Maximize The Solar Input By Connecting More Goal Zero Boulder/Nomad Solar Panels To A Yeti Power Station
Goal Zero is a popular power station and solar panel brand from Utah. Its products can be found in stores and campgrounds all over North America.
The Boulder solar panels come in two different sizes, 100 and 200 watts. The more portable Nomad panels come in three sizes: 50, 100, and 200.
Related Product: Expand the battery capacity of your Yeti X power station with the Goal Zero 4.8kWh Yeti Tank Expansion Kit (click to view on Amazon)
The question is, how many can you connect to the different Yeti power stations?
In this article, we are going to take a look at the power stations Goal Zero are currently selling and answer the question above.
Before we get to that, let’s talk a little bit about the difference between the Boulder 100/200, the Nomad panels, and how to combine several panels.
Boulder 100/200 and Nomad 50/100/200 – The differences
Watts
The most obvious difference is the wattage, the Boulder 100 is made up of two 50W panels. The larger Boulder 200 is made up of two 100W panels.
That means that the Boulder 200 will charge a Yeti battery twice as fast, right? Well, yes if it’s compatible and the charge controller in the Yeti can use all of the produced electricity to charge the battery.
The Nomad panels come in 50, 100, and 200 watts. All of these are made up of several smaller panels.
Connector
The Boulder 100, Nomad 50 and Nomad 100 use 8mm connectors, while the Boulder 200 and Nomad 200 have a High Power Port connector (more known as an Anderson Power Pole connector).
The High Power Port can only be found on the Yeti 1000X and larger, not on the 200X and 500X.
You can still connect a Boulder 200/Nomad 200 to a 200X and 500X, but then you have to buy the Goal Zero HPP to 8mm solar panel adapter (click to view on Amazon).
Why the differences matter
The difference that matters is which connector the panel has, because that’s going to be important when you combine two or more panels.
How to combine two or more Boulder/Nomad solar panels
Combining two or more panels is done with a Goal Zero combiner cable.
There are two versions, one for panels with 8mm connectors and one for panels with HPP outputs.
Here is the version you need if you have Boulder 100/Nomad 50/100 panels: Goal Zero 8mm to HPP 4X Combiner cable (click to view on Amazon)
Here is the version you need if you have Boulder 200/Nomad 200 panels: Goal Zero HPP to HPP 4X Combiner cable (click to view on Amazon)
Note that while the inputs differ on the two, the output is the same, a High Power Port connector.
As I mention above, you can still connect a connector like this to the smaller Yeti 200X and 500X, but you’re going to need the the Goal Zero HPP to 8mm solar panel adapter (click to view on Amazon) to do so.
One important thing about the HPP to 8mm adapter is the 14A limit. The Boulder 200 outputs up to 14A, so you should not connect more than 200W of solar panels if you’re going to use the Goal Zero HPP to 8mm adapter.
How many Boulder solar panels each Yeti can handle
Since Goal Zero only sells Yeti X models right now, they’re the only ones I am going to list here.
Goal Zero has a lot of older models as well, and if you would like to get information about a specific model please leave a comment and I’ll try to help you.
Yeti 200X
One Boulder/Nomad 100.
Or two Nomad 50 with a Goal Zero 8mm to HPP 4X Combiner cable (click to view on Amazon) and the Goal Zero HPP to 8mm solar panel adapter (click to view on Amazon)
Yeti 500X
Two Boulder/Nomad 100.
Or one Boulder/Nomad 200 with the Goal Zero HPP to 8mm solar panel adapter (click to view on Amazon).
Or four Nomad 50 with a Goal Zero 8mm to HPP 4X Combiner cable (click to view on Amazon) and the Goal Zero HPP to 8mm solar panel adapter (click to view on Amazon).
Yeti 1000X/1500X/3000X/6000X
Four Boulder 100.
Or four Boulder 200W.
Or four Nomad 50 with a Goal Zero 8mm to HPP 4X Combiner cable (click to view on Amazon) and the Goal Zero HPP to 8mm solar panel adapter (click to view on Amazon).
Can’t combine two different types.
If you go with four Boulder 100 you’ll need the Goal Zero 8mm to HPP 4X Combiner cable (click to view on Amazon).
For four Boulder 200, you need the Goal Zero HPP to HPP 4X Combiner cable (click to view on Amazon).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use more than one input at a time on the Yeti power stations?
If you have an older non-X model, the answer is yes. However, on the latest Yeti X power stations (like the 1000X) you can only use one at a time.
Can I buy the optional MPPT expansion module to be able to connect more panels?
No, the MPPT expansion module is not compatible with the latest Yeti X models.
Can I connect Jackery solar panels to the Goal Zero combiner and/or Yeti power stations?
In theory, yes. The connectors might not fit perfectly, but they both do use the 8mm connector. Can’t promise though since I haven’t tried.
Please leave a comment down below if you have any questions.