Lion Energy L-1500 User manual

L-1500 Fuel-Less Generator
User Manual

Trademarks
Lion Energy products are a trademark of Lion Energy. Other
trademarks, registered trademarks and product names are
the property of their respective owners and are used herein for
identification purposes only.
Notice of Copyright
L-1500 Fuel-less Generator User Manual. Copyright ©2015 Lion
Energy. All Rights Reserved.
Exclusions for Documentation
Unless specifically agreed to in writing, Lion Energy:
A. Makes no warranty as to the accuracy, sufficiency or suitability of
any technical or other information provided in its manuals or other
documentation.
B. Assumes no responsibility or liability for losses, damages, costs
or expenses, whether special, direct, indirect, consequential or
coincidental, which might arise out of the use of such information. The
use of any such information will be entirely at the user’s risk.
C. Reminds you that if this manual is presented in any language
other than English, although steps have been taken to maintain the
accuracy of the translation, the accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Approved Lion Energy content is contained within the English
language version which is posted at www.lionenergy.com.
Date and Edition
March 2015, 2nd edition
Contact Information
Telephone: [phone]
Sales and Customer Service: [email protected]
Technical Support and all other issues: [email protected]
Website: http://www.lionenergy.com
Mailing Address:
Lion Energy
825 E 800 N
Orem, Utah 84097
USA
Please feel free to contact us at any time.
2

CONTENTS
5 ABOUT THE L-1500 FUEL-LESS GENERATOR
6 SYMBOLS AND TERMS
7 SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
8 GETTING STARTED
9 UNIT OVERVIEW
15 TROUBLESHOOTING/FAQ
25 ERROR CODE REFERENCE LIST
26 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
28 WARRANTY INFORMATION
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ABOUT THE L-1500 FUEL-LESS GENERATOR
The L-1500 Fuel-less Generator is a smart and seamless solution
that protects you when outages leave you powerless for an extended
period of time. The quiet, portable device is all about practicality and
endurance, lasting up to 2,500 complete life cycles. Other generators
try, but none can match the power of the L-1500 and still offer all of
the following:
Safe:
No emissions — none. Unlike fossil fuel powered generators and
lead-acid batteries, the L-1500 Fuel-less Generator has no carbon
footprint during use, emits no greenhouse gases and causes no
damage to the environment. It’s even safe enough to use indoors.
Quiet:
The protected lithium core produces wattage without the loud,
continuous, sanity-challenging noises of other generator engines.
Renewable:
Powered and replenished by natural resources such as the sun,
wind and water, as well as mechanical devices such as hand cranks
(for more information, contact customer service). Unit retains a full
charge for 1 year.
Portable:
The L-1500 is a relatively small device measuring just over a cubic foot
and weighing only 38 pounds (15.42 kg). That’s small enough to carry
or store just about anywhere. Most generators that offer even less
power surpass this weight by more than triple.
Affordable:
No other generator offers the same quiet power output and device
versatility for the same value.
5

6
SYMBOLS AND TERMS
Important Symbols
The following symbols are used in this guide:
Warnings are conditions and practices that could result
in personal injury.
Cautions are conditions and practices that could result
in damage to the unit or other equipment.
Important Terms
The following terms are helpful for you to know and are used in this guide.
Term Definition
A Ampere or Amp
AC Alternating Current
DC Direct Current
kW Kilowatt; one thousand Watts
LED Light Emitting Diode
mA Milliampere; one thousandth of an ampere
PV Photovoltaic
VAC Volts AC
VDC Volts DC
W Watts
Additional Information
You can find additional information about this product at
www.lionenergy.com.
WARNING
CAUTION
Please feel free to contact us at any time.

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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
This section provides important safety and operating
instructions.
Check with manufacturer of medical devices before
powering any life-support systems or other medical
devices or equipment to ensure it is compatible with the
power supplied by the L-1500 Fuel-less Generator.
Check with tool and/or equipment manufacturer before
powering any of their products to ensure it is compatible
with the power supplied by the L-1500 Fuel-less
Generator.
• Before using your unit, read ALL instructions and information in
this user manual.
• Although intended for indoor use, the L-1500 can be used outdoors
if sheltered. DO NOT expose the unit to rain, snow or extreme
temperature environments. To reduce the risk of fire hazard, DO
NOT cover or obstruct fan vents located on the bottom of the unit.
Provide a minimum of 6 inches of clearance on all sides of the unit
when in use; otherwise, overheating could occur.
• You may simultaneously connect as many as 3 DC loads and 2 AC
loads as desired within the parameters enforced by the limits of
the specific input or output.
• To reduce the risk of electrical shock, disconnect all sources
of AC and DC from the unit before attempting any cleaning or
maintenance or before working on any circuits connected to the
unit. SWITCHING OFF ALL POWER DISCHARGE PORTS WILL NOT
ELIMINATE RISK. TURN OFF MAIN POWER. Do not spray unit with
water or with any cleaner.
• Inspect all power cords before attempting to charge your unit or
connect devices to discharge ports. If cords are frayed, damaged
or questionable, DO NOT connect the device to your unit. Using
such devices increases the risk of fire and electrical shock.
• DO NOT use if your unit has been dropped or damaged in any way. If
damaged, see Contact Information on page 2.
• DO NOT attempt to disassemble the unit. There are NO serviceable
parts, and repairs should ONLY be done by a qualified L-1500
repair technician. Attempting to disassemble the unit voids your
warranty and increases risk of unit shock and personal injury.
WARNING
CAUTION
CAUTION

8
GETTING STARTED
• Thank you for your purchase. The 1500-Watt pure sine wave AC
inverter output in your L-1500 Fuel-less Generator unit makes
it compatible for use with many of today’s high-tech electronic
devices. It also allows appliance motors to operate more efficiently
and at cooler temperatures.
• In order to get the most from your unit, be sure to carefully read
this user manual. Even though your L-1500 unit has many advanced
built-in safety features, it is still important to take some time to
become familiar with the Safety Instructions on Page 7 of this guide
before operation.
• If you still have any questions, please contact our support team.
See Contact Information on page 2.

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UNIT OVERVIEW
You should have received the following items in your L-1500 Fuel-less
Generator kit:
• Unit
• Carrying Strap
• AC wall outlet charging cord
Smart LCD Display
• Press and hold main power button for 3 seconds to turn unit fully on.
• Lightly press the main power button when the unit is powered on to
turn the back light on and off for use during day or night.
• Press and hold the main power button for 3 seconds to power down
the unit and place it in hibernation mode. (Please note: You may still
charge your unit via AC or DC sources while in hibernation mode)
Things to remember:
• When not in use, press and hold main power button for 3 seconds to
make sure the unit is completely off.
• Store unit fully charged and turned off.

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Interface Panel
3
14
85
2
6
7
10 9

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KEY
1. Main Power Button
2. Smart LCD Display
3. AC Charging Input
4. DC Charging Input
5. AC Outlet Button
6. GFCI Reset Button
7. AC Outlets (2)
8. DC Cigarette Outlet
9. DC Anderson Outlet
10. DC USB Outlets (4)

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AC CHARGING
• To charge your unit, plug in the AC cord
that is provided. The LCD display will show
AC:IN, charge level and remaining charge time. Once the unit is fully
charged, the display will read FU:LL (Please note: When the unit is
close to fully charged, the display will flash and read 00:01 for 5 to 20
minutes until all the cells in the unit are balanced and fully charged.)
• If the unit is plugged into an AC outlet at the same time it is being
used to power an AC device, the display will read PA:SS because
the current is being passed through the unit into the AC device.
• Please Note: Your unit can be charged via AC and DC at the same
time for a shorter charge time.
DC CHARGING
• To charge your unit, insert the DC charging
cord that is connected to your charging
source (solar panel, hand crank, windmill etc.). The LCD display will
show DC:IN, charge level and remaining charge time. Once the unit
is fully charged, the display will read FU:LL (Please note: When the
unit is close to fully charged, the display will flash and read 00:01
for 5 to 20 minutes until the cells in the unit are balanced and fully
charged)
WARNING
WARNING
Electrical shock can occur if AC cord is
damaged or frayed. Never use a damaged
or frayed AC cord. Replace with a new cord
before proceeding with AC charging. See
Contact Information on page 2.
Electrical shock can occur if DC cord is
damaged or frayed. Never use a damaged
or frayed DC cord. Replace with a new cord
before proceeding with DC charging. See
Contact Information on page 2.

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AC USAGE OUTLETS
• To use your AC outlets, first turn on the inverter by depressing the
outlet button (A).
• Once on, the outlets will work like normal AC wall outlets in your
home; just plug in the devices you want to run.
• Please note: The outlets are based on a ground-fault circuit
interrupter (GFCI) which means that if there is a power surge
or short, the outlets will trip an internal safety fuse. To reset the
safety fuse, unplug the device you are trying to power, switch off
the inverter by depressing the power button for 3 seconds, then
turn on the inverter by once again depressing the power button
for 3 seconds. Now press the reset button (B) on the GFCI outlet
and wait for the small green light to appear right above the reset
button. You can now commence using your outlet again.
WARNING
Electrical shock can occur
if AC cord is damaged or
frayed. Never use a damaged
or frayed AC cord. Replace
with a new cord before
proceeding with AC usage.
See Contact Information on
page 2.
A B

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DC USAGE OUTLETS
• To use the DC cigarette outlet (C), simply plug in any 12-volt item
that is rated for a maximum of 10 Amps and operate as normal.
• To use the DC Anderson outlets (D) for larger loads up to 15
Amps, simply plug in your devices using the included Anderson
to cigarette outlet adapter and operate as normal. For larger
Anderson loads of up to 20 Amps, plug Anderson poles directly into
Anderson outlets.
Please check with your device manufacturer for proper power
requirements and compatibility. See Contact Information on page 2.
DC USB Outlets
• To use your USB outlets simply plug in the
device you are trying to power and the unit
will automatically configure the amount of
power required to charge/run the device
up to a maximum of 8 cumulative amps
across all 4 ports. Each individual port has
a max output of 3 amps.
WARNING
Electrical shock can occur
if DC cord is damaged or
frayed. Never use a damaged
or frayed DC cord. Replace
with a new cord before
proceeding with DC usage.
See Contact Information on
page 2.
C D

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TROUBLESHOOTING/FAQ
1. My L-1500 Fuel-less Generator won’t turn on.
• The L-1500 is ready to give you power by pressing the metal button
on the left of the LCD display. When the LED ring in the power button
is lit, your L-1500 is on and ready for use.
• The L-1500 may charge with either AC or DC sources while it is
turned off, but you may not use it in pass-through mode or use any
other output while off.
• For the L-1500 to function to its highest ability, it must be charged
after being used and not be abused, misused, or damaged. Please
ensure all of these conditions are met.
• Check for Error Code.
• Should you encounter further trouble please contact our customer
service department.
2. I left my L-1500 Fuel-less Generator plugged into the wall to
trickle charge it and now it won’t accept a charge.
• Your L-1500 should not be trickle-charged. Lithium batteries are
not treated the same as any other battery. You can leave your
L-1500 connected to a wall socket continuously and connected to
solar panels for a day or two to charge it, but it is not recommended
to leave the solar panels connected constantly unless you are using
the unit to continuously power an appliance.
• If you intentionally try to charge your L-1500 beyond the 600W/h
capacity, you will damage it and void your warranty.
• Disconnect the solar charging cable from the L-1500.
• Check the battery status for charge. Turn the unit on and connect
something that you have used with it before to make sure the
battery is supplying power.
• If the L-1500 powers the device, let it continue to run for a while to
partially drain the battery.
• Reconnect the solar charging cable to the L-1500 and check the
LCD display for a “time until charged” status underneath the timer.
• If the L-1500 has the “time until charged” status and a timer
counting down, you have a functioning unit. Let it charge to full,
disconnect it and store it.
• Check for Error Code.

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• If you are not able to see the LCD status change after following the
above steps, please contact our customer service department to
further assist you.
3. I used the L-1500 Fuel-less Generator once, and now it won’t
charge when I plug it into the wall.
• The L-1500 is designed to work for over 2500 full discharge and
charge cycles. If it will not charge when using the AC 120V charging
cord, follow these steps:
-Disconnect the power cable from the unit and wall outlet.
-Inspect the cable for damage to both ends and the cable itself.
-Inspect the L-1500 and the wall outlet for damaged sockets or
disfigurement.
-After ensuring all connections are clean and free of any debris
that may prevent a solid connection, reconnect the L-1500 and
check the LCD display for a charging status.
-Check for Error Code.
-If the L-1500 will not function after following these steps,
contact customer support for further assistance.
4. My L-1500 Fuel-less Generator won’t hold a charge.
• The L-1500 Fuel-less Generator will retain 80% of its 600W/h
capacity after one year of storage. It will not accept a charge if
either of the ports are not connected to a power source with a
compatible cable. It will accept a charge from either an AC 120V or
DC 12V–50V source in their respective input ports.
• The L-1500 has a 12V 50 Amp/h (600W/h) battery and will be able
to provide the full 600W/h to any DC device connected to it. If using
the AC 120V outlet, a portion of the L-1500 battery capacity will be
used to convert the native DC 12V battery power to AC 120V power.
Using one of the most efficient processes available, the L-1500 is
89% efficient when using the AC 120V outlet. This means that the
unit has 530W/h available while using the AC 120V outlets.
• When comparing the time that different devices will function on the
L-1500, remember that all devices consume different amounts of
energy. For example, a newer 60"LED television may consume less
energy than a 42"LCD television manufactured 5 years ago, and
consume much less than a 10"CRT (tube) television manufactured
15 years ago. Always use the actual wattage consumption on the
label of the specific device you are using to measure the life of that
device on the battery of the L-1500.

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• A wattmeter may be used to more precisely measure the power
consumption/draw of any AC or DC device.
• To know the life of a device with the L-1500 as a power source,
divide the capacity of the L-1500 (600W/h or 530W/h) by the power
consumption of the device (in watts, W) and you will have the time
the device will last in hours (h). Capacity / Consumption = Life of the
device.
-Example: 100W light bulb used in the AC 120V port; 530W/h /
100W = 5.3 Hours. If you were to use a 9W LED bulb with a 100W
equivalency rating, the result would be 58.8 hours.
• To know how long it will take to fully charge the L-1500, use the
same formula arranged: Capacity / Wattage = Hours. (Remember
however that with a hand crank, the slower you crank the less
power you will get.)
-Example: DC 12V 30W hand crank used to fully charge an L-1500
is 600W/h / 30W = 20 hours. (Note: A 30W hand crank puts out
5W-7W during normal use.) If two DC 12V 100W solar panels were
used, it would only take 3-4 hours to fully charge the L-1500.
• Check for Error Code.
• If the L-1500 will not function after following these steps, contact
customer support for further assistance.
5. My L-1500 Fuel-less Generator battery doesn’t last as long as I
thought it would.
• The L-1500 has a capacity of 600W/h, or .6kW/h. While the L-1500
has a very large energy capacity, it is not limitless, and after being
used will need to be recharged.
• Think of the L-1500 as a glass, and energy as water. When you drink
water from the glass, it does not refill itself, but will hold more
water if you refill it. Refer to question 4 above for information
regarding how long a specific device should stay powered.
• To extend the life of your L-1500 battery, consider using more energy-
efficient devices and connecting it to solar panels during use.
6. How do I know when my L-1500 Fuel-less Generator is fully
charged?
• To ensure the L-1500 is fully charged while using the AC 120V charger:
-Turn all other switches and buttons to the off position.
-Insert the end of the cable with 3 prongs into the AC 120V plug

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into the wall, and insert the end of the cable with 3 slots into the
AC 120V charging port on the L-1500.
-The LCD display should read AC IN and show time to full.
-Continue charging the L-1500 for at least 3.5–4.5 hours.
-After 3.5–4.5 hours, the L-1500 will be finished charging and
the LCD display will read 99:99 or 00:00 for time until empty and
time to full, respectively. The battery gauge will also show a full
battery.
• If you remove the cable from the L-1500 while it is charging, you may
need to wait 30 seconds while the L-1500 recalibrates and is ready
to accept a charge again. Charging should resume normally. This
behavior is a safety feature to protect the battery from surges of
power, harsh disconnections, and over/undercharging.
• To ensure the L-1500 is fully charged when using a DC 12V power
source:
-Ensure all switches and buttons are in the off position.
-Connect the power source to one of the L-1500’s DC 12V input
ports (black to black and red to red).
-Know how much current (in Amps or Watts) is being put into
your L-1500 through the 12V port. If you know the input wattage,
divide 600W/h by that number, and you will know how many
hours it should take (with 30% accuracy). If you know the input
amperage, divide 50 A/h by that number and you will know how
many hours it should take the L-1500 to charge (also with 30%
accuracy).
-Let the L-1500 charge for the estimated time. Watch to see the
battery charge status update, and it will give you an estimated
time to charge as well as the battery charge level. The L-1500
has a cutoff built into it that will stop current from flowing to it
after the L-1500 is fully charged.
-Do not attempt to over-charge the L-1500. You cannot over-
charge the L-1500 without damaging the battery and creating
an unsafe environment that may lead to serious injury or
death. Attempting to over-charge the L-1500 also voids your
warranty.
• Some energy sources are more reliable than others. Know the type
of electricity and the current you are putting into your L-1500. For
instance, if you have an L-1500 and two DC 12V 100W solar panels,
you know that when connected to the L-1500 and in direct sunlight,
the panels will give 200 Watts of DC 12V energy to the battery. The

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battery has a capacity of 600W/h (Watt/hours), and so it will take
roughly 3-4 hours of direct sunlight to charge the L-1500. (Note:
The average output of a 100W panel is 70W-75W depending on
weather, making the average charge time closer to 4-5 hours.)
• It is important to note that the L-1500 can be charged by both AC
sources and DC sources at the same time for a faster charge.
7. How do I know when my L-1500 Fuel-less Generator is fully
discharged?
• The L-1500 has an LCD faceplate that will display a time until empty,
a time to full as well as a battery gauge. These will let you know
the status of your battery while charging or discharging. Do not
attempt to over-discharge the L-1500. It will cause damage to the
unit and will void your warranty.
• If you have a device (such as a laptop computer with AC 120V power
cable) connected to the L-1500 while using the device, the battery
drain will be more demanding. To prolong the usable life of your
devices on the battery, turn the laptop computer off while charging
it, and then drain the battery of the laptop computer before
connecting to the L-1500 to recharge (again, while the device is
turned off). Leaving the device on while charging may give the
illusion of less energy used because the battery of your device will
show full charge, but you are in fact using almost twice the energy
that you would if you were to disconnect it from the L-1500.
8. I can’t connect my solar panel to my L-1500 Fuel-less Generator.
• If an L-1500 solar panel was included in your order, the connectors
are Anderson Power Pole Connectors specifically designed to fit in
your L-1500. There are three sets of these connectors to use with
any 12V–50V input. These connectors are small and rectangular
with one side that is red and another side that is black. Always
connect black to black and red to red.
• While the ends of the connectors may appear flat and not able to
connect to a similar connector, they are specially made to slide
together. Simply match up the colors on the input side, and push
them together gently to form a solid connection.
• The solar panel connectors that fit your L-1500 are uniquely
engineered only for Fuel-less Generator products. They look very
similar and fit together easily. If you believe you have a solar panel
with a different connector and will not fit your L-1500, we will be
happy to send you an adapter at no additional cost to you (once
confirmation of a different connector is received).

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• If you did not buy your solar panel from us and would like an adapter
made, we may be able to help, but you will need to pay for any of the
associated costs.
9. My L-1500 Fuel-less Generator won’t charge when I connect my
solar panels to it.
• Solar panels work best when pointed directly at the sun without
obstruction. The solar panel will not produce an adequate charge if it is:
-Not pointed toward the sun
-Placed behind a window (80% to 95% less efficient depending on
window type)
-Used indoors
-Positioned in shade
-Not connected to the L-1500 directly or with an approved
extension cable
-Used with an unapproved or excessively long extension cable
• The optimum position of the solar panel is slightly angled to the
south (if living in the Northern Hemisphere) at noon in an open
area. The panel will produce less power at times further from noon,
or angles that are not axially tangent to the relative path of the Sun.
• Solar panels will produce little to no power if they are placed in a
shaded area, behind a window, or next to a sun-obstructing object.
Remember, shadows move, so an object that is next to the solar
panel may not create a shadow during one time of the day, but may
produce a shadow for some or all of the rest of the day.
• Solar panels will produce little to no power if placed vertically or
facing down.
10. I can’t connect all three of my solar panels to my L-1500 Fuel-
less Generator at the same time.
• The L-1500 is designed to accommodate three solar panels with
identical connectors. If using Anderson Power Pole Connectors
(rectangular red and black connectors), there may be dust covers
that need to be pulled back to connect three panels. If you have
different connectors on the panels we have sent you, please
contact customer service to have an adapter mailed to you.