I have done my research before purchasing any solar related equipment. I have several Lion Energy 1300; 100 Ah batteries that are GREAT for changing out lead acid batteries in the RV. They are light weight, have a battery charge indicator and a BMS reset conveniently located on the battery top. I used one such battery to construct a portable "crate" system with the battery, MPPT Charge Controller, 1500w inverter and LiPo4 battery charger mounted in a milk crate, to use around the property instead of dragging long extension cords for my remote electrical needs. I gave this to my son in law, but missed it dearly. The self construct was cheaper than buying a solar generator and with greater output/cost, but I wanted to replace the crate system, so I went looking. Many Solar Generators on the market advertise their batteries as Lithium Ion. They are, but they are not LiPo4;Lithium Iron Phosphate They are NMC batteries with a much lower life span than LiPo4 AND; many of these solar generator units are not expandable. So when you buy another brand and discover that 1000watts just doesn't meet your needs, you need to buy a completely different system from scratch that IS EXPANDABLE.. I found the 1000 watt ME to be just what I wanted. It uses LiPo4 batteries and has expansion packs, the XP. I picked up a recertified unit, along with 2 of the recertified XP units. They arrived well boxed and in perfect condition. I figure a recertified unit (having the same warranty) just means that it got another quality control check. I was told that these units were open box, from roadshows, likely, not even discharged. Even if they had been cycled for 50 times or so, the LiPo4 batteries will provide so many cycles that it won't matter. I also constructed a cart for portability around the property. Another positive is:if you deplete the ME, you can then plug in the XP, which has double the reserve capacity of the primary ME unit.
The only negatives are pretty nitpicky: The 120v AC plug on the back of the ME doesn't fit neatly into its slot and these units use 24volt solar recharge. It also uses a 30a Anderson connector-not MP4s. Lion's 24v solar panels are "pretty" but pricy. They have handles, back props, cases, but ,....I just picked up some 200watt 24 volt (****) panels - perfect for my needs. I would also prefer that the XP could be charged separately from the ME, but that would require a charge controller, which would equate to more expense. Overall, a very nice, easy to use unit, not too heavy by itself, and well built.