Best Solar Generators

1. How We Picked

A solar generator is not a different machine from a power station. It is a power station, which is a battery, an inverter and a charge controller in one case, sold together with folding solar panels that can refill it. The marketing term hides the only question that matters: how quickly can the sun put back what you took out? That is why this list is ranked differently from our best portable power station roundup. There, AC charge speed, output and portability lead. Here, solar input watts, the voltage window of the built-in charge controller, and whether the battery can grow for home backup matter most.

We judged every kit on four things. First, the ratio of maximum solar input to battery capacity. A 2,000Wh battery that only accepts 200W of solar needs ten hours of perfect sun to refill, which in practice means three days. A ratio of roughly one watt of input for every two watt-hours of storage is where a kit starts to refill within a single day. Second, the charge controller's voltage and amp limits, because they decide which panels, and how many, you can wire together.

Third, expandability. Many buyers start with a camping-sized kit and later want it to carry a refrigerator through a storm. Kits that accept extra batteries, link to a second unit, or connect to a transfer switch get credit. Fourth, battery chemistry. Every kit here uses LiFePO4, because a solar generator is cycled far more often than a backup battery that sits on a shelf waiting for an outage.

We did not reward bundled panel wattage for its own sake. Several kits ship with a single 200W panel attached to a station that can accept two or three times that, and we say so in each review. The panel in the box is a starting point; the input limit is the ceiling you will grow into. If you already own a station and only need panels, go straight to our best portable solar panel guide instead.

2. The Solar Maths: Panels, Sun Hours and Charge Time

Every solar generator box shows a charge time, and nearly all of them assume full rated panel output, a panel aimed perfectly at a midday sun, and a cool, clear day. Real portable panels lying on a lawn or propped on a kickstand usually deliver 60 to 80 percent of their rated watts. Heat reduces output, a slightly wrong angle reduces it more, and a thin cloud can halve it. Plan around 70 percent and you will rarely be disappointed.

The second number is peak sun hours, which is the number of hours per day equivalent to full-strength sunlight. Across most of the continental United States it runs from about 4 to 6 in summer and 2 to 3 in winter, with the desert Southwest higher and the Pacific Northwest lower. A day with sunlight from 7am to 7pm might still only deliver five peak sun hours, because morning and evening sun is weak.

Put the two together and the estimate is simple. Daily solar energy is roughly the rated panel watts, times peak sun hours, times 0.7. A single 200W panel on a five-sun-hour day yields about 700Wh. Two 200W panels yield about 1,400Wh. A 400W array refills a 1kWh station in one summer day with some to spare; a single 200W panel needs most of two days. For a step-by-step walkthrough of cables and settings, see how to charge a portable power station with solar.

Charge time works the same way in reverse. Divide the battery's capacity by the real-world panel output. A 2,048Wh battery fed by 800W of panels at 70 percent, roughly 560W, needs about 3.7 hours of peak sun. The same battery on a single 200W panel needs nearly 15 hours of peak sun, which is three days. That gap is why we care so much about input limits and why a second panel is usually the best upgrade a kit owner can make.

3. Our 7 Top Picks

Each pick below is a power station sold with, or designed around, folding solar panels. We ranked them on solar input relative to battery size, charge controller limits, expandability and value, rather than raw capacity. Specifications come from the manufacturers; real-world solar figures assume 70 percent of rated panel output. Where a kit ships with fewer panels than the station can use, we say how many more you should budget for. Prices move constantly, so we describe tiers rather than quoting numbers.

1

EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max + 400W Solar Panel

2,048Wh LiFePO4, 2,400W Output, 1,000W Solar Input

Best Overall

4.6 (2,400 ratings on Amazon)

The reason the DELTA 2 Max leads a solar generator list, rather than a plain power station list, is the ratio of solar input to battery size. It stores 2,048Wh and accepts up to 1,000W of solar through two separate XT60 inputs rated at 500W each. That ratio, roughly half the battery per peak-sun hour at nameplate, is what lets a real array refill it between sunrise and late afternoon instead of across two or three days. Each input takes 11 to 60 volts at up to 15 amps, which means EcoFlow's own 400W panel, with an open-circuit voltage of about 48V, plugs straight in with headroom for cold mornings. Add a second 400W panel to the other input and, on a clear summer day, realistic output of 550 to 650 watts is achievable, which is the difference between a solar kit that tops up and one that genuinely replaces wall charging. The pack is LiFePO4, which matters more here than on a grab-and-go station, because a solar generator is cycled every day it is in use. For home backup, two DELTA 2 Max extra batteries take it to about 6kWh. The honest drawbacks are bulk and cost. The unit alone is around 50 pounds, and the 400W panel is a large sail once unfolded. If you only need to keep phones and a CPAP running, this is more than you need.

Pros

• 1,000W of solar input across two independent 500W XT60 inputs, enough to refill 2kWh in a single good day
• 11-60V, 15A window per input accepts the 48V Voc EcoFlow 400W panel directly with no series gymnastics
• Expands to about 6kWh with up to two DELTA 2 Max extra batteries
• LiFePO4 pack built for daily solar cycling rather than occasional emergency use
• 2,400W output runs a fridge, microwave and well-behaved power tools on the same circuit

Cons

• Roughly 50 lb before you add panels, so this is a wheel-it-to-the-porch kit, not a hike-in kit
• The 400W panel is large and heavy once unfolded; a gusty day demands tie-downs

The Bottom Line

The best balance of solar input, capacity and expandability for anyone who wants the sun to do most of the recharging.

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2

Jackery Solar Generator 1000 v2

1,070Wh LiFePO4, 1,500W Output, 400W Solar Input

Best Starter Kit

4.6 (4,000 ratings on Amazon)

Jackery's kit is the easiest first solar generator to recommend, because the panel, connector and station were designed together and there is nothing to work out. The Explorer 1000 v2 stores 1,070Wh in a LiFePO4 pack rated for 4,000 cycles to 70 percent, puts out 1,500W continuous with a 3,000W surge, and weighs about 23.8 pounds, which is light enough to carry to a campsite without a cart. The SolarSaga panels use Jackery's DC8020 connector, so there are no MC4 adapters to buy and no voltage window to check. The number to understand before buying is the 400W solar ceiling. With the single 200W panel in the standard kit, real-world output on a good day is typically 120 to 160 watts, which means 7 to 9 hours of strong sun to refill the battery from empty. In practice that is most of two days, or one long summer day if you start early and track the sun. Adding a second 200W panel roughly halves that time and is the upgrade we would make first. The limits are expansion and ceiling. This model does not accept Jackery's expansion packs, and 400W of input is modest next to the DELTA 2 Max. For a weekend of camping, a CPAP, or keeping a fridge alive through a one-day outage, that is plenty.

Pros

• Sold as a matched kit with a SolarSaga 200W panel, so connectors and voltages simply work
• About 23.8 lb, light enough to carry to a campsite in one hand
• LiFePO4 pack rated for 4,000 cycles to 70 percent capacity
• 1,500W continuous and 3,000W surge covers a fridge, a coffee maker or a small microwave
• Emergency AC charge mode reaches full in about an hour when the grid is available

Cons

• Solar input tops out at 400W, so one 200W panel needs most of two sunny days for a full refill
• Not expandable; the 1000 Plus battery packs do not fit this model

The Bottom Line

The simplest way into solar backup. Buy it knowing that a second panel is the upgrade that makes it a real solar generator.

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3

Bluetti AC200L Solar Generator with PV200 Panels

2,048Wh LiFePO4, 2,400W Output, 1,200W Solar Input

Widest Solar Voltage Window

4.5 (1,100 ratings on Amazon)

Most portable stations cap solar input at 60 volts, which forces you to wire panels in parallel and fight amp limits. The AC200L accepts 12 to 145 volts at up to 15 amps, for a maximum of 1,200W, and that wider window is the reason it earns a place on a solar list. In practice it means you can string three or four portable panels in series, run a long, thin cable from a sunny corner of the yard, and still stay inside the limit on a cold morning. The standard kit pairs it with two Bluetti PV200 panels, each with an open-circuit voltage of about 26V, which in series gives roughly 52V at the input. That is a comfortable start, but it is only 400W of rated panel on a 1,200W input, so buyers who want same-day refills should budget for more panels. The battery is a 2,048Wh LiFePO4 pack rated for 3,000 cycles, output is 2,400W continuous, and expansion batteries take it to about 7.6kWh, which covers a fridge, freezer and lights for a couple of days if the sun cooperates. What you give up is weight. At about 62 pounds it is heavier than the DELTA 2 Max, and the kit panels are a starting point rather than the full potential of the unit.

Pros

• 1,200W solar input with a 12-145V window, so several panels can run in series on long cable runs
• 2,048Wh LiFePO4 pack rated for 3,000+ cycles to 80 percent
• 2,400W continuous output with a Turbo Boost mode for resistive loads up to 3,600W
• Expands to about 7.6kWh with Bluetti B300 or B230 batteries
• Sold in kits with two PV200 panels, a sensible starting array

Cons

• About 62 lb, heavier than the DELTA 2 Max for the same capacity
• Two PV200 panels deliver only a third of what the input can accept, so the kit undersells the unit

The Bottom Line

The station that tolerates the most panel configurations. Best for buyers who plan to grow a real array over time.

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4

Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus

2,043Wh LiFePO4, 3,000W Output, 1,400W Solar Input

Best Expandable

4.6 (1,500 ratings on Amazon)

The 2000 Plus is Jackery's answer to the question every solar generator buyer eventually asks: what happens when this is not enough? It starts at 2,043Wh with 3,000W of continuous output, then scales to 24kWh with add-on battery packs and a second unit linked in parallel, at which point combined output reaches 6,000W. That growth path is the reason to choose it over a larger fixed unit. You can buy the base kit now, add a battery pack before hurricane season, and add a second unit later without stranding any hardware. Solar input is 1,400W across two DC8020 inputs, and Jackery quotes about two hours to full with six SolarSaga 200W panels in bright sun. Realistically, expect nearer three to four hours of peak sun, because six panels will rarely all sit at an ideal angle. Even so, that is enough to run a fridge, lights and a router through the day and bank the surplus for the night, which is what a home solar generator is supposed to do. The chemistry is LiFePO4, rated for 4,000 cycles to 70 percent. The caution is physical. The base unit weighs about 61.5 pounds, each battery pack adds more, and a six-panel array takes real space to lay out and store.

Pros

• 1,400W solar input across two DC8020 inputs; Jackery quotes about 2 hours to full with six 200W panels
• Expands from 2kWh up to 24kWh with battery packs and a second unit in parallel
• 3,000W continuous output, and two linked units reach 6,000W
• LiFePO4 rated for 4,000 cycles to 70 percent capacity
• Five AC outlets including a 25A outlet for heavier loads

Cons

• About 61.5 lb for the base unit, and each battery pack adds more
• Six panels to use the full solar input is a lot of hardware to deploy and store

The Bottom Line

The kit to buy if you want to start at 2kWh and grow into genuine multi-day home backup without changing platforms.

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5

EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 + 400W Solar Panels

4,096Wh LiFePO4, 4,000W Output, 2,600W Solar Input

Best for Whole-Home Backup

4.5 (400 ratings on Amazon)

The DELTA Pro 3 sits at the boundary between a portable solar generator and a permanent home battery, and it is priced and built accordingly. It stores 4,096Wh, delivers 4,000W continuous, and can supply 240V loads, which puts well pumps and some central air handlers within reach when it is connected through a transfer switch. The solar side is what sets it apart. There are two separate inputs: a high-voltage input accepting 30 to 150 volts for up to 1,600W, and a low-voltage input taking 11 to 60 volts for up to 1,000W. Together that is 2,600W of solar charging, and the high-voltage input lets you string three or four 400W portable panels in series with a long cable run. With a full array in good sun, a same-day refill of the entire 4kWh pack is realistic, and with extra batteries the system grows to about 12kWh per unit. This is the only kit on our list that we would consider for a household that wants to ride out a multi-day outage on solar alone, provided loads are managed. The drawbacks are obvious. At roughly 113 pounds it rolls rather than carries, and the unit plus a serious array costs as much as a basic installed home battery. If you do not need 240V, a DELTA 2 Max with an extra battery is better value.

Pros

• 2,600W solar input split into a 1,600W high-voltage input (30-150V) and a 1,000W low-voltage input (11-60V)
• 4,096Wh LiFePO4 pack rated for 4,000 cycles to 80 percent
• 4,000W continuous output with 120V and 240V capability for home circuits
• Expands to about 12kWh with extra batteries, and further across multiple units
• Wheels and a telescoping handle make the weight manageable on flat ground

Cons

• About 113 lb, so it is portable only in the sense that it rolls
• Premium price, and the solar array needed to exploit it adds substantially more

The Bottom Line

The closest a portable unit gets to a home battery. Worth it only if you will actually connect it to a transfer switch and a large array.

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6

Anker SOLIX C1000 Solar Generator

1,056Wh LiFePO4, 1,800W Output, 600W Solar Input

Best Compact

4.6 (5,000 ratings on Amazon)

The SOLIX C1000 earns its place on a solar list for one number: 600W of solar input on a 1,056Wh battery. That is a higher input-to-capacity ratio than the Jackery 1000 v2, and it means two 200W panels, or a single 400W panel with the right voltage, can refill it in a single good day rather than two. The input accepts up to 60 volts through an XT60 connector, and Anker's MC4-to-XT60 cable means most third-party portable panels work without hunting for adapters. It is also compact for a 1kWh LiFePO4 unit at around 28 pounds, and it refills from a wall outlet in under an hour, which pairs well with solar in an outage: you top it up fast whenever the grid flickers back, then let the panels carry the load through the day. Expansion is limited to one BP1000 battery, for a total of about 2.1kWh. The 60V ceiling is the practical limit to watch. Two 100W panels in series are fine, but pairing two higher-voltage panels in series can exceed it, and some 400W folding panels have an open-circuit voltage close to 60V on their own, which leaves no margin on a frosty morning. Check the panel label before you buy, and prefer parallel wiring if in doubt.

Pros

• 600W solar input, unusually high for a 1kWh-class station
• Refills from the wall in under an hour, useful when grid power returns briefly
• Compact footprint for a 1,056Wh LiFePO4 unit
• Expands to about 2.1kWh with one BP1000 battery
• Standard XT60 input accepts most MC4 panels through a common adapter

Cons

• The 60V input ceiling rules out series pairs of high-voltage panels
• Expansion stops at one extra battery, so it will never be a whole-home system

The Bottom Line

The fastest-refilling 1kWh solar generator here, and the best choice if storage space is tight.

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7

Bluetti AC180 Solar Generator with PV200

1,152Wh LiFePO4, 1,800W Output, 500W Solar Input

Best Budget Kit

4.5 (2,800 ratings on Amazon)

The AC180 kit is the budget choice because it gives you a real 1kWh-class LiFePO4 battery, a 1,800W inverter and 500W of solar input for noticeably less than the Jackery and Anker bundles. The 1,152Wh pack is slightly larger than both, and the 500W input sits between them, which makes a two-panel array the natural target. With the single PV200 in the kit, expect 130 to 160 watts of real output on a clear day, which is 7 to 9 hours of strong sun for a full charge from empty. A second PV200 roughly halves that. The PV200 is a sensible bundled panel: about 16 pounds, a 26V open-circuit voltage that pairs comfortably in series within the station's limit, and cell efficiency Bluetti quotes up to 23.4 percent. Power Lifting mode lets resistive loads like kettles and hair dryers run up to 2,700W by reducing voltage, which is fine for heating elements but not for anything with a motor or a sensitive power supply. Turbo AC charging takes it to 80 percent in about 45 minutes. The trade-offs are weight and growth. At about 37 pounds it is heavier than the Jackery 1000 v2, and there is no expansion battery, so if home backup is the long-term plan, the AC200L or a Jackery 2000 Plus is the better foundation.

Pros

• Full 1kWh-class LiFePO4 solar kit at a lower price than the big-brand bundles
• 500W solar input; Bluetti quotes a full charge in about 3 hours of strong sun at maximum input
• 1,800W output with a 2,700W Power Lifting mode for resistive loads
• Turbo AC charging reaches 80 percent in about 45 minutes
• Kit includes a PV200 panel with a modest 26V open-circuit voltage

Cons

• About 37 lb, noticeably heavier than the Jackery 1000 v2
• Not expandable, and the single included panel covers only 40 percent of the solar input

The Bottom Line

The most battery and solar input for the money. A sensible first kit if you accept a bit more weight.

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4. MPPT Limits: Watts, Volts and Amps

Inside every station is an MPPT charge controller, short for maximum power point tracking. It constantly adjusts the load on the panels to pull the most power they can give, then converts that power into the voltage the battery needs. It is why modern stations charge efficiently from panels, and it has three limits printed in the spec sheet: maximum watts, a voltage window, and maximum amps. You need to respect all three.

Maximum watts is the easiest. Connect more panel wattage than the input accepts and the controller simply caps it, which is called clipping. That is harmless and often sensible, because an oversized array still delivers the full input on hazy days or at low sun angles. The voltage window is the one that can cause damage. Exceed the maximum and the controller may shut down or fail. Fall below the minimum and it will not start charging at all.

Amps are the limit people forget. Power is volts times amps, so a 60V, 15A input can only reach its full rating if the panels supply enough voltage. Two 200W panels wired in parallel at about 18 to 20 volts want over 20 amps; a 15A limit clips them to around 270 to 300 watts. Wire the same two panels in series and the voltage doubles while the current halves, so the full 400W gets through. On most 60V stations, series wiring of two low-voltage panels is the better choice.

Cold weather complicates the voltage side. A panel's open-circuit voltage, labelled Voc, rises as temperature falls, by roughly 10 percent between a mild afternoon and a freezing dawn. Two panels with a 24V Voc in series read about 48V on a warm day and can creep past 53V on a frosty one. That still fits a 60V input, but three would not. The high-voltage inputs on the Bluetti AC200L and EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 exist precisely to make long series strings safe.

5. How Much Solar Do You Actually Need?

Size a solar generator from the daily energy you use, not from the biggest appliance you own. Start by listing what must run and for how long. A modern refrigerator typically uses 1 to 2kWh per day. A CPAP without a heated humidifier uses around 300 to 500Wh per night. A router and modem draw 15 to 25 watts continuously, or about 0.5kWh per day. Lights, phones and a laptop add a few hundred watt-hours. Our guide to what size portable power station you need has a full worksheet.

Once you have a daily total, size the battery to cover at least one night plus a cloudy day, and size the panels to replace one day's use in average sun. For a household that wants a fridge, a router and some lights through an outage, a realistic target is around 2kWh of daily use. That needs a 2kWh battery at minimum and roughly 600W of panels in five-sun-hour weather. Push the panels toward 800W and a single cloudy day no longer drains you.

For camping, the arithmetic is kinder. A weekend of phone charging, lights, a laptop and a 12V fridge often totals 500 to 800Wh per day. A 1kWh station with 200W to 400W of panels handles that indefinitely in summer. This is where kits like the Jackery 1000 v2 and Anker SOLIX C1000 make sense, and where paying for a 2kWh unit mostly buys weight.

Do not forget the inverter overhead. A station running its AC outlets consumes a little power itself, often 10 to 30 watts, even with a light load. Over 24 hours that can add 0.3 to 0.7kWh. If most of your devices run on USB or 12V, use those outputs directly; it can extend runtime more than an extra panel would. Where it is possible, turn the AC inverter off overnight.

6. Expandability and Home Backup

If the long-term plan is home backup, expansion capability matters more than anything on the day-one spec sheet. The kits here fall into three tiers. The Jackery 1000 v2 and Bluetti AC180 are fixed: what you buy is what you have. The Anker SOLIX C1000 accepts one extra battery. The DELTA 2 Max, AC200L, Jackery 2000 Plus and DELTA Pro 3 are platforms that grow to 6kWh and beyond, and the bigger two can link units for more output.

Capacity is only half of home backup. The other half is getting power into the house safely. Running extension cords to a fridge and a lamp works for short outages. For anything longer, a transfer switch or a manufacturer-approved transfer panel lets the station feed selected circuits directly, including hard-wired loads like a furnace blower. Never backfeed a household outlet; it is illegal, it can electrocute line workers, and it can damage the station when grid power returns.

Solar changes the home-backup maths in your favour, but it does not change the physics of big loads. A well pump, an electric water heater or central air conditioning needs high output, often 240V, and a large battery. Only the DELTA Pro 3 on this list is built for that, and even then you will be managing loads carefully. For a permanent installation with automatic switchover, a fixed battery is often better value; see our best home battery backup systems.

It is also worth being honest about where a gas generator still wins. A 2kWh solar generator holds roughly the energy in a fifth of a gallon of gasoline. In a week of winter storms with little sun, a fuel generator keeps running while a solar generator does not. The solar kit wins on silence, indoor safety and zero fuel storage, and for most short outages that is the better trade. Our comparison of a portable power station vs generator covers the decision in detail.

7. Battery Chemistry and Lifespan

A solar generator is cycled far more often than an emergency-only power station. If you use it daily at a cabin, in a van, or to shave evening grid use, that can mean 300 cycles a year. Older NMC lithium packs were typically rated for 500 to 800 cycles before dropping to 80 percent capacity, which is two or three years of that kind of use. LiFePO4 packs are commonly rated for 3,000 to 4,000 cycles, which is closer to a decade.

Every kit on this list uses LiFePO4, and that is deliberate. It is heavier per watt-hour, which is why 2kWh-class units weigh 50 to 62 pounds, but it is more tolerant of heat and more thermally stable, which matters for a battery that may sit in a sunny window or a hot garage. Our explainer on LiFePO4 vs lithium-ion power stations covers the chemistry in more depth.

Read cycle ratings carefully, because manufacturers use different endpoints. Jackery quotes 4,000 cycles to 70 percent capacity. EcoFlow quotes 4,000 cycles to 80 percent for the DELTA Pro 3, and Bluetti quotes 3,000 cycles to 80 percent for the AC200L. The 80 percent figure is the more demanding test, so a smaller number there is not necessarily worse than a larger number to 70 percent.

Temperature is the other limit. Most LiFePO4 stations will not charge below freezing, typically cutting off around 32°F, to protect the cells. On a cold winter morning your panels may be producing power that the station refuses to accept until it warms up. If you plan to use solar in winter, store the station somewhere above freezing and run the panel cable outside, rather than leaving the whole kit out in the cold.

8. Bundle or Build Your Own?

Buying a kit has real advantages. The connectors match, the voltages are known to be safe, and support will not blame a third-party panel if something goes wrong. Jackery's DC8020 connector, for example, makes its SolarSaga panels plug-and-play on its stations, while third-party panels need an adapter. For a first-time buyer who wants no surprises, that is worth something.

The case for building your own is flexibility and price. Most stations accept panels from other brands through a standard MC4 connector and an adapter cable to XT60, DC7909 or DC8020. A higher-wattage panel, or a bifacial panel that collects reflected light from its back face, can outperform the one in the bundle. Our best portable solar panel guide ranks panels by real output, weight and fold size, and flags which connectors each one uses.

If you build your own, check three things before buying. The panel's Voc, including cold-weather headroom, must sit inside the station's window. Its current must not exceed the input's amp limit if you wire in parallel. And the connector must either match or have a readily available adapter. Get those right and a mixed-brand setup works just as well as a matched kit.

One more consideration is the bundle discount itself. Kits are often priced below the sum of the station and panel sold separately, but only if you wanted that exact panel. Buying a kit with a 100W panel you will soon outgrow, and then buying two 200W panels anyway, can end up costing more than buying the station alone plus the panels you actually need.

9. Winter, Weather and Real-World Output

Solar generator output swings with the seasons more than most buyers expect. In a northern state, a panel that delivers 700Wh on a June day might deliver 250Wh on a December day, because the sun is lower, the days are shorter, and the light passes through more atmosphere. If your main reason for buying is winter storm backup, size the panels for winter sun hours, not the summer figures in most marketing.

Panel angle matters more in winter too. In summer, a panel lying flat on the ground captures much of what is available. In winter, with a low sun, tilting the panel steeply toward the south can make a large difference in output. Most folding panels have kickstands with fixed angles; a few rocks or a fence can improve on them. Re-aim the panels two or three times a day if you are home, and you will noticeably improve your daily total.

Heat is the summer penalty. Panels lose efficiency as they warm up, so a panel on a hot, dark surface can deliver 10 to 15 percent less than the same panel on a cool, breezy day. Prop panels up so air flows behind them, and keep the station itself in the shade. Stations reduce charging speed when their own internal temperature climbs, so a station baking in the sun charges more slowly than one sitting in the shade.

Shade is the biggest single loss. Cells in a panel are wired in series, so a shadow over a small part of the surface can cut output by far more than its area suggests. A branch, a railing or the edge of a roof can halve a panel's contribution. Before committing to a spot, watch it for an hour and move the panels as the shadows move. A slightly worse angle in full sun beats a perfect angle in partial shade every time.