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Time to read 9 min
Review: Dometic Portable Solar Panel - Real-World Testing in The Australian Outback
Andrew and Peta Murray from Top Wire Traveller took a Dometic PS120A 120W folding solar panel to far western New South Wales in summer to see how it coped with the heat. This is what they found.
Short answer: the panel kept a 100Ah lithium battery and an 85 litre fridge going through four days of outback summer heat, up to 42°C, it stood up to strong wind, and it's well built. The weak spots are a battery temperature sensor lead that's too short to use and fiddly legs.
Before you go looking for one: Dometic has discontinued the PS120A, its Australian website no longer lists a portable folding panel, and we no longer stock it. The closest thing we carry now is the KT Solar 200W portable folding kit, a briefcase-style panel with its own regulator, the same layout as the Dometic. See what to buy instead.
The Dometic PS120A folding solar panel.
| What was tested | Dometic PS120A 120W folding solar panel, used in summer heat near Cameron Corner, far west NSW |
|---|---|
| Rated output | 120W: 18.1V and 6.63A at maximum power, rated at 25°C |
| Weight and size | 12.25kg (Dometic's listed net weight). Folded: 754 × 534 × 70mm |
| Best for | Topping up a second battery at camp while the vehicle sits in the shade |
| Verdict | Solid, wind-stable and it kept a fridge running in serious heat. Temperature sensor lead too short, legs fiddly to move |
| Can you still buy it? | No. Discontinued by Dometic. Closest current option: KT Solar 200W folding kit |
Why test a solar panel in the outback in summer?
If you camp with a fridge, a second battery makes life a lot easier, and something has to charge it once you've stopped driving. A portable panel is the usual answer. It packs down to fit in any vehicle and you can move it around to catch full sun while the car stays parked in the shade.
Andrew and Peta caretake a station near Cameron Corner every January, and daytime temperatures there regularly hit 40–45°C. That's a hard test for a solar panel. Panels are rated at a cell temperature of 25°C and their output drops as they get hotter, so a hot day is one of the worst conditions you can give them, even with plenty of sun.
So it was a good place to find out whether Dometic's 120W rating holds up.
What's in the box
The panel arrives packed in a carry bag inside a thick cardboard box. In the kit:
- Folding solar panel with the solar controller fitted and wired
- Grey 50A Anderson plug pre-wired to the controller output
- 5m cable with Anderson plugs on both ends
- Anderson plug to alligator clamp adaptor cable
- Battery temperature sensor
- Carry bag
- Installation and operating manual
Folded, the panel locks shut with two sturdy latches and has a spring-loaded carry handle.
The panel is two 60W monocrystalline panels joined by a hinge and wired in parallel. The stand swings out and support arms hold the legs in place, with four positions from 45° down to about 15° from horizontal.
The stand sets the panel at four different angles.
It folds into a neat rectangle with room inside to store the cables, and the soft carry case has a zip, a handle and a shoulder strap. All the cables are 4mm² (roughly 12AWG), which suits the panel's rated current.
You can store the cables inside the panel for transport.
The solar controller
The controller is mounted on the back of the panels. It takes the panels' output and regulates it to safely charge a 12V battery. It has 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% charge LEDs plus power and error lights, and three pairs of terminals: solar panel in, battery out and load out.
The solar controller on the back of the panel.
The load output lets you run 12V gear straight off the controller, but only while the sun's on the panel. That's fine for something like a USB charging point for phones, where it doesn't matter if power comes and goes.
A temperature sensor comes out of the left side of the controller. You tape it to the battery so the controller can adjust the charge for battery temperature. Good idea, but the lead is very short: you'd need the panel sitting right next to the battery, which defeats the point of a portable panel.
Test 1: recovering a flat AGM battery
The station had a 105Ah AGM deep cycle battery that had come out of a work ute 18 months earlier, when its bracket shook apart on the rough roads. It hadn't been charged since. A multimeter showed 6.1V, so it was well and truly flat.
This 105Ah AGM hadn't been charged for 18 months.
Andrew connected the panel with the supplied cable and alligator clamps, with no load on the battery. It was New Year's Eve, with the sun nearly overhead for much of the day, so the panel was set as flat as the stand allows (about 15°) and turned towards the sun every hour. Each hour he unclipped the panel, let the voltage settle and took a reading. At 2pm it was 40.3°C in the shade at the battery and 46.8°C near the panel in full sun.
Test 1 readings: battery voltage, temperature at the battery and cloud cover, every hour from 10am.
What the result means
The battery came up to 12.3V within the first hour and sat at 12.2V for the rest of the day. That shows the panel and controller were putting charge in straight away in serious heat, which is a pass.
It doesn't mean the battery was full. A resting 12.2V on a 12V AGM is roughly half charged, and a 120W panel can only put a few amps in, so it can't refill a 105Ah battery in an hour. A battery left completely flat for 18 months has usually lost a good part of its capacity for good, which would explain why it stalled at 12.2V. Treat this test as proof the panel works in the heat, not as a measure of how fast it charges. (The original version of this review said the battery was charged within the hour and that a solar controller only supplies a flat 12V. Neither is right, and we've corrected it.)
Test 2: running a fridge for four days
The second test was closer to real camping. Andrew and Peta's truck camper has a dual battery system: a 100Ah lithium battery charged through a battery management system (BMS) that acts as a full battery charger with its own solar input.
The Dometic panel connected to the truck camper's dual battery system.
Because the BMS regulates the solar input itself, a second regulator on the panel just gets in the way. Andrew bypassed the Dometic controller by joining the panel leads straight to the output cable, so the BMS got the panel's raw output. If your setup has a DC-DC charger or BMS with a solar input, check its manual: most want an unregulated panel. (Our Anderson plug guide covers the plugs and cable sizes.)
The load was their 85 litre portable fridge, partly filled with water bottles and set to 3°C. It drew 6–7A and ran for about 20 minutes in every hour. The panel was set at about 15° and only moved towards the sun a few times a day, the way most people actually use one at camp.
Test 2 readings: panel voltage, current and watts, temperature and battery state of charge.
The result
The panel kept up with the fridge easily. They ran the test for four days and the lithium battery was full by the end of every day. The readings show the panel making around 100W through the middle of hot days, and the last reading in the table, at noon on a 31°C day, shows 121W coming in, right on the panel's 120W rating, even though the panel wasn't square to the sun. That's a single reading at a good moment, not an all-day average, but it shows the rating is achievable. As with any panel, output fell away sharply in partial or dappled shade: 30W with half the panel shaded, and nothing at all in full shade.
How much panel do you need?
A 120W panel was enough for one fridge in outback summer sun, but your loads and your sun hours will differ, so put in your own setup below.
Run your own numbers
Same maths as above, with your gear and your trip in it.
Estimate only, for general guidance. Read the notes under the result before you rely on it.
Your daily draw
Daily total—
With the 1.5× real-world factor—
Panel needed
Winter — the number that matters
—
Summer
—
Battery to cover two days with no sun
AGM, 50% depth of discharge
—
Lithium, 80% depth of discharge
—
What that looks like in stock
Before you rely on this
- Sun-hours are regional averages for the season. Cloud, shade, panel angle, heat and dirt can cut output well below them on any given day.
- Panel wattage is a test-condition rating. Real output is lower, and controllers, cabling and batteries lose a little more along the way.
- Draw figures are typical averages, not your appliances' ratings. Use the manufacturer's published consumption where you have it.
- Follow the panel, controller and battery manufacturers' installation instructions, and have a qualified installer do anything you're not confident with.
- Results are estimates from simplified assumptions and typical published figures. They are general information only, not professional, technical, legal or safety advice, and they don't take your own circumstances into account.
- We work to keep these figures accurate, but we don't guarantee they are complete, current or right for your setup.
- Products shown are examples from our range, not a recommendation that they suit your vehicle or setup. Check specifications and compatibility before you buy.
- To the extent permitted by law, Camping Australia is not liable for any loss, damage, injury, fine or penalty arising from use of or reliance on this tool. Nothing here limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
For the reasoning behind the numbers, read our camping solar panels buyers guide, and for the fridge side of the system, setting up a 12V fridge in a 4WD.
Any downsides?
- The temperature sensor lead is too short. It has to be taped to the battery, and even a longer lead would be a nuisance when you're moving the panel to chase the sun. Most people won't use it.
- The legs are fiddly. The support arms slot into the legs, and when you lift the panel the feet drop and the arms come loose. Fold the legs away before you move it and the problem goes away.
On the plus side, the panel copped constant side and rear wind of well over 50km/h, gusting much higher, and never looked like blowing over.
What to buy now the PS120A is gone
Dometic has discontinued the PS120A and we no longer sell it. If you liked the sound of a rigid folding panel with its own regulator, these are what we have in stock that do the same job:
- KT Solar 200W 12V portable folding kit: the closest match. A briefcase-style panel made of two 100W panels in parallel, aluminium legs, a 15A dual-battery PWM controller mounted on the stand, 5m leads and a storage bag. More output than the Dometic, for a fridge plus lights and phones.
- KT Solar 120W portable folding solar mat: the same 120W as the Dometic in a soft folding mat with a built-in 8A PWM controller, for when weight and space matter more than a stand.
Or browse all portable and flexible solar panels. If you're building the battery side too, see our lithium batteries, and for the bigger picture on generators, inverters and solar, read power and electrical options for camping.
Our take
The PS120A was a well-made panel that delivered its rated output in conditions that make most panels struggle. It set up easily, packed small into its bag and kept a fridge running through four days of outback summer. Its faults were small and easy to live with.
You can't buy one new any more, but the lessons carry over to whatever portable panel you choose: angle it at the sun and move it a few times a day, keep it out of shade, and don't read a battery's voltage straight after charging as proof it's full.
You can follow Andrew and Peta's outback travels on their website and on Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.
Common questions
Is the Dometic PS120A solar panel still available?
No. Dometic has discontinued the PS120A and its Australian website no longer lists a portable folding panel. We no longer stock it. The closest current option we carry is the KT Solar 200W portable folding kit, a briefcase-style panel with its own regulator.
How much does the Dometic PS120A weigh?
Dometic lists its net weight as 12.25kg. Folded, it measures 754 x 534 x 70mm.
Will a 120W portable solar panel run a 12V fridge?
It can. In our review, the PS120A kept a 100Ah lithium battery full while running an 85 litre fridge for four days of summer heat (up to 42 degrees) in far west NSW, with the panel turned to the sun a few times a day. In winter, in shade or with more loads you'll need more panel, so work it out for your own setup.
Does heat reduce solar panel output?
Yes. Solar panels are rated at a cell temperature of 25 degrees, and output drops as the cells get hotter. Strong sun still helps, but on a 40 degree day a panel won't do as well as its rating suggests.
Can I plug a portable panel with its own regulator into a DC-DC charger or BMS?
Usually you shouldn't. A DC-DC charger or battery management system with a solar input regulates the charge itself, and a second regulator on the panel gets in the way. In this review the panel's controller was bypassed so the BMS got the raw panel output. Check your charger's manual first.
What comes with the Dometic PS120A?
The folding panel with the controller fitted, a 50A Anderson plug on the controller output, a 5m Anderson to Anderson cable, an Anderson to alligator clamp adaptor, a battery temperature sensor, a carry bag and the manual.
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