Renogy 100W Foldable Review

The Renogy 100W Foldable is one of the best solar panels if you want to set it and forget about it. This hard-sided panel is big and heavy. This is a folding, hinged version of a fully rigid panel. Imagine then panel you'd permanently install on the roof of your van, overlanding rig, or off-grid cabin, then add a hinge. That's what this panel is. It's extremely efficient, very durable, and fully waterproof.

Performance Comparison

Direct Solar Charging Speed

The Renogy 100W works very well in direct sunlight. This panel consistently performed as well as other top performers in our direct solar charging speed tests. It's consistent and efficient in full sunlight.

The Renogy charged its 240-watt-hour test battery faster than most other panels we tested. It wasn't the absolute highest-output panel during testing, but it's pretty close. You'll never be left wondering when you'll be able to charge your tech or turn on your powered cooler with this panel.

Like all the best solar panels, it uses high-efficiency monocrystalline solar cells. This panel consistently put out some of the most power compared to all the panels we tested in direct solar charging speed. In our comparative direct-sun solar charging speed test, the Renogy 100W Foldable generated 53.5 watt-hours of energy in a single hour.

With an average output of 56 watts in direct sunlight at 5,000 feet above sea level, the Renogy once again proves itself a powerhouse of energy generation from the power of the sun. Occasionally hitting levels as high as 70 watts during peak sunlight, this panel is about as powerful and efficient as it gets.

Even compared to some stiff competition, this panel puts up an impressive performance in energy conversion.

Indirect Solar Charging Speed

Since the sun isn't always shining, it's important that solar panels are as efficient as possible in cloudier conditions as well. The best panels make the most out of the dispersed light created on cloudy days, but not all panels do as well in cloudy conditions.

The Renogy 100W Foldable was one of the top performers in our indirect-sun solar charge speed tests as well. We simulated a cloudy day using a white sheet on a sunny day, suspended over all the panels side-by-side. Within this veritable blanket fort, the Renogy proved its efficiency even when the sun is blocked.

In one hour, this panel generated 20.8 watt-hours of charge. The only models to best this performance have larger surface areas and higher wattage ratings.

Similarly, the Renogy 100W put up impressive stats in terms of point readings of watt output. Even under our cloudy day sheets, this panel managed to produce an average of 24 watts of power. Very few others we tested can compete.

All in all, the Renogy performed better than almost every other panel in indirect solar efficiency tests. This panel does not sacrifice efficiency for anything. It would be the clear winner if we were choosing the best panel solely based on direct and indirect solar charging capabilities, as it was a top performer in all of our solar charging tests.

Portability

The Renogy 100W is not very portable. We dreaded every time we had to load this panel in and out of our car. This model is technically portable because it folds and has a carrying case, but it's one of our least favorites to actually move around. We wouldn't recommend this panel if you live in a small apartment or will need to carry this panel up and down staircases as we did during testing.

It weighs 21.2 pounds, which is more than twice as heavy as some of the more portable solar panels for camping we tested. Its carrying case is 26.5 by 22 inches and 3.5 inches thick. Twenty pounds doesn't seem that heavy, but depending on how far you have to go with it or how high you have to lift it, those pounds feel heavier quickly.

The hard-sided carrying case makes the Renogy a little easier to transport. It protects the panel from the inevitable moments when you knock it into something because it's so big and bulky. It fully unzips and opens like a clamshell, making it in and out of the case mercifully easier.

Functionality

The Renogy 100W is very functional. It's more durable than many panels in our test group, and it's fully waterproof. It's able to be connected in a continuous daisy chain with other panels, and Renogy often sells this panel as a package with a handy solar controller and connector cables.

It only charges one device at a time, but that's common for panels with universal standard MC4 solar connector cables. The main purpose of this panel is to be connected to a battery as part of a complete off-grid system. The Renogy support legs are some of the best of any panel we tested. They're made of aluminum, like the rest of the panel's frame, and can infinitely adjust and secure in position with a threaded knob on each leg. These legs securely hold the panel up and work better in high winds than those of any other panel.

Should You Buy the Renogy 100W Foldable?

The Renogy 100W is an all-around great performing solar panel. It's one of the most powerful and energy-efficient models we tested and offers serious durability and weather resistance. Seemingly regularly, this 100-watt panel is on sale and makes for a great value option at some of the prices we've seen. At the end of the day, as long as you don't have to move it around too much, the Renogy is an exceptionally sturdy and efficient option.

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