Customer Reviews for BioLite - Solar Home System 620+ - Blue
Customer Rating
2
Doesn't work in the cold
on November 19, 2020
Posted by: Frustratiom
from Maine
Length of ownership:6 months
I bought the solar 620 for my poultry barn to help with light in the dark days of winter in Maine. The light system has been great all summer, but this morning when I turned it on, it turned off within a minute with an error message that the temperature was to low. I am well aware this is to protect the battery from freezing but I also have another older system that I was upgrading and that system has always worked no matter the temp. I am upset that biolite doesn't say anything about this issue and now I have spent money on a product that is useless for me. I would not have purchased if I knew they had a temperature safety set and that the system can not be used in the cold. And yes the battery is fully charged and I am still unable to use the light. The onky reason I give it 2 stars ia that if you live in an area that doesn't go below freezing it would work well. The temp this morning was 26 f. I have several months coming up that it wont't go above this...so frustrating.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Does not some with a way to charge the system from a wall outlet when electricity is available. You have to buy a separate charger cord that is not well documented either in the promotional material on the website or in the owner's manual. My intention was to leave the panel/lights up at my cabin and take the main unit/battery home to wall charge in between visits to ensure I have enough power.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
1
solar home 620
on April 30, 2020
Posted by: ryan
from alaska
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
received this as a gift and so i dont have receipt or know where it was bought. out of the box it wouldn't charge. set it aside for awhile then found it again. played with it some more same issues no power to anything and then seen it had a warranty but its too late now. the light and cords are still in the original packaging and wound up. very disappointing....
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, May 6, 2020
Hey Ryan, we're incredibly sorry to hear that your SolarHome 620 isn't functioning properly. If you haven't already, please reach out to our support team here: https://www.bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact. We will help troubleshoot and/or create a warranty claim for you as quickly as possible.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
1
I wanted to love this but I can’t.
on July 26, 2021
Posted by: Bg2958
from Laguna Beach CA
Length of ownership:1 year or longer
Pro- the answer to being off grid, only if you live in a waterproof house and never outside. Con - I have stored this for over a year and when moving, I decided to use it to see if it really worked. It did great until it didn’t.the battery stopped storing and I see rust on the usb input area. If This can’t function outdoors in an earthquake why am I buying it? On the positive side -I love the motion sensor option, I only wish it would turn on all the lights. Because these babies would light up any barn size area like it’s high noon.
I was among the first to buy this, now I’m glad I tested it finally. I really wanted this system to work.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, July 27, 2021
Thanks for the feedback! There are a few simple steps to keep the SolarHome 620 in its best shape. If it's stored away for an extended period of time, we would ask that you charge the battery at least once every six months. Secondly, although the panel is totally waterproof and built to withstand the weather outside (while mounted on your roof, for example), the control box should be kept indoors in a dry area. Our team is here to help with any other questions or concerns, and we'll gladly look into a replacement for you! Just reach out to us here: https://www.bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
5
Hurricane Michael 2018 Emergency Preparedness.
on April 17, 2019
Posted by: ANGEL
Bought the Home 620 a few weeks before Hurricane Michael hit the panhandle of Florida on 10th 2018. We installed it in our home within a few days of receiving it. When we got the hurricane warning, I fully charged it and uninstalled the solar panel so it would not sustain damage. After the hurricane, I reinstalled the solar panel. Our area was without power for over 2 weeks. We had radio, lighting, and phone charging hub. This was an invaluable tech to get us through the emergency, I recommend every home to have one no matter where you live. Very sustainable and versatile system. I would like to see a battery and solar panel expansion in the future, that will make this tech more of a long term off grid application with more options.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Haven't tested this out camping yet but after charging it to full the unit constantly drains slowly each day. Not sure if this is normal as I can't find an answer to it anywhere.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, January 12, 2022
Hi John! This definitely doesn't sound right! Please reach out to our support team at support@bioliteenergy.com. We would love to troubleshoot and/or replace your unit.
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
Customer Rating
1
Dead on arrival
on March 6, 2020
Posted by: Andrew
from Calgary, AB
Length of ownership:1 month
Bought about a month ago and tried charging via solar panel. No luck, so went ahead and ordered the charger. Plugged into base unit, and still no luck! Main base unit has failed. Unable to return and very disappointed with the exceptionally poor quality control and product reliability.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, Support, March 6, 2020
Hi! Thank you for informing us about this issue, and we apologize that you've had this experience. SolarHome 620 problems are rare and as long as it was purchased new, from an authorized seller, your SolarHome 620 is covered by our warranty for 2 years. We will be happy to repair or replace this unit. Please contact our customer support team at support@bioliteenergy.com
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com
I cannot get it to work at all I have had the solar in direct sun for 4 days and the lcd screen isn’t even displaying yet! It flashes the make and model briefly and that’s it. This is a replacement unit as the first one did the same thing. I was so excited and then it arrived and didn’t work they were fast to replace but the second unit is exactly the same not working.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from bioliteenergy.comBy BioLite, CS, May 6, 2020
Hi Kathy, we're incredibly sorry that your SolarHome 620 isn't functioning properly. If you haven't already, please let our support team know: https://www.bioliteenergy.com/pages/contact. We'll work as quickly as possible to get this resolved for you!
Written by a customer while visiting bioliteenergy.com