Updated 5 days ago
The Best 200-Watt Solar Panels: Expert Guide to Usage and What You Can Run
Written by
Ben Zientara
If you live the van life or drive an RV and you’re looking for a good amount of power on the go, a 200-watt solar panel is basically the minimum you will need. A good one can make about one kilowatt-hour of power on a sunny day, which is enough to run a small DC refrigerator all day, plus charge up a phone and a laptop.
Here are our picks for the best 200-watt solar panels on the market:
Best rigid 200-watt solar panel: Renogy RSP200D-US
Best portable 200-watt solar panel: Renogy RPP200EF-SE-US
Best affordable 200-watt solar panel: JJN 200-watt bifacial panel
Best premium 200-watt solar panel: BougeRV Yuma 200
The best 200-watt panel for you will vary based on your needs. People looking for the simplest option might want a rigid solar panel, while others will want something portable that can fold up when not in use. Finally, there will be those who want the absolute best and are willing to pay any price for it.
200-watt solar panels at a glance
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Prices for 200-watt solar panels range from about $160 to $520, with the highest-priced panels coming with long warranties and premium features.
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A 200-watt solar panel typically produces between 600 and 1,200 watt-hours (Wh) of solar energy per day.
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A 200 W panel provides enough power to keep a small DC fridge running all day, plus charge a few small electronic devices, like laptops and smartphones.
The best 200-watt solar panels in 2024
Since many types of 200-watt solar panels exist, we decided to break our expert recommendations into categories. Here is our list of the best choices for 200-watt solar panels on the market:
Category | Brand and model | Notes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Best rigid panel | Renogy RSP200D-US | White backsheet, aluminum frame, rigid plastic corner supports, 10-year warranty | |
Best portable panel | Renogy RPP200EF-SE-US | Foldable panel with adjustable tilt legs, USB and solar MC4 output, 2-year warranty | |
Best affordable panel | JJN 200W bifacial panel | Ultra-affordable bifacial panel, better power output than more expensive options, 18-month warranty | |
Best premium panel | BougeRV Yuma 200-watt thin-film panel | The absolute most durable and shade-tolerant solar panel on the market, bar none. Expensive, but worth it. |
Here is some more info about each of our top picks:
Best rigid 200-watt solar panel: Renogy RSP200D-US Rigid Solar Panel
Pros
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Comes from a well-known brand
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Excellent construction, with sturdy plastic protective corners
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10-year warranty
Cons
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Slightly more expensive than the cheapest options
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Uses a white backsheet and aluminum frame, so it’s not all black
Renogy’s 200-watt rigid solar panel is a great, affordable option from a well-known company. It offers quality construction and thoughtful touches like the protective blue plastic corners on the frame. This panel sets the standard for all others on our list.
Perhaps most importantly, this monocrystalline solar panel comes from Renogy, a trusted brand in the industry that has been in business for years and has many satisfied customers.
A final note about this panel is that it has a white backsheet, meaning you can see the spaces around the cells. In one sense, this is good because it makes the panel more efficient and less prone to heat-related power loss. On the other hand, some people prefer the all-black look.
Best portable 200-watt solar panel: Renogy RPP200EF-SE-US Portable Solar Panel
Pros
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Foldable and portable at 17 lbs
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Includes USB-A and USB-C ports next to the solar cables on the back
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IP65 waterproof
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Priced much better than similar folding panels from other manufacturers
Cons
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Only comes with a 2-year warranty
The Renogy RPP200EF-SE-US Portable Solar Panel is an excellent choice for people who need a packable option that can be unfolded and placed in numerous locations. This foldable panel is meant to be used, tossed into the back of a car full of camping supplies, and left out in the elements while you're in the wilderness.
The Renogy foldable panel is well made, with a nice junction box fitted into the back of the panel that offers the ability to directly connect USB devices like phones and rechargeable lights to the panel. That's a really nice touch.
The most attractive thing about this panel is the price. Compared to similar options from Bluetti and Jackery, the Renogy is about half as expensive and offers much the same functionality.
The only drawback is the relatively short 2-year warranty. To be clear, 2 years is standard coverage for foldable panels, but the Renogy rigid panel above comes with a 10-year warranty and is less expensive, too. Choose this panel if you prize portability but don't expect a long life.
Best affordable 200-watt panel: JJN 200W bifacial panel
Pros
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Very low cost
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Bifacial
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IP67 waterproof
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Handsome black aluminum frame
Cons
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Not as well known as other companies
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18th month warranty is on the shorter side
JJN makes some of the least expensive solar panels on Amazon, but despite the low cost, they’re pretty darn good. This JJN 200-watt panel has the advantage of being the only bifacial solar panel in our roundup, and it offers some impressive specs for its low price.
A bifacial panel can generate extra electricity from reflected light when installed above a light-colored surface. JJN says this panel becomes “at least” 5% more efficient at converting sunlight because of its bifaciality. One thing to note is that this panel only has glass on the top of the cells, and the back is just coated in clear EVA plastic.
Of course, there’s a catch to the low price. You’ll be buying a panel from a lesser-known brand that offers only 18 months of warranty coverage. It’s up to you to decide if the savings of $50 to $70 (depending on the current sale prices) compared to the Renogy panel with 10 years of coverage is worth it.
Best premium 200-watt panel: BougeRV Yuma 200-watt thin-film panel
Pros
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Super lightweight and flexible enough to be rolled up like a poster
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Produces more power under shaded conditions than other panels
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Can be walked on, twisted, punctured, and more and still produce power
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10-year warranty from a really well-known company
Cons
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Quite expensive
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Thin film panels are less efficient than crystalline silicon so take up more surface area for the same wattage
If you need a durable, shade-tolerant solar panel for a boat or RV and have at least 15 square feet of roof space (6.85 ft x 2.19 ft), this is the best money can buy. But oh, it does cost a good deal of money. The MSRP on this BougeRV solar panel is $599, but you can get it for 20% regularly on the BougeRV website.
For all that cash, you get the most portable panel on the market that can also take the most abuse and keep on truckin’. The durability is due to the unique thin-film construction, which is encased in flexible but durable EVA plastic. In addition, the flexible solar panel uses 96 cells and 24 bypass diodes, meaning that some cells can be shaded (or damaged), and the rest of the cells will still exert power.
Unlike all other panels in this article, the Yuma uses a non-silicon semiconductor called Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS), which is applied to a plastic layer as a thin film. That’s what makes it ultra-lightweight and flexible. In our testing, the BougeRV Yuma panel withstood a line-dance’s worth of muddy boot stomping and worked as good as new after. Check out the video:
Other reviewers have shot the Yuma with a gun and drilled holes into it, and it just keeps working. Of course, that physical damage would likely void the Yuma’s 10-year warranty, but if the panel ever fails during that time period due to a failure of materials or workmanship, you should be covered, and by a good company with proven staying power.
How much does a 200-watt solar panel cost?
The average price of a 200-watt solar panel is about $300, but the range depends on the type of solar panel, the brand, and the warranty. The prices of products we looked at ranged from $160 to $600, with simple rigid panels being the least expensive and fancy ultralight thin-film panels being the most.
How much electricity does a 200-watt panel generate?
The amount of energy a solar panel can generate depends on its wattage and the amount of sunlight it receives. A 200-watt solar panel can generate between 700 and 1,600 watt-hours of electricity per day, depending on your location. The average is around 1,000 watt-hours per day.
The amount of sunlight varies across the USA, and solar engineers like to measure it using peak sun hours. Using the map below, you can see the approximate peak sun hours for your location.
If you multiply the peak sun hours by 200 watts, you can estimate how much energy a solar panel will make on an average day.
For example, if you live in South Carolina, take the 5 peak sun hours multiplied by 200 watts to get 1,000 watt-hours per day. That’s the same as one kilowatt-hour (kWh). On the other hand, in the desert of New Mexico, expect to get closer to 1,500 watt-hours per day (1.5 kilowatt-hours).
What can you run with a 200-watt panel?
A 200 W solar panel paired with a portable solar generator can help you power devices, charge smartphones, and run even small kitchen appliances. Because the panel can generate around 1 kWh of electricity per day, it is the perfect companion to a solar generator with around 1 kWh of energy storage, like the Bluetti AC180.
Here’s how long you can expect a 200 W solar panel and battery to run different appliances:
Appliance | Typical power usage | Run time* |
|---|---|---|
Phone charger | 20 W | 50 hours |
Mini fridge | 70 W | 14 hours |
WiFi router | 6 W | 166 hours |
Laptop charger | 60 W | 16 hours |
40” LED TV | 50 W | 20 hours |
*Assumes 1,000 Wh battery.
All of the 200-watt solar panels listed above can work to charge a portable solar generator, but there are a couple of important things to know first: the open circuit voltage (VOC) of the solar panel and the input port of the solar generator.
Open circuit voltage (VOC)
The “open circuit voltage” (VOC) of the solar panel refers to the amount of volts the panel produces when it is not plugged in. The solar generator can be damaged if the voltage is too high for the charge controller.
Most 200-watt solar panels have a VOC between 24 and 31. Make sure to choose a solar generator with a minimum input voltage below the panel’s VOC and a maximum input voltage higher than the VOC. You want the panel to be able to charge the batteries but not overload the charge controller in the generator.
Different kinds of input ports
Nowadays, most solar generators have an XT60 port, but other kinds include Anderson ports and DC input jacks. EcoFlow solar generators often use a special input port called XT60i, which includes an extra contact between the two main ones to tell the generator to charge at a higher rate if it can.
Nearly all of the 200-watt solar panels on the market will come with MC4 solar connectors, a universal standard in the solar industry. Just make sure you know which input your solar generator has and that you have a cable that can connect between the MC4 connectors and the generator's input.
What is the best use of a 200-watt solar panel?
200 W solar panels are best used to charge portable batteries. They aren’t ideal for powering a house because they produce far too little energy in a day.
200 W panels are best suited for off-grid use but still face the same problem as all solar panels. If the sun isn’t shining, they can’t provide power. This is why you’ll need a battery bank to store the solar energy the panels generate so you can use it 24/7.
200-watt solar panels frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Bottom line on 200-watt solar panels
200-watt solar panels are a great way to take solar power with you. They’re not too big to take with you on a journey, but they’re powerful enough to make a good amount of energy on a sunny day. They are the perfect companion to an RV or boat to provide a bit of energy for your electronics.
Having a 200-watt panel and portable solar battery with you on an off-grid adventure can give you enough electricity to recharge your devices and even make a cup of coffee every day. And if you need more power, you can always increase the quantity to create a solar array.
Several kinds of 200-watt solar panels are available, from rigid panels with silicon cells to portable solar panels with advanced thin-film technology. These options let you choose the right panel for the job, whether it’s in the outback or just the backyard.
Ben Zientara is a writer, researcher, and solar policy analyst who has written about the residential solar industry, the electric grid, and state utility policy since 2013. His early work included leading the team that produced the annual State Solar Power Rankings Report for the Solar Power Rocks website from 2015 to 2020. The rankings were utilized and referenced by a diverse mix of policymakers, advocacy groups, and media including The Center...
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