Renogy Promotions + Contest 4/15-4/30

[Renogy]

Hello all!

We just wanted to give you all a heads up on promotions that currently underway at Renogy at the moment.

Introducing the latest member of the Renogy family, The Renogy Firefly.
Released April 1st, this little kit packs quite the punch, take a better look at it here.

Also, we're currently holding a contest till the end of this month where one lucky winner will be receiving The Renogy Firefly.

How to Enter*:
-Like Renogy's Facebook
-Share with us what you'd do if you had a Renogy Firefly on our Facebook wall
-Copy and paste the content that you posted on our Facebook wall in a private message to us

*No purchase necessary to enter or win. This contest is open to anyone over the age of 18. Void where prohibited by law.
Renogy reserves the right to use any and all information related to the contest, including submissions provided by the
contestants, for editorial, marketing and any other purpose, unless prohibited by law. The deadline for submissions is April
30, 2015 at 11:59PM (PST). Winners will be chosen at the company’s discretion.

 

[gypsychic]

The firefly looks interesting but I find the 1 year warranty disconcerting. Maybe it's industry standard for that type of all in one unit but I look at warranties as the amount of faith a company has in it's product. That doesn't seem like a lot of faith to me, especially after looking at your other (larger) products. I'm still figuring all this solar stuff out and haven't bought yet but I will. You had me at small, you lost me at 1 year warranty. Not trying to be snarky. Just honest feedback from a potential customer.

 

[gypsychic]

BTW - the expected reply to my comment goes as follows:

(You have to get your best 1950s idealized Americana voice going in your head as you read this)

"Well gosh, GypsyChic, that never occurred to us that a customer might think about it that way. No wonder our sales are lower than we thought. You've just saved our company.

We are giving away a Firefly on Facebook. How 'bout you take that one. We don't really care that you're not on Facebook. That way any criticism of our contest to say we might be awarding the winner solely based on how large their social media reach is would be baseless. Wow, that just saved us a PR nightmare.

Wow, you just saved us twice in one day. How 'bout we add you on the payroll. You never have to come in to work, just toss us a few ideas now and then.

Deal? Swell. Naw, we don't need to sign any paperwork. Just a simple handshake.

Yes, We are just that caring of a company."

(In case you didn't know, that's snark [emoji6] )

Cheers

Good luck with product launch. I'll be waiting for reviews on amazon from early adapters before I take the plunge on that particular product.

 

[Renogy]

The firefly looks interesting but I find the 1 year warranty disconcerting. Maybe it's industry standard for that type of all in one unit but I look at warranties as the amount of faith a company has in it's product. That doesn't seem like a lot of faith to me, especially after looking at your other (larger) products. I'm still figuring all this solar stuff out and haven't bought yet but I will. You had me at small, you lost me at 1 year warranty. Not trying to be snarky. Just honest feedback from a potential customer.

Hey there gypsychic,

Thank you for your feedback, we definitely understand your concern. Typically in the solar industry, flagship products will start off with a one-year warranty. Eventually, the products move on to three-year, and so on for the warranty length. As mentioned, because the Firefly is a brand new product, our warranty for it at the moment is one-year.


All the best,
The Renogy Team

 

[LeeRevell]

An interesting unit for sure! Unfortunately yesterday I ordered another brand of portable folding solar charger via Amazon. Had I held off I likely may have gone with the Firefly instead. But I will test that unit, and if it proves less than adequate I will be looking again at your unit.
And, I cannot take part in the contest, as I do NOT do Facebook.

 

[highdesertranger]

well I don't do the face thing, but I see you are in Chino CA. our ranch is in Chino Hills. so when the time comes to purchase more panels I will definitely look you up. highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

It looks like the Firefly is competing with Goal Zero Yeti 150 and 20 watt panel and at $400 the price is the same although your specs may be a little better.

I'm surprised you're not beating them more on price. Goal Zero is well respected and I would think price would be how you take market share from them.

You can buy a 100 watt suitcase and a good battery for the price of one of these.
Bob

 

[Renogy]

It looks like the Firefly is competing with Goal Zero Yeti 150 and 20 watt panel and at $400 the price is  the same although your specs may be a little better.

I'm surprised you're not beating them more on price. Goal Zero is well respected and I would think price would be how you take market share from them.

You can buy a 100 watt suitcase and a good battery for the price of one of these.
Bob

Hi Bob,

We appreciate your comments and agree with some of what you are saying, however there are several things to consider when comparing our products to Goal Zero's. If we are doing a straight comparison of the Yeti 150 to the Firefly, the Firefly stands above and beyond in almost every aspect. True, Goal Zero has a more established name in the market—that was a specific choice in marketing strategy on their part. They chose to garner market share through big box top retailers (REI, etc.), but let's focus on the products themselves.  

• The Firefly weighs in at 10.8lbs while the Yeti Kit (Yeti 150+ 20W Panel)'s 13.6lbs. (The Yeti 150 itself is 12lbs.)
• The Firefly's battery capacity is 16aH compared to the Yeti 150's 14aH.
• The Firefly has a lithium polymer battery whereas the Yeti 150 has a lead acid battery.
• The Firefly and the Yeti 150 have an equal amount of ports.
• The Firefly comes with panels built-in compared to the Yeti 150, which needs the purchase of panels.
• The Firefly includes a LED Flashlight (with S.O.S. mode) whereas the Yeti 150 has none.
• The Firefly has a one year Warranty while the Yeti 150 only has a six month warranty.
• The Firefly comes with all accessories included, unlike the Yeti Kit.
• The Firefly has a charge controller built-in and can be expanded with panels (not to exceed 50W) while with the Yeti 150, a charge controller needs to be purchased in order to expand more panels.
• The Firefly costs $399.99 compared to the Yeti Kit which is $429.98—that's a $30 difference with better specs.

With all this considered,we see the comparison of them being similar products, but for what we bring to the table with the Firefly, there really is no comparison.

All the best,
The Renogy Team

 

[Renogy]

well I don't do the face thing,  but I see you are in Chino CA.  our ranch is in Chino Hills.  so when the time comes to purchase more panels I will definitely look you up.   highdesertranger

Hey highdesertranger,

We appreciate that! If you ever have any questions, feel free to come on by. Our staff would be more than happy to help assist and answer any questions you may have.

All the best,
The Renogy Team

 

[Renogy]

An interesting unit for sure!  Unfortunately yesterday I ordered another brand of portable folding solar charger via Amazon.  Had I held off I likely may have gone with the Firefly instead.  But I will test that unit, and if it proves less than adequate I will be looking again at your unit.
And, I cannot take part in the contest, as I do NOT do Facebook.

Hi LeeRevell,

We hope that your unit ends up working out for you, but of course, if it doesn't, we would be more than happy to have you take another look at our Firefly.
Unfortunately the contest is only available via Facebook, but we'll definitely make it a note to figure something out that will be more accessible to other consumers next time.

All the best,
The Renogy Team

 

[Renogy]

• The Firefly weighs in at 10.8lbs while the Yeti Kit (Yeti 150+ 20W Panel)'s 13.6lbs. (The Yeti 150 itself is 12lbs.)
• The Firefly's battery capacity is 16aH compared to the Yeti 150's 14aH.
• The Firefly has a lithium polymer battery whereas the Yeti 150 has a lead acid battery.
• The Firefly and the Yeti 150 have an equal amount of ports.
• The Firefly comes with panels built-in compared to the Yeti 150, which needs the purchase of panels.
• The Firefly includes a LED Flashlight (with S.O.S. mode) whereas the Yeti 150 has none.
• The Firefly has a one year Warranty while the Yeti 150 only has a six month warranty.
• The Firefly comes with all accessories included, unlike the Yeti Kit.
• The Firefly has a charge controller built-in and can be expanded with panels (not to exceed 50W) while with the Yeti 150, a charge controller needs to be purchased in order to expand more panels.
• The Firefly costs $399.99 compared to the Yeti Kit which is $429.98—that's a $30 difference with better specs.

With all this considered,we see the comparison of them being similar products, but for what we bring to the table with the Firefly, there really is no comparison.

We'd also like to add that in addition to all the comparisons above, the Renogy Firefly can also jumpstart a car.

 

[AuricTech]

I searched the Yeti 150's Q&A tab (using the keyword "controller), and its proprietary 8mm input port does include a PWM charge controller.  Since neither the Tech Specs tab nor the owner's manual for the Yeti 150 mention this, I assume that Renogy's statement to the contrary was inadvertent.  After all, it would be unfair to blame Renogy for not knowing something that Goal Zero chose not to include in their product's specifications.

That being said, one thing that Renogy didn't point out in their favor is that the Firefly's inverter has a listed rating of 150W (no surge rating listed), while the Yeti 150's inverter has a listed rating of 80W (160W surge).  Another factor in the Firefly's favor is that the Yeti 150 has a maximum input of 60W, while the Firefly can accept up to 70W of PV input (20W of integrated PV panels, plus up to 50W of external PV panels).

Once my employment situation properly stabilizes (i.e., once I am again employed), I likely will buy a Renogy Firefly, as it seems to be a useful piece of gear to have on hand.  I just didn't want to leave an inaccurate statement hanging out there.

ETA: I am currently writing a post on a prepper forum about the Renogy Firefly.

 

[Renogy]

I searched the Yeti 150's Q&A tab (using the keyword "controller), and its proprietary 8mm input port does include a PWM charge controller.  Since neither the Tech Specs tab nor the owner's manual for the Yeti 150 mention this, I assume that Renogy's statement to the contrary was inadvertent.  After all, it would be unfair to blame Renogy for not knowing something that Goal Zero chose not to include in their product's specifications.

That being said, one thing that Renogy didn't point out in their favor is that the Firefly's inverter has a listed rating of 150W (no surge rating listed), while the Yeti 150's inverter has a listed rating of 80W (160W surge).  Another factor in the Firefly's favor is that the Yeti 150 has a maximum input of 60W, while the Firefly can accept up to 70W of PV input (20W of integrated PV panels, plus up to 50W of external PV panels).

Once my employment situation properly stabilizes (i.e., once I am again employed), I likely will buy a Renogy Firefly, as it seems to be a useful piece of gear to have on hand.  I just didn't want to leave an inaccurate statement hanging out there.

ETA: I am currently writing a post on a prepper forum about the Renogy Firefly.

Hey AuricTech,

Thanks for pointing that out, we really didn't know that the Yeti 150 came with a charge controller. Definitely our bad on that. Again, really, thank you for clearing all of that information up, we really appreciate it. We hope you find a job soon, and we'd love to see your post on the prepper forum if you don't mind linking us.

All the best,
The Renogy Team

 

[WheelEstate USA]

It's good seeing Renogy taking an active part in the forums.
As y'all have noticed, solar is a big topic here and there are many users still expanding, or beginning their systems.

Now, how about a special discount for our members??

BTW...You will find that many of us do not do Facebook, etc. for many reasons.

 

[AuricTech]

It's not often that I find myself thanked by someone online for pointing out a possible error in a post.  That you at Renogy chose to do so speaks well of your company.

As for my prepper forum post, here's a link to it.

ETA: I decided that Renogy deserved a Reputation boost, for being so forthcoming on this topic.

 

[LeeRevell]

It's not often that I find myself thanked by someone online for pointing out a possible error in a post.  That you at Renogy chose to do so speaks well of your company.

As for my prepper forum post, here's a link to it.

ETA: I decided that Renogy deserved a Reputation boost, for being so forthcoming on this topic.

Likewise!  I like a company that gets in touch with their users, and discusses the pros and cons.  Bravo, Renogy!  I will definitely have you on the top of my list for future solar buys.
Haven't been able to test the "other guy's" equipment as the Deep South has been having days of cloudy rainy weather - the bane of the solar industry. 

 

[anewbiewannabe]

Upstanding business practices make for great word of mouth and customer satisfaction. Bravo! The dealer where I used to buy and maintain my cars was like that---over 20 years and we ended up knowing each other by name with very few visits---never found a good one after I moved too far.

This is the kind of business model we truly need more of in the world. I will definitely be keeping it in mind for when it's time for my solar selections. Keep it up!

 

[Renogy]

It's good seeing Renogy taking an active part in the forums.
As y'all have noticed, solar is a big topic here and there are many users still expanding, or beginning their systems.

Now, how about a special discount for our members??

BTW...You will find that many of us do not do Facebook, etc. for many reasons.

We're glad to be here, and I (Hi, I'm Val! The person handling Renogy's social media, etc.) am trying my best to keep up with everything. Please feel free to give me a heads up if I'm ever behind in anything, and know that I do my best to respond to questions as quickly as possible.

As for a special discount, I don't have much sway over that, but I'll see what I can do.

And I'll be sure to keep that information in mind, it was simply a post to help inform forum members of the contest. Thank you.

All the best,
The Renogy Team

 

[Renogy]

It's not often that I find myself thanked by someone online for pointing out a possible error in a post.  That you at Renogy chose to do so speaks well of your company.

As for my prepper forum post, here's a link to it.

ETA: I decided that Renogy deserved a Reputation boost, for being so forthcoming on this topic.

It was honestly a mistake, and I (Hi, I'm Val! I handle Renogy's social media, etc.) really appreciate that you pointed it out because I wouldn't have known otherwise, and gone on believing the wrong information. Thank you also for both your link to your post about the Firefly as well as the Reputation boost.

All the best,
The Renogy Team

 

[Renogy]

Likewise!  I like a company that gets in touch with their users, and discusses the pros and cons.  Bravo, Renogy!  I will definitely have you on the top of my list for future solar buys.
Haven't been able to test the "other guy's" equipment as the Deep South has been having days of cloudy rainy weather - the bane of the solar industry. 

Thank you so much. We're definitely trying our best to expand our reach to different venues to interact with more of our users and answer any questions they may have.

We hope the grey skies go away for you soon.

All the best,
The Renogy Team