• Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Anker launched its Solix F3800 at CES 2024 today.
• When two units are chained together the Solix F3800 boasts and output of 12 000W.
• Prices start at $3 999 and the Solix F3800 will only be available in the US for now.

Today marks the official start of CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Yes, there have already been many announcements and reveals, but officially the show starts today and will run until Friday afternoon. The show has already seen Samsung, Acer, ASUS and even NVIDIA showing off new products. Among those is backup power solution brand Anker which showed off its all new power wall in the Solix range.

Unfortunately, this power wall is only available in the US. Still, given South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis, it’s important to know what sort of backup power solutions are entering the market.

The Anker Solix F3800 was announced at IFA 2023 before it was placed on Kickstarter where it attracted the attention of 1 570 backers and drew in $5.8 million in funding. The power solution can pump out up to 12 000W (with two units chained together) and can be expanded to provide up to 53.8kWh of power with expansion batteries. A single unit sports a 3.84kWh battery.

As with most modern backup power solutions, the Solix F3800 houses Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries that can be cycled 3 000 times before their effective power is lowered. The brand claims that the Solix F3800 is the first portable power station to sport AC coupling and also supports home solar power cycling. The unit also features both 120V and 240V output which is important for the US market.

The full specs of the backup power solution are outlined below.

“The Anker SOLIX F3800 is more than a portable power station. With its groundbreaking AC coupling feature, it stands alone on the market by offering our customers a level of versatility and convenience that transforms the way we think and approach energy storage,” general manager of Anker and Anker Solux, Shaun Xiong said in a press release.

Ankers power solution has three power modes that make managing your energy consumption far easier.

• Self-consumption mode: The SOLIX Home Power Panel can monitor power production from both the rooftop solar system and the grid. Consequently, the F3800 can be recharged with excess solar energy and used to supply electricity to the home during a low solar power situation.
• Time-of-use mode: Through the Anker App, users can program specific intervals for peak and off-peak electricity usage. The F3800 can power homes during peak times and recharge during off-peak times to save on electricity bills.
• Automatic backup mode: In case of a blackout, the Anker SOLIX Home Power Panel will automatically switch to the F3800 as the power source to supply up to 12 circuits connected to the backup load centre.

It’s an incredibly impressive piece of kit and in the face of a growing energy crisis globally, we suspect more households will turn to solutions such as this, provided they can afford it.

The Anker Solix F3800 launches in the US today and prices start at $3 999 (~R74 000 direct conversion) for the unit itself. Adding additional batteries, switches and solar panels will of course cost you more.

While we’ve tested a fair few backup power stations we’re yet to get our hands on a solution from Anker. The brand has been increasing its footprint locally since June 2023 when it began partnering with a few local distributors.

Should Anker announce that the Solix F3800 will arrive in South Africa we’ll be sure to let you know but with that price as high as it is, we recommend you look at one of the smaller, yet still mighty solutions from EcoFlow or Gizzu.