an affordable, high-powered portable solar generator, with an exceptional AC wall charger for the fastest battery recharging times. There are several additional reasons why this wonderful machine has won my admiration.

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Review | Delta 1300 Power Station

Features :

• Recharge 0% to 80% within 1-hour EcoFlow patent X-Stream Technology empowers DELTA1300 to recharge at 10 times the speed of most portable power stations in the market
• 6x 1800-Watt AC outlets and 1260Wh capacity, the large inverter load enables DELTA1300 to power most home appliances and heavy-duty DIY tools under 1800-Watt (3300-Watt surge, pure sine wave) with 1260Wh capacity
• Fastest recharge by solar and car DELTA1300 can be fully recharged by solar panels in about 4 hours, and fully charged through a 12/24-Volt carport in 10-12 hours
• Power 13 devices simultaneously DELTA1300 fits with every port you’ll ever need to power any devices anywhere, so you will always feel right at home

OVERVIEW —

For a mighty powerful battery power station, the Delta 1300 is deceptively compact and lightweight, making this a great option as far as portability goes. It weighs only 30.9 pounds. Dimensions: 15.7” X 8.3” X 10.6”. What makes this product so enviable is its capabilities vs size. It is surprising that a solar generator of this size can deliver enough power to supply most of your basic household power needs. With a surge capacity of 3,300W and 1,800W constant power, it is one of the few portable inverter power stations that can run a large refrigerator. This was the first aspect that caught my attention, there are many more.

Pure Sine Wave Inverter

Portable battery power stations, especially cheaper models, are usually supplied by a modified sine wave inverter. This helps keep the cost down, but it’s not the best power supply for many appliances. A modified sine wave can cause some appliances to generate more heat, compared to using a pure sine wave inverter. This reduces the efficiency, ultimately you end up shorter battery discharge times. A modified sine wave inverter won’t, generally, supply power for as long as a pure sine wave inverter before the battery needs to be recharged.

Another thing that can be annoying, when using a modified sine wave inverter, is electric buzz. An audible noise produced by some electrical equipment. This can also affect energy efficiency. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Delta 1300 Power Station, which is one of the cheaper options for this class of high-watt portable power station, utilizes a  pure sine wave inverter. An indication that the guys at EcoFlow are not merely concerned about affordability but are equally determined to produce a quality product. Though the actual inverter efficiency is not the best.

At about 58% round trip efficiency, the battery can discharge more rapidly under certain conditions. The term round trip efficiency is used to describe the amount of power used to charge the battery vs the actual power that is supplied at the output. It determines the power loss factor of the inverter. High-end inverters, considered to be the most efficient, have a round trip efficiency of around 70%. Though inverter efficiency has a lot to do with the type of equipment being supplied. Used to supply electronic equipment, like computers, TVs, and stereos, most pure sine wave inverters will be super-efficient. I’m guessing the Delta Power Station 1300 will be one of the most efficient for this type of equipment. Typically, it’s inductive load that has the greatest impact on inverter efficiency. This would be equipment like refrigerators, air conditioners, pumps, and microwaves ovens. It is when delivering power to these appliances that the Delta probably experiences the greatest power loss.

This means that the Delta Power Station 1300 should be one of the best, and most efficient, when supplying power for your electronic equipment and LED lighting. Conversely, it won’t be the most efficient for refrigeration, air conditioning, a microwave, or your sump pump.

Battery and Charger

Once again, the Delta Power Station 1300 defies its below average price in using above average lithium ion batteries and, arguably, the best AC wall charger.

The built in lithium-ion battery pack consists of 100 type-18650 cells, delivering 1,260 Watt-Hours (WH). This battery has a rated life expectancy of 800 cycles (60%). This means that after fully charging and discharging the battery 800-times, the battery will have 60% of its original capacity (756 WH). If you’re using the Delta 1300 on a daily basis, up to around 80% discharge capacity, the battery should be good for around 3-years. You will still be able to use the battery after 3-years, but your usable time will be a little more than half of what it was when the battery was brand new.

Admittedly, this is not the best lithium ion battery, Tesla guarantee 80% capacity after 10-years of daily use. Though we need to consider the Tesla Wall price vs the Delta Power Station 1300. The latter being significantly cheaper. If we’re going to compare apples with apples, we need to look at portable battery power stations of a similar price. On average, cheaper lithium ion batteries reach 60% capacity after 500 cycles. Many of these cheaper options are more expensive than the Delta Power Station 1300, if we’re looking at dollars per watt. In this context, the Delta 1,300W power station is one of the best in its class for superior battery performance.

VIDEO | A Closer Look

What I don’t like, and this is something that irks me about most portable power stations, is that you can’t connect additional batteries. If you’re using all of the 1,300 watts that the inverter can supply, constantly, the battery will be fully discharged in less than an hour. As I mentioned above, efficiency can be much less for some appliances, reducing this time even further. Though, realistically, the inverter won’t be running at maximum capacity all the time. So, what can the Delta Power Station 1300 supply, and  for how long?

Here’s a list of typical values for general appliances that one would expect to power using the 1,300W Delta:

• Light (10 W): 36+ Hours
• Cell phone (6 W): 188+ Full Charges
• Laptop (49Wh): 23+ Full Charges
• CPAP Machine (60 W): 20+ Hours
• Coffee Maker (600 W): 50-60 Cups
• Large refrigerator (150 W): 10+ Hours
• Electric Grill (1650 W): Up to 1.2 Hours

In my experience, after many years in the inverter business, I’m guessing that an average household will get about 3 – 4-hours of battery time. This would be supplying a standard refrigerator, TV or computer, satellite receiver, router, and lights, with a few other appliances being used sparingly. If you manage your power usage, you could extend this considerably. Switching the refrigerator off, will drastically improve battery time.

The 120V wall charger does much to compensate for the lack of external batteries. This would mean that you need an AC supply to recharge the battery. The Delta X-Treme charge capacity is rated at 1,200W maximum. This means you can hook the Delta Power Station up to a standard 120V household wall socket (or shore power) and recharge the battery to 80% in 1-hour. Most power stations with a similar-sized battery take 8-hours+ to charge the battery to the same level. Because of the charging requirements for lithium ion batteries the remaining 20% (to reach 100% charge) takes much longer. To prevent overheating and overcharging, lithium ion chargers reduce the current incrementally once the battery reaches 80%. This means battery charging becomes increasingly slower as it reaches full capacity. To charge the Delta battery from 0% to 100% takes about 2-hours. Remarkable, all the same.

Another great advantage to this high-watt charger, is the through current capability. Many portable battery power stations cannot be used when the battery is being charged. This is because the charger only supplies enough amps to charge the battery and is, therefore, unable to supply the AC outlets simultaneously. With 1,200 watts of power, the X-Treme charger can charge battery whilst also supply power to the AC outlets. For this reason, it can be used as an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). You can keep the Delta Power Station 1300 permanently connected to the power in your home. When the power fails, the power station will keep supplying AC power without any interruption in the supply. If you keep your TV, computer, router, and satellite receiver plugged into the inverter outlets, they will not shutdown and have to reboot when you experience an outage. This is wonderfully convenient.

Apart from the AC wall charger, the Delta can be charged using a DC supply, like most other portable battery power stations. You can use a 12VDC car charger, which will take about 18-hours to charge the battery from 0% to full charge. Alternatively, you can use any solar panel (10 – 56 Volts, Max 10A), up to 400W. Using the maximum solar capacity, in good sunlight, it can take as little as 4-hours to fully charge the battery. It has a hi-tech MPPT solar charger to maximize solar charging times in all types of weather conditions. The DC charging input, for both solar and car charging, uses an XT60 connector. The Delta solar kit includes an MC4 adapter, compatible with most solar panels. Connectors and cords for the car charger and solar inputs are supplied with your purchase. Solar panels need to be purchased separately.

Outlets and Control Panel

The Delta Power Station 1300 has a state of the art computerized management system and a great selection of convenient outlets.

The Power Station 1300 has 16 X 20A 120AC outlets at the back of the machine, supplied by the 1,800W pure sine wave inverter. This is fantastic versatility, allowing for multiple appliances and extension cords. It also has a 12VDC “car” outlet which is great for camping gear, like a portable cooler. A full selection of USB outlets, afford the most efficient means of charging USB devices: 2 X USB A (12W; 5V; 2.4A MAX), 2 X USB A Rapid Charge (28W; 12V; 2.4A), and 2 X USB C ports (60W; 20V; 3A MAX).

A large LCD display provides all the information you could need and is delightfully easy to understand. At a glance, you can check up on battery charge time remaining, percentage output, input and out output watts. It also offers a host system information and diagnostics.

The onboard computer constantly monitors the system, providing the best safety and protects the machine from damage. The battery and inverter are protected against overheating, overcharge and discharge, as well as current overload and short circuit. Warning indicator LEDS and an alarm alert you to any system failure.

The Delta Power Station 1300 has a two level overload protection system for the AC and DC outlets, as well as the battery.

If the any of the outlets exceed the maximum rated load an alarm will sound, and the appropriate warning light will indicate which outlet is experiencing an overload. The affected outlet will outlet will shut down, whilst all other outlets will continue to supply power. The AC power supplied by the inverter can exceed maximum power (1,800W) by 1 – 10% for 10-minutes before automatic shutdown; 11 – 20% for 1-minute; 21 – 50% for 10-seconds and 51 – 100% for 1-millisecond.

If the battery exceeds its maximum rated output, the alarm will sound for 15-seconds and the battery overload warning will ignite, whereupon the system will shut down. The computer will reset the power when the load returns to normal. In the event of a short circuit, the system will shutdown until the problem is rectified.

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Conclusion / Delta 1300 Power Station

So, is it worth buying in 2023?

By all accounts, the Delta 1300 Power Station is a sensational product, incorporating some of the best modern design and technology. It certainly looks impressively stylish, with sleek modern lines and a very practical, yet curvaceously elegant handle for good portability.

The technical specifications are impeccable. An advanced pure sine wave inverter supplies enough power to make this a really versatile portable battery power station for a myriad of applications. The lithium ion battery strikes a perfect balance between affordability and quality. It has the look and feel of a high-quality product yet priced to compete with some of the cheapest on the market.

This all indicates genuine value for money. Furthermore, the Delta 1300 power station has received outstanding reviews and customer ratings.

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About the EcoFlow Brand

The EF Delta portable power station series is manufactured by EcoFlow and was launched in September 2019. Because this is a new product, from a relatively new brand,  it is difficult to ascertain what type of quality and customer service to expect. For this reason, I decided to do some research to find out what lies behind the EcoFlow brand. This was not an easy undertaking, as information about the company is sparse. I suppose this is not surprising, since the brand has only been in existence for less than 3-years.

EcoFlow was founded in December 2016, and the company (EcoFlow Technology Ltd) was established in 2017. It all started with a vision held by four young tech entrepreneurs in the Drone development industry: Eli Harris (CEO), Fan Zheng, Hannah Sieber, and Lei Wang. Their ambition was to establish a tech company, supplying eco-friendly portable power products, with a social conscience. A modern, forward-thinking approach. They are devoted to the idea of sustainable, affordable, power solutions for a global market.

EcoFlow company headquarters are in San Francisco, CA, with a manufacturing facility in Guandong, China. Ensuring global compliance and the highest quality, the brand has a high level of certification: ISO 9001; CE; UL; MSDS; FCC; Test Report.

In a short space of time, EcoFlow has garnered a great deal of publicity and earned several accolades internationally. In 2017, the four founding members featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, in the Energy Sector.

Their first product, launched in June 2017, was the River Portable Power Station, a durable, waterproof outdoor portable power station. This product has earned a reputation for the brand as one committed to excellence. In august of 2018, EcoFlow formed a partnership with SunPower, expanding into the solar power market. After launching the Delta power station in 2019, the company began developing a new generation of upgraded River 600 series.

All indications suggest that EcoFlow is on a rapid trajectory toward greatness. Set to become a leader in the portable power industry.