Can I use another brand of solar panel on my power station?
Usually yes, if the voltage and current fit and you have the right cable. What BLUETTI, EcoFlow and Jackery manuals say, and the one mistake that voids the warranty.
Usually yes. A power station does not care which brand made the panel. It cares about three things: voltage, current and the plug.
What the manuals say
BLUETTI answers this question in its FAQ. For the BLUETTI AC180: yes, you can use third-party panels, as long as their Voc Open-circuit voltage. The highest voltage a panel makes, with nothing connected. Rises in cold. is between 12 and 60 V and they have MC4 connectors. BLUETTI also says not to mix different types of panels. The BLUETTI AC70 allows up to 58 V instead of 60 V.
EcoFlow sets limits per input. For the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus: total open-circuit voltage within 60 V and total short-circuit current within 15 A per input.
Jackery uses DC8020 plugs. Some Jackery manuals (Explorer 1000 v2, 2000 Plus) rate the input by working voltage, the voltage while charging; others give an open-circuit range. Jackery sells adapters between DC8020 and DC7909.
The mistake that voids the warranty
Too much voltage. BLUETTI's AC180 manual says panels with an open-circuit voltage above 60 V damage the station, and that this is not covered by the warranty. Brands sell panels at very different voltages: a 200 W panel can run near 20 V or near 50 V.
A real example from our data: the Anker SOLIX PS200 is listed at 57.6 V open-circuit (a shop listing we have not confirmed in the manual yet). The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus accepts up to 55 V. The checker says Don't connect.
Cold mornings raise the voltage
Panel voltage goes up as the panel gets colder, by roughly 0.3% for every degree Celsius below 25 °C on a typical panel. A setup that is just under the limit in summer can go over it on a frosty morning. Our cold weather guide shows the numbers.
The plug
Most third-party panels end in MC4 plugs. EcoFlow stations use XT60 or XT60i, many BLUETTI stations use DC7909 or XT60, Jackery uses DC8020. You need the matching cable or adapter. The checker lists the cable for each pairing.