Frequently Asked Questions
from the solar-direct blue ocean…
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When will the VS3000™ Control Center be generally available?
Our first production run is underway, and general availability is scheduled for April 2025. In January 2024, Vroom Solar announced a significant new, market-driven set of enhancements that will now be included in its initial production run of the revolutionary Vroom Solar 3000™ Control Center. These new capabilities, including our newest patent-pending tech, The Vroom Forecaster, expand the potential use cases of our VS3000™ far beyond mobile trailer applications, spawning a new company logo to reinforce Vroom Solar as the company that lets you “Plug Into the Sun… Anywhere”.
Vroom Solar only sells the VS3000™ through Authorized Dealers. Find an Authorized Dealer nearest to you on the main menu under Authorized Dealers.
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How can I attach a battery, a generator, or even the grid to function as a back-up to the Vroom Solar 3000™ Control Center?
it’s easy! The Vroom Solar 3000 is your personal solar power management station with a fully integrated Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) which allows a UPS battery, generator, or even the grid to power the Vroom Solar AC outlets if solar energy is not enough to sustain loads connected (or at night). And a simple color-coded light system tells you when you are running on solar and when you’ve switched to an AC input backup source.
Click below to see how to attach the utility grid to the VS3000™ integrated AC Input port. The AC Input port makes it easy to use different power sources as backup, but always keeping solar as primary.
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How is Vroom Solar like a tankless water heater?
“Vroom Solar, the “tankless water heater” of the solar industry”??? Yep, you heard right. Our patent pending solar-direct Smart Solar Management system delivers power on demand, just as a tankless water heater delivers hot water on demand. Neither requires a storage component. With Vroom Solar, you use solar power on-site, on your trailer, anywhere… without the requirement of a battery.
Our Control Center has four AC outlets and an industry-first “solar fuel gage”, a simple power output light bar coordinated with available DC input wattage. One key difference between a tankless water heater and the Vroom Solar VS3000 Control Center: you have to request hot water (by turning a faucet), but our Smart Solar Management system, coupled with our new integrated ATS, delivers power instantly and automatically, where it is needed, in the most efficient and accurate way possible.
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What is the expected peak and sustainable AC power output on a day with full sun and (4) panels?
A standard (4)-panel configuration will generate 1680-1740 watts of solar depending on the solar module rating. 8-panel kits will generate up to 3,000 watts AC power output. The VS3000 Control Center can generate up to 3,000 watts AC output but can handle up to 5000-6000 watts DC input. If someone wants to double their power input with another 1680-1740 watts after setting up a (4)-panel system, additional solar panels can be added to a 4-panel Vroom Solar system.
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What do I need to set up a complete Vroom Solar solar-direct, personal power station?
(4) 395-watt (rated 385-420 watts), bifacial Solar Panels
A roof racking system for attachment to remote farm buildings and shelters, sheds, carports, etc. or a Powerfield PowerRack PV Solar Ground-Mount System | (5) tubs (model dependent) or the Vroom Rack™, an adjustable trailer racking system for mobile applications
Patent-Pending Vroom Solar 3000 Control Center™ (inverter), with (4) standard 110-volt AC outlets and ancillary wiring
51" (or 1.3 meters) Plug & Play cables for attaching solar panel output to the Inverter (These must be 1500 volt-rated wire and UV protective coating for outdoor use.).
2 friends, 2 tools, 2 hours (not responsible for lollygagging!)
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What can I expect on cloudy days? Does this solar system have some way to store or produce energy for a little while when it clouds over?
The short answer is “yes” to producing energy when it clouds over. How does this happen? Efficiency. Using the power produced on-site (solar-direct) first is the most efficient because there is less energy lost through conversion and transmission across multiple lines or inverters and batteries. Our patent-pending technology converts solar directly to usable power. Other solar power systems need a battery to even produce power. The VS3000 is up to 98% efficient in converting sunlight to usable AC power – no battery or grid needed (but optional as backup power) to produce power instantly, making it the most efficient technology available on the market today.
Bottom line: During a period of heavy cloud cover, the Vroom Solar system will produce approx. 20% of maximum rated output. This increases to around 40-50% in light cloud cover.
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Why not pair with a storage device of some kind, especially for home or permanent fixed use (farm, business, campground, etc) where power is needed at night?
We feel like it’s a better solution to give the end-user the option to have a battery if wanted, and if so, whatever kind fits their needs best.
The difference with Vroom Solar is that a battery is not required to have solar powered energy in the first place. But the VS3000™ also gives you options for backup power when sunlight diminishes... The VS3000™ features a fully integrated Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) which allows a battery, generator, or even the grid to power the Vroom Solar AC outlets if solar energy is not enough to sustain loads connected (or at night).
If you connect a UPS battery for backup power through the AC Input port, the VS3000 Control Center can recharge that battery for the upcoming night or another day without the grid. After all, a battery still needs a power source to recharge.
Vroom Solar gives you freedom to harvest sunlight; then use it instantly or charge batteries for when you need them!
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I've heard that solar can be very complicated to configure and install. How is your product different?
Our products are built to simplify solar, so that professional installation is an option, not a requirement. There is no hardwiring, and no programming during set-up or operation. Simply plug and play with (4) or (8) solar panels and your choice of mounting system. And no moving parts means zero maintenance!
We’ve found that two people with two tools (tape measure and a cordless drill) and two ladders can install the entire system in two hours. (3) hours for the 8-panel kits.
Simply set-up your racking system, attach your Control Unit to a wall or your own stand mount, plug in the supplied cables from the solar panels to the Control Unit, and plug in your devices in the Control Unit’s (4) AC outlets. It’s really Plug & Play simplicity!
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I've heard of inverters that do "pass-through" so you can power direct from solar panels. Would those be competitive to you? There are a lot of inverters on the market and some are very innovative. What is the key differentiating function yours provides?
We are familiar with pass through inverters. Our control center is unique because of how it manages that pass-through power. It does power management for you with several loads. On standard pass-through the entire inverter would just shut down if overloaded or underpowered. Ours will be more durable and plug and play as well for some additional small benefits. We do see these as indirect competitors.
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Do I have to always start with outlet #1?
Let’s say your highest priority item is a laptop computer. Then yes, you would plug it into outlet (1). The Vroom Solar system could also be charging other items on outlets (2) thru (4) as sunlight conditions permit. Once the laptop was fully charged, the patent-pending technology alternates to outlet (2). If sunlight conditions are low, it may only be able to power 1-2 outlets at a time, based on how much draw is on those outlets. Once outlet (2) is charged, the technology switches the power to outlet (3), etc. This process is all managed seamlessly and automatically by our fully integrated Smart Solar Management system. Add an optional AC backup source and the outlet priority becomes moot, since all outlets would then be powered by either solar or the backup input power depending on available sunlight.
To see our patent-pending Load Management technology in action, check out this product demo:
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Which solar panels will work with the VS3000™?
The VS3000™ can operate with most solar panels.
We recommend and sell Crossroads Solar 450w bi-facial panels (pallets only), which are (83.3in x 41.33in x 1.575in). Especially suited for trailers, cargo trucks and shipping containers, these heavy-duty panels have been rigorously tested for high-speed mobile applications. When installed in a roof rack configuration, (4) of these Crossroads Solar panels together are roughly the same size as a sheet of plywood.
The Crossroads 450s are “Made in America” compliant, and should qualify for the 10% Domestic ITC.