Renogy 400 Watt 12-Volt Off-The-Grid Solar Premium Kit

Renogy 400 Watt 12-Volt Off-The-Grid Solar Premium Kit, part number RNG-KIT-PREMIUM400D-RVR40, is an excellent entry-level solar panel kit, suitable for RVs, boats, camping, fishing, and other off-the-grid applications, as well as emergency situations.

Renogy 400 Watt 12-Volt Off-The-Grid Solar Premium Kit contains everything one needs to mount and connect four 100W Renogy solar panels and to charge medium to large 12V battery.

Published: February 22, 2021.

Renogy RNG-KIT-PREMIUM400D-RVR40 Solar Panel Kit Features and Specifications

Renogy RNG-KIT-PREMIUM400D-RVR40 Solar Panel Kit contains:

- 4 x 100 Watt Compact Design Monocrystalline Solar Panel

- 1 x Rover 40A Li MPPT Solar Charge Controller

- 1 x BT-1 Bluetooth Module

- 4 sets x Mounting Z Brackets

- 1 Pair x 20ft 10AWG Adaptor Kit

- 1 Pair x 8ft 8AWG Tray Cable

- 1 Pair x 2ft 8AWG Fuse Cable

- 1 x 10A In-line Fuse

- 1 x 40A ANL Fuse

The wiring diagram of the Renogy 400W 12V Off-The-Grid Solar Panel Kit is relatively simple:

While this solar kit is very simple to use and connect, when it arrives, it is of vital importance to read the manual and connect the wires as said by the manufacturer (Renogy).

Note: wiring diagram also includes a 12V 200Ah Renogy battery and power inverter, but they are not included in the kit and must be ordered separately.

Renogy 100W Mono Solar Panels are strong and durable solar panels with an efficiency of some 21% and maximum output power of 100W in ideal conditions. In real-life situations, one may expect some 50-60 watts, even 70W during periods of good weather, clean solar panel surface, good angle, and orientation, etc.

For short, consider that these solar panels may provide 60-65 watts tops power.

All 4 solar panels are connected to the Renogy Rover 40A Li MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) Solar Charge Controller. According to the manufacturer, Rover 40A Li MPPT Solar Charge Controller is suitable for charging deep-cycle, dual-purpose, and even starting wet/flooded, Gel-Cell, AGM lead-acid, and lithium-ion batteries (hence the 'Li' in its label).

Rover 40A Li MPPT Solar Charge Controller features electronic protection against reverse polarity, battery overcharging, over-discharging, overloading, short-circuiting, and reverse current.

Rover 40A Li MPPT Solar Charge Controller features an LCD screen and multiple LED indicators for displaying system operation information, customizable parameters, and error codes.

But, the LCD screen could be larger and for many uses, it is simply difficult to read - that is why this kit also includes BT-1 Bluetooth Module (connected via RS232 port), allowing the user to install the Renogy BT smartphone app and to monitor Rover 40A Li MPPT Solar Charge Controller using smartphone or tablet.

Rover 40A Li MPPT Solar Charge Controller also features Remote Temperature Sensor, helping the charge controller to adjust the 4-Stage charging process according to the battery's temperature.

Although IP65 rated junction box provides complete protection against environmental particles and low-pressure water jets, it is highly recommended to protect the components as much as possible from the dust, sand, moisture, water, etc.

Rover RNG-CTRL-RVR40-BT 40A Li MPPT Solar Charge Controller is an advanced solar battery charger that may also be used with solar panels from other brands.

It weighs 4.41 pounds (2.0 kg) and features physical dimensions of 9.37 x 6.81 x 2.85 inches (23.9 x 17.3 x 7.3 cm).

For more information about it and for the most up-to-date offers and prices, check Renogy Rover 40 Amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller Amazon link (link opens in the new window).

How Much Energy Can Renogy 400 Watt Solar Premium Kit Collect?

During summer, when the sun is high in the sky and the day lasts for at least 14-16 hours, on average one may expect the single solar panel to provide ~60 watts of electric power for at least 10-11 hours.

Thus, all four solar panels may provide ~240 watts (equivalent to 12V 20 Amps) for at least 10h and are able to almost fully charge 12V 200Ah battery that is being discharged down to 80% DoD. If the solar panels are positioned at a 'perfect' angle toward the sun during the day, they may collect even more energy.

Renogy 400 Watt 12 Volt Off-The-Grid Solar Premium Kit is often combined with one of the 12V 200Ah Renogy batteries - AGM, Pure Gel, Hybrid Gel - each one having very similar performances, but also each being optimized for a slightly different purpose.

This solar panel kit may be used with smaller batteries as well - charge controller is monitoring the battery condition and adjust the charging process as required. If the battery is fully charged, the charging stops.

Long Story Short: Renogy 400 Watt 12-Volt Off-The-Grid Solar Premium Kit is for many travelers and camping enthusiasts 'entry-level' solar kit - it cannot power, for example, RVs AC units, or standard 55 lbs electric trolling motor.

But, Renogy 400 Watt 12-Volt Off-The-Grid Solar Premium Kit ensures that people have 50-100 watts of power 24 hours per day (deep cycle battery and a good pure sine wave inverter required as well!), which is often more than enough to run small TV, camping fridge, telecommunication equipment, lights, fans and similar.

Also, Renogy Rover 40 Amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller allows the system to be expanded if required, up to 800W 24V maximum (requiring two 12V 200Ah batteries connected in series and one 24V power inverter).

For more reviews and recommendations, feel free to check Renogy 400 Watt 12-Volt Off-The-Grid Solar Premium Kit Amazon link (link opens in the new window).