The SOLPERK panel is nowhere near IP67 waterproof as it claims. It uses SAE, not MC4 connectors and is rated to output 43.2V to the included 24V battery charge controller. Without a battery, this controller fluctuates between 17-20V. Without the 24V battery controller, it delivered up to 26W to my 2kWh battery, but given the time of day and month, this is expected output. The kickstand needs tools to secure fully and there are no safety or reliability lab test logos on the panel. Its claim of IP67 waterproof certification means it can be submerged in 1 meter deep water for 30 minutes without failing. The SAE connectors it uses aren't waterproof at all, and the black box on the back of the panel has openings on the top and bottom (see pics). The panel itself could perhaps tolerate light rain if you can keep the connector on its 10-foot cable dry, but humidity or wind-driven rain could certainly get into the box on the back. While there's not much point to using a solar panel in the rain, I can't believe anything stated about the panel if they flat out lie about its weather rating. Who knows if the panel itself can actually tolerate being rained on. It also means you can't leave the panel outdoors without constant supervision or a very-reliable weather prediction. I measured up to 46V directly from the panels without the charge controller. This voltage dropped as the panels warmed up to 125F on the front and back. The 43.2V rating is under standardized test conditions after the panels warm up. The included battery charge controller is supposed to charge 24V batteries so it seems strange it only outputs up to 20V, but it may just not work correctly without a battery connected that it can read a voltage from to know what voltage to output. I don't have any 24V batteries to test with. Unplugging the battery charger, I plugged the panel directly into a 2kWH battery with a port accepting up to 60V directly from a solar panel. With careful adjustments of panel direction at 3:30pm, I barely got it to deliver 26W to the battery after it warmed up, and it kept falling back to 25W. Given my location, the time of day and month of the year, an AI says this is an expected output given the 30W ideal conditions rating. The kickstand still moves a too easily when I tighten the wingnuts as hard as I can with my fingers. They should have added friction or corrugated washers to make the stand more stable. Otherwise, you need strong fingers or pliers to really secure it in place. SOLPERK has been selling solar panels with decent (but not stellar) star ratings since 2021, so hopefully they'll stick around to support their products. They still don't have a web site or phone number, only a mass-market email address for support. Overall, I dock two stars for lying about the IP67 waterproof rating, advertising MC4 instead of SAE connectors, and having no lab safety testing, and the loose kickstand.
