With a capacity of 4 kilowatt hours and 4000 watts of power as well as numerous connections, the Delta Pro 3 is a powerful and versatile power station. It can power practically every device in the household, is an ideal storage device for balcony power plants and is suitable for mobile use.
The Delta Pro 3 is the largest portable power station that Ecoflow currently has on offer. The battery's performance and capacity are sufficient to power many devices at the same time for a longer period of time. But it can also store the energy produced by balcony power plants and other photovoltaic systems. ntv.de tried out the power station monster.
With the telescopic handle you can drive it like a very weighty rolling suitcase.
(Photo: kwe)
First of all, it has to be said that “portable” shouldn’t be taken too literally with the Delta Pro 3. Although the power station has two handles and is compact for its performance at 69.3 × 34.1 × 41 centimeters, you don't really want to carry 51.5 kilos far or even heave it up stairs. Mobile is the more accurate term, because equipped with two wheels and a telescopic handle, the device can be rolled from A to B relatively easily.
Strong enough for all devices
The capacity of the Delta Pro 3 is 4096 watt hours (Wh), i.e. just under 4 kilowatt hours (kWh). It offers four standard household AC sockets that can permanently supply devices with up to 4000 watts (W). Even up to 8000 W is possible for a short time. This is enough, for example, to operate televisions or refrigerators with 120 W power consumption for more than 30 hours.
On one side there is a connection for mobile homes.
(Photo: kwe)
Additional connections include an RV socket for powering motorhomes and two 12-volt outputs (DC 5521/Anderson). Two USB-C sockets deliver up to 100 W, two USB-A ports deliver up to 18 W.
Lots of connection and charging options
Finally, the Delta Pro 3 has two sockets for optional additional batteries, which also have a capacity of 4 kWh. In total, it can carry two of them piggyback, so the total capacity is 12 kWh.
The Delta Pro 3 also offers multiple ways to charge it. The usual way is to connect them to a power outlet via the AV input. However, you can also recharge them with up to 1600 W via solar modules or from a car's 12 V connection.
The back with charging ports and sockets for additional batteries.
(Photo: kwe)
The power station also allows combinations that together can deliver a total of 7000 W. Then it is charged from 0 to 80 percent in around 45 minutes. It's quick and easy, just about an hour from your home socket.
Quickly refueled and long lasting
Stating 80 percent is not cheating in order to be able to specify short times. From this limit onwards, batteries charge much more slowly in order to protect themselves. The same applies to areas below 20 percent. That's why the Ecoflow app also offers the option of specifying that the Delta Pro 3 stops charging or discharging at these limits. In the test, it took little more than 30 minutes to fill it from 20 to 80 percent.
The battery is particularly compact thanks to the so-called cell-to-chassis technology (CTC).
(Photo: Ecoflow)
Even without this measure, the power station is long-lasting because its battery pack consists of lithium iron phosphate cells, which significantly outperform lithium-ion cells in this respect. According to the manufacturer, the battery capacity should still be 80 percent after 4,000 cycles. If used daily, this would be the case after around eleven years. The warranty doesn't last that long, but the manufacturer still offers five years.
Ideal addition to PV systems
During the practical test, the power station was also connected to a 200 W solar panel from Ecoflow, which delivered up to around 150 W in the late summer sun. This means that it takes several days to fill the Delta Pro 3. But firstly, it still covers a not insignificant part of the daily requirement – 0.5 kWh for the dishwasher, for example, almost always came together when the weather was reasonably nice.
It was also possible to try out the automatic system, which switches off the Delta Pro 3 as soon as the charging current is low. That worked perfectly. The device switched off just as reliably when it was not needed. Conversely, you can also specify when the Delta Pro 3 switches on automatically.
If you love your battery, you can set the controls to 20 and 80 percent.
(Photo: kwe)
It is much more effective to combine the power station with a balcony power plant or the PV system on the roof. Here it can store the excess energy gained during the day in order to release it again at night or when the sky is cloudy. In the app you will find several options for optimizing operations.
App has a lot to offer
With a flexible electricity tariff, you can specify that the power station is refueled via the socket at times with the cheapest prices and a flexible portion is reserved for charging using your own solar system. Unfortunately, in Germany it is not yet possible to automatically adopt the electricity tariff and its data; instead, you have to enter the duration of use and price yourself.
It is easier to set a reserve of battery capacity that is reserved for power outages, for example. If desired, the Delta Pro 3 only draws energy from the network when the charge falls below this level. Otherwise it is supplied exclusively by the PV system.
Better safe than sorry
Performance is one thing, with a power station with such a high capacity in your own four walls, safety also plays a crucial role. Ecoflow has taken several measures to achieve this. In addition to a battery management system that continuously monitors 40 different indicators, the battery unit is protected against dust and water according to IP68. This is intended to avoid critical accidents. The entire power station is not weatherproof, but has a fireproof housing.
The Delta Pro 3 also offers security for sensitive electronic devices such as PCs. Because when it is connected between the computer and the socket, it takes over the power supply within 10 milliseconds, thus preventing crashes and data loss.
If you use the power station in your study or bedroom, you will be happy about the extremely low volume. In the test, even under maximum performance, it remained so quiet that it didn't cause any disturbance. At night you hardly hear them at all during normal operation.
Conclusion
The Ecoflow Delta Pro 3 is an ideal power station for users who need high capacities and performance for emergencies or outdoor activities and value versatility. The quality is high, including security. This means that the price of currently around 2890 euros for the Delta Pro 3 directly from the manufacturer is absolutely justified and fair.
