Power
Power Ranked by Cost per Watt-Hour and per Watt
Batteries and panels do different jobs, so they get two honest rankings instead of one fake one. Batteries are ranked by cost per watt-hour of brand-stated nameplate capacity: what a unit of stored energy costs. Panels and kits are ranked by cost per watt of brand-stated rated wattage: what a unit of generating capacity costs. Components that are neither are listed below, unranked, with the reason.
Batteries: cost per watt-hour
| # | Product | Basis | Lowest verified price | Cost per Wh | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renogy Deep Cycle AGM Battery 12V 100Ah Renogy | 1,200 Wh 12V × 100Ah AGM nameplate = 1,200 watt-hours, brand-stated | $189.99 at Amazon | $0.158 | |
| 2 | Renogy Core Mini 12.8V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery Renogy | 1,280 Wh 12.8V × 100Ah LiFePO4 nameplate = 1,280 watt-hours, brand-stated | $307.99 at Renogy | $0.241 |
One caution the table cannot show: usable capacity is less than nameplate. An AGM battery should only be drawn down about half, so its usable cost per watt-hour is roughly double the figure above; a LiFePO4 battery can be drawn down far deeper. Chemistry is part of the real comparison, and the cards say which is which.
Panels and kits: cost per watt
| # | Product | Basis | Lowest verified price | Cost per watt | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renogy 2000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter Renogy | 2000W rated panel or kit wattage, brand-stated | $285.99 at Renogy | $0.14 | |
| 2 | Renogy 1000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter Renogy | 1000W rated panel or kit wattage, brand-stated | $175.99 at Renogy | $0.18 | |
| 3 | Renogy 200W N-Type Solar Panel (1 Piece) Renogy | 200W rated panel or kit wattage, brand-stated | $179.99 at Renogy | $0.90 | |
| 4 | Renogy 100W N-Type Solar Panel Renogy | 100W rated panel or kit wattage, brand-stated | $109.99 at Renogy | $1.10 | |
| 5 | Renogy E.Flex 200W Portable Solar Panel Renogy | 200W rated panel or kit wattage, brand-stated | $219.99 at Renogy | $1.10 | |
| 6 | Renogy 200W 12V Solar Starter Kit (Wanderer PWM) Renogy | 200W rated panel or kit wattage, brand-stated | $229.99 at Renogy | $1.15 | |
| 7 | Renogy 100W 12V N-Type Solar Starter Kit Renogy | 100W rated panel or kit wattage, brand-stated | $159.99 at Renogy | $1.60 | |
| 8 | Renogy 400W 12V Premium Solar Kit (Rover 40A MPPT) Renogy | 400W rated panel or kit wattage, brand-stated | $639.99 at Renogy | $1.60 |
Not ranked, on purpose
- Renogy Rover Li 40A MPPT Charge Controller: the brand states neither a battery capacity nor a rated wattage for this component (controllers, cables, mounts, and inverters are parts of a system, not energy sources), so there is no honest per-unit energy cost. It is priced per unit on its card instead.
- Renogy Rover Li 20A MPPT Charge Controller: the brand states neither a battery capacity nor a rated wattage for this component (controllers, cables, mounts, and inverters are parts of a system, not energy sources), so there is no honest per-unit energy cost. It is priced per unit on its card instead.
- Renogy Solar Adaptor Kit, 10FT 12AWG (Panel to Controller): the brand states neither a battery capacity nor a rated wattage for this component (controllers, cables, mounts, and inverters are parts of a system, not energy sources), so there is no honest per-unit energy cost. It is priced per unit on its card instead.
- Renogy Solar Y Branch Connectors (MMF + FFM Pair): the brand states neither a battery capacity nor a rated wattage for this component (controllers, cables, mounts, and inverters are parts of a system, not energy sources), so there is no honest per-unit energy cost. It is priced per unit on its card instead.
- BioLite Luci Emergency Solar Lantern: the brand states neither a battery capacity nor a rated wattage for this component (controllers, cables, mounts, and inverters are parts of a system, not energy sources), so there is no honest per-unit energy cost. It is priced per unit on its card instead.
Stations and generators that plug in live on our sister site: BackupPowerGuides. This site covers the panels, kits, and components you build a system from.
Prices checked November 11, 2026.