A solar energy engineer, Julien de Jurquet is Best Batteries' technical reference for everything to do with photovoltaics and storage. Backed by long field experience, he joined the team in 2015, just as the company was broadening its range towards panels and power stations, and brought to it the rigor of a seasoned scientific profile. His signature is found on the site's most demanding solar tests, and on a good share of the blog's in-depth features.
Where others rely on the manufacturer's spec sheet, Julien measures. Real efficiency depending on sunlight, behavior in partial shade, conversion losses, how the cells hold up after several cycles at high temperature: over the years he has built a base of comparative measurements that serves as a reference for the whole team. A power station, he keeps repeating, is not judged by its advertised watt-hours, but by what it actually delivers once plugged into real devices.
His most improbable feat, which the team loves to bring up: a few years ago, Julien took part in installing the solar panels of the Princess Elisabeth polar research station, on the Antarctic continent. It is hard to imagine a more demanding real-world test than a photovoltaic array at minus forty degrees and katabatic winds. Enough to put a simple day of measurements under the Lozère sun into perspective afterwards.
A mountain lover, Julien sets off every summer on treks in the Alps or the Pyrenees, a solar panel strapped to his pack. It has become a team ritual: he is always handed the latest model to arrive, certain he will come back with a detailed report, a few photos, and sometimes a product a little more worn out than when it left.
They are often confused, yet they do not share the same lifespan, weight or safety. Conventional lithium-ion or lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4): this feature breaks down, jargon-free, what really sets them apart, and helps you know which one powers (or should power) your devices.
Published on July 10, 2026 by Julien
A portable power station is not chosen by watt-hours. It is chosen by what you intend to plug into it. Here is the full list of appliances people genuinely run, from a phone charger to a pellet stove, with running watts, startup surge and the runtime you can realistically expect.
Published on July 19, 2026 by Julien
A power station under 300 €, an all-round best seller, a big-capacity mobile unit, or a whole-home backup: here, budget by budget, are the models we genuinely recommend in 2026, tested and compared criterion by criterion.
Published on July 20, 2026 by Julien
Two power stations of around 1,000 Wh, two best sellers, two philosophies. Should you bet on the fast charging and modularity of the EcoFlow Delta 2, or the ruggedness and power of the Bluetti AC180? We put them head to head, criterion by criterion, to help you pick yours.
Published on July 14, 2026 by Julien
A phone that swells, a scooter that bursts into flames, a plane that bans power banks from the hold: behind these images lies one and the same phenomenon, thermal runaway. We explain simply what happens inside a lithium cell that ignites, what triggers it, and above all how to avoid it day to day.
Published on July 16, 2026 by Julien
Recharging your devices, or even a whole power station, from the sun: the dream of self-sufficiency is appealing. But between the power printed on a panel and what it actually produces, the gap can be surprising. As a solar engineer, I will tell you straight what solar charging allows, and what you should not expect from it.
Published on July 6, 2026 by Julien
A panel you plug into a socket to shave money off your bill: balcony solar is booming across Europe, led by Germany and now spreading fast. Price, real savings, registration steps and pitfalls to avoid: here is a clear look at this small self-consumption revolution that even renters can join.
Published on July 16, 2026 by Julien
Updated on July 23, 2026