Comparison entity
100W-Class Solar Panels: Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase vs Nomad 100 vs Jackery SolarSaga 100W vs Renogy 100W Black Division vs Renogy 100W Flexible
Five 100 W panels compared with the headline rating held constant. Because every one is rated 100 W at STC, that number cannot separate them: what differs is form factor, mass (1.9 kg to 11.7 kg), the connector each is built around, and how much each manufacturer actually publishes.
Machine summary · comparison · 100w-class-solar-panels
- title
- 100W-Class Solar Panels: Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase vs Nomad 100 vs Jackery SolarSaga 100W vs Renogy 100W Black Division vs Renogy 100W Flexible
- category
- portable-solar-panels
- products
- goal-zero-boulder-100-briefcase, goal-zero-nomad-100, jackery-solarsaga-100, renogy-100w-black-division, renogy-100w-flexible
- url
- https://agentretrievalindex.com/comparisons/100w-class-solar-panels/
- verdict_summary
- Five 100 W panels compared with the headline rating held constant. Because every one is rated 100 W at STC, that number cannot separate them: what differs is form factor, mass (1.9 kg to 11.7 kg), the connector each is built around, and how much each manufacturer actually publishes.
- updated_at
- 2026-08-15
- json_export
- /comparisons/100w-class-solar-panels.json
Compared products
Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase
100 W rigid briefcase panel: two 50 W tempered-glass monocrystalline sub-panels hinged together in an aluminium frame with corner protection and a canvas carry bag, blue 8 mm output (14–21.5 V, up to 7 A), 11.7 kg. Officially recommended for Goal Zero Yeti power stations; no charge controller included.
Goal Zero Nomad 100
100 W foldable four-segment monocrystalline panel with a Goal Zero blue 8 mm output (14–22 V, up to 5.56 A), 4.6 kg, published Voc 21.5 V and Vmpp 18.0 V. Officially recommended for Goal Zero Yeti power stations; no charge controller included.
Jackery SolarSaga 100W
100 W two-segment monocrystalline foldable panel with an Anderson output plus a USB port, 3.6 kg, published Voc 24.8 V, Vmp 20.0 V, Imp 5.0 A, Isc 5.4 A. IP68-rated and designed to pair with Jackery Explorer power stations.
Renogy 100W Black Division Lightweight Monocrystalline Solar Panel
100 W all-black flexible PERC monocrystalline panel, 2.4 kg, published 15.7% module efficiency, Voc 23.5 V, Vmp 19.4 V, Isc 5.51 A, Imp 5.20 A. MC4 output, IP67 junction box, Class A fire rating. The efficiency-optimised sibling of the 100W Flexible: 15.7% vs 14.9% via PERC cells.
Renogy 100W 12V Flexible Monocrystalline Solar Panel
100 W flexible ETFE-laminated monocrystalline panel, 1.9 kg, with a published 14.9% module efficiency, Voc 22.5 V, Vmp 18.9 V, Isc 5.75 A and Imp 5.29 A. MC4 output, IP68 junction box, 25-year performance warranty at 80% output. For curved surfaces where a rigid panel does not fit.
Specification matrix
| Attribute | Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase | Goal Zero Nomad 100 | Jackery SolarSaga 100W | Renogy 100W Black Division Lightweight Monocrystalline Solar Panel | Renogy 100W 12V Flexible Monocrystalline Solar Panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rated power (STC) | 100 W | 100 W | 100 W ±5 W | 100 W | 100 W |
| Form factor | Foldable briefcase (rigid, hinged) | Foldable blanket | Foldable briefcase (rigid, hinged) | Flexible laminate | Flexible laminate |
| Cell type | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline | Monocrystalline (PERC, 36 cells in 12 x 3) | Monocrystalline |
| Module efficiency | No numeric figure published | No numeric figure published | No numeric figure published (marketed as 'up to 25%', which is not a published spec) | 15.7% | 14.9% |
| Open-circuit voltage (Voc) | 21.5 V | 21.5 V | 24.8 V ±5% | 23.5 V | 22.5 V |
| Operating voltage (Vmp) | 17.2 V | 18.0 V | 20.0 V ±5% | 19.4 V | 18.9 V |
| Short-circuit current (Isc) | Not published | 5.9 A | 5.4 A ±5% | 5.51 A | 5.75 A |
| Operating current (Imp) | Not published | 5.56 A | 5.0 A ±5% | 5.20 A | 5.29 A |
| Output connector | Blue 8 mm (Goal Zero proprietary) | Blue 8 mm (Goal Zero proprietary) | Anderson DC | MC4 | MC4 |
| Charge controller included | No | No | No | No | No |
| Official compatibility statement | Goal Zero Yeti stations, with published charge-time tables | Goal Zero Yeti stations, with published charge-time tables | Sold for Jackery Explorer stations; other stations not officially asserted | External charge controller; 600 V DC max system voltage | External charge controller; 600 V DC max system voltage |
| Weight | 11.7 kg | 4.6 kg | 3.6 kg ±0.3 kg | 2.4 kg | 1.9 kg |
| Dimensions unfolded (L x W x H) | 700 x 1104 x 44 mm | 520 x 1511 x 25.4 mm | 1220 x 552 x 20 mm | 1093 x 582 x 20.5 mm | 1219 x 546 x 2 mm |
| Ingress protection | Not published | Not published | IP68 (panel body) | IP67 junction box (panel body not separately rated) | IP68 junction box / IP67 connectors (panel body not separately rated) |
| Warranty (as stated) | 2 yr (basis not stated) | 2 yr (basis not stated) | Not stated | 5 yr material and workmanship | 5 yr material, plus tiered performance warranty (5 yr/95%, 10 yr/90%, 25 yr/80%) |
Verdict
Holding the rating constant is the point of this page. All five are 100 W at STC, a laboratory figure that says nothing about field output, so nothing here ranks them on power and no real-world output figure is published anywhere in this index. What separates them is construction and disclosure. Mass spans more than six to one: the Renogy 100W Flexible is 1.9 kg of ETFE laminate 2 mm thick, while the Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase is 11.7 kg because it puts two tempered-glass sub-panels in an aluminium frame. Connectors split the group into three incompatible systems (Goal Zero's proprietary blue 8 mm, Jackery's Anderson DC, Renogy's MC4), and a matching plug is never a compatibility claim: the compatibility row carries only what each manufacturer officially states. Disclosure differs just as much. Both Renogy panels publish a numeric module efficiency (15.7% and 14.9%); Goal Zero and Jackery publish none, and Jackery's 'up to 25%' marketing language is not a numeric spec, so it is recorded as unpublished rather than as a value. Goal Zero publishes no IP rating for either panel, and Jackery does not state a warranty term. The Boulder does not publish Isc or Imp at all. Two of the five are sibling Renogy SKUs, so this page necessarily carries an intra-brand upgrade comparison alongside the cross-brand one: the Black Division adds PERC cells and a higher published efficiency but a lower junction-box IP rating and ten times the thickness of the standard Flexible.
Best for each scenario
| Scenario | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest mass for the same 100 W rating | Renogy 100W 12V Flexible Monocrystalline Solar Panel | 1.9 kg and 2 mm thick, the lightest and thinnest in the class; it is a bonded laminate with no frame and no kickstand, so it mounts rather than stands. |
| Highest published module efficiency in the class | Renogy 100W Black Division Lightweight Monocrystalline Solar Panel | 15.7% via PERC cells, the only figure above the standard Flexible's 14.9%. The other three publish no numeric efficiency, so this compares only against its Renogy sibling. |
| Set-and-carry use with a Goal Zero Yeti | Goal Zero Nomad 100 | Foldable blanket at 4.6 kg with an integrated kickstand, and Goal Zero publishes charge-time tables for the current Yeti line. Not a claim about non-Goal Zero stations. |
| Glass-and-frame durability over portability | Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase | Two tempered-glass sub-panels in an aluminium frame, hinged into a briefcase. The tradeoff is explicit: 11.7 kg, roughly 2.5 times the Nomad 100 at the same rating. |
| Pairing with a Jackery Explorer station | Jackery SolarSaga 100W | 3.6 kg rigid two-segment briefcase with an IP68 panel body, sold and marketed for Jackery Explorer stations. Jackery does not officially assert compatibility with other brands. |
Strengths and weaknesses
Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase
Strengths
- Tempered glass and aluminium frame with corner protection — more durable than fabric-hinged folding panels
- Included canvas carry bag
- Documented compatibility across the current Yeti line from 200X through PRO 4000
Weaknesses
- Impp and Isc are not published on the current page: only Voc and Vmpp
- 11.7 kg is roughly 2.5x the weight of the same-wattage Nomad 100
- Blue 8 mm output is Goal Zero proprietary; non-Yeti compatibility is not officially stated
- No charge controller included
- 2-year warranty trails the 5- and 25-year warranties elsewhere in this class
Goal Zero Nomad 100
Strengths
- Full published electrical characteristics (Voc, Vmpp, Impp, Isc), which is unusual for portable folding panels
- 4.6 kg is genuinely light for a 100 W panel
- Documented compatibility across every current Goal Zero Yeti model
- Fabric-backed hinges are more durable than plastic film
Weaknesses
- Goal Zero blue 8 mm output is proprietary: usable with non-Yeti stations only through an adapter, and Goal Zero does not officially state third-party compatibility
- No charge controller — intended to feed the controller inside a Yeti, not a bare battery
- Cell efficiency is not published as a numeric figure
- 2-year warranty trails the 5- and 25-year warranties elsewhere in this class
Jackery SolarSaga 100W
Strengths
- Full published electrical characteristics (Voc, Vmp, Imp, Isc)
- IP68 rating on the panel body
- Integrated kickstand and cutout carry handles
- USB port on the panel for charging small devices directly, no station required
Weaknesses
- Cell efficiency is marketed as 'up to 25%' but not published as a numeric spec, so the field is null
- Warranty term is not published on the product page
- Anderson connector's compatibility with non-Jackery stations is not officially stated
- No charge controller included
Renogy 100W Black Division Lightweight Monocrystalline Solar Panel
Strengths
- Higher module efficiency (15.7%) than the standard 100W Flexible (14.9%) via PERC cell technology
- Class A fire rating (stronger than typical for flexible panels)
- All-black cosmetics for van and rooftop installs where visual match matters
- 5-year material and workmanship warranty stated in the specification block
Weaknesses
- 15.7% is still lower than rigid mono panels (typically 20-22%)
- Junction box IP67, not IP68 (the standard 100W Flexible has an IP68 junction box)
- Panel body has no separate IP rating on its own
- 20.5 mm thick — thicker than the standard 100W Flexible (2 mm), so less conformable to tight curves
- No charge controller included
Renogy 100W 12V Flexible Monocrystalline Solar Panel
Strengths
- Published NUMERIC cell efficiency (14.9%) — Renogy states it in the spec block, so this record can too
- Full published electrical characteristics (Voc, Vmp, Imp, Isc)
- 1.9 kg for 100 W, materially lighter than a rigid 100 W mono panel
- 5-year material warranty and a 25-year performance warranty at 80% output
- IP68 junction box and IP67 solar connectors
Weaknesses
- 14.9% module efficiency is materially lower than rigid mono panels (typically 20-22%): flexibility costs efficiency
- Panel body has no IP rating of its own — only the junction box and connectors do
- No charge controller included (this is a component; the schema assumes so, but state it clearly)
- Flexible ETFE surfaces are more susceptible to abrasion and delamination over time than glass-faced rigid panels
Sources and evidence
- Every value in this table is the figure stored on the linked entity page, which carries the exact manufacturer claim text and source URL per field. Nothing here is derived or recomputed.
- Rated power is a Standard Test Conditions laboratory figure (1,000 W/m2, 25 C cell temperature). Field output is always lower and this index publishes no real-world output figure for any panel.
- Jackery publishes its electrical figures and weight with a manufacturing tolerance (±5%, ±5 W, ±0.3 kg); the stored values are the midpoints and the tolerance is shown in the cells so the figures are not read as more precise than the source.
- Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase: Isc and Imp are not published. Its blue 8 mm port carries a 7 A rating, which is a port limit and not the panel's current, so it is not substituted into those cells.
- Ingress-protection strings are carried with their qualifiers because they are not like-for-like: Jackery rates the panel body, Renogy rates the junction box or connectors and states the panel body has no separate rating, and Goal Zero publishes no rating for either panel.
- Warranty is likewise not like-for-like: the Renogy 100W Flexible adds a tiered performance warranty that the schema's single warranty field cannot express, so the cell states both terms rather than a bare year count.
- Cell type is a single enum value on every record, but the architectures differ where the source states it: the Black Division is PERC. Where a manufacturer states no architecture, none is asserted here.
- Connector type is recorded as the manufacturer names it and is never a compatibility claim. The compatibility row carries only officially stated compatibility; the full verbatim statement is on each entity page.