All guides
Practical sizing guides for portable power stations and solar panels: what they run, how long they last and which is worth the money, new or refurbished.
51 guides
Portable power station buying guides
Best Solar Generators (Portable Power Stations) for Home and Camping
Compare solar generators (portable power stations) by capacity, output, battery chemistry and warranty, with sourced specs from EcoFlow, Jackery and Bluetti.
Solar for Pools and Water: Covers, Pumps and Fountains
Solar Home's guides to solar gear for water: pool covers that hold heat, solar water pumps for wells and gardens, and solar bird bath fountains.
Outdoor Solar: Lights, Lanterns and Gear That Charge Themselves
Solar Home's guides to outdoor solar gear: motion and flood lights, post cap lights and lanterns that charge from their own panel, with no wiring to run.
Portable Power Stations: Sizing, Brands, Backup and Charging
Every Solar Home guide to portable power stations (solar generators): how to size one, home backup, brands, battery types, charging, cost and refurbished units.
Solar Panels for Homes, Balconies and Power Stations
Solar Home's guides to solar panels: plug-in balcony kits and state laws, and how portable panels charge a power station within its solar input limit.
Black Friday Power Station Deals 2026: What to Compare First
Size a portable power station in watt-hours, then compare output, battery type, warranty and seller terms before Black Friday on November 27, 2026.
Solar Bird Bath Fountains: How They Work and What to Look For
How a solar bird bath fountain works, direct-sun vs battery backup pumps, where to place the bath and how often to clean it to keep mosquitoes away.
Solar Generators for Hurricanes and Storms: A Recharge Plan
How to use a solar generator for hurricane and storm outages: what to charge before landfall, what to run first, and how to recharge over several days.
Photo: Sirtrentalot / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0), CC BY 2.0Solar Pool Covers: Do They Work and What Size Do You Need?
How a solar pool cover keeps heat and water in the pool, clear vs blue covers, and how to pick the right size for a round, oval or rectangular pool.
Solar Powered Fans for Greenhouses, Sheds, Coops and Camping
How to pick a solar powered fan: sizing a greenhouse exhaust fan, venting a chicken coop without drafts, and when a fan needs a battery for cloudy hours.
Solar Water Pumps for Wells, Irrigation and Stock Tanks
Which solar water pump suits a well, a garden or a stock tank: submersible vs surface pumps, how much water to plan for, and why tanks beat batteries.
How to Clean Solar Panels Safely, and How Often to Do It
How to clean solar panels on a roof, ground mount, RV or folding kit: soft water, soft brushes, cool glass, what makers ban and when to hire a pro.
Small Solar Panels: What 10 to 100 Watt Panels Can Charge
What a 10, 20, 50 or 100 watt solar panel can charge: phones, 12V batteries, gate openers and trail cameras, with simple sizing math and losses.
Solar Panel Mounts: Roof, Ground, Pole and RV Racking Explained
How to pick a solar panel mount: roof racking, ground mounts, pole mounts, trackers, RV brackets and portable stands, plus tilt and the UL 2703 listing.
Are Solar Attic Fans Worth It? When They Help and When They Hurt
Whether a solar attic fan is worth it: when it cools an attic, why ENERGY STAR warns it can raise cooling bills, the end of the tax credit and what to check.
Are Used Solar Panels Worth Buying? What to Check First
When used solar panels are a good buy: how much output they lose a year (NREL), what to inspect and test, warranty limits, and where secondhand panels fit.
Photo: Steven Lawler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Best Solar Generator for Camping: Tent, Car and RV Sizes
Which solar generator suits tent, car and RV camping: the capacity, weight and solar input each trip needs, with a worked 12 V fridge example.
Can You Use a Solar Generator in an Apartment? What to Know
How a solar generator works in an apartment: indoor safety, charging from a balcony or window, lease rules, battery fire tips and what size fits.
Do Solar Security Cameras Work in Winter and Shade?
When a solar security camera keeps charging in winter and shade: the sun hours Ring and Reolink suggest, the freezing cutoff, and where to put the panel.
How to Power a Shed With Solar: Lights, Power Stations and Kits
Three ways to power a shed with solar: a solar shed light, a power station and folding panel, or a fixed kit, and when to call an electrician.
Photo: David Medcalf / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Solar Flood Lights: How Bright for a Driveway or Yard?
How many lumens a solar flood light needs for a driveway, yard or side path, how run time and dim modes work, and how to aim it without bothering neighbors.
Solar Lanterns for Power Outages: How Bright Is Bright Enough?
Which solar lanterns are bright enough for a power outage: lumens, run time, USB and hand-crank charging, compared on maker specs, and why they beat candles.
Solar Light Batteries: Which Replacements Fit Garden Lights?
How to pick replacement batteries for solar garden lights: match the size, voltage and chemistry on the old cell, NiMH vs NiCd, 3.2V lithium, and no alkalines.
Solar Panel Kits: What's Included and Which Size Fits Your Home
What comes in a solar panel kit, what usually does not, and how to size a kit for a shed, a cabin or home backup power without overbuying.
Solar Post Cap Lights for 4x4, 5x5 and 6x6 Posts: How to Get the Fit
Which solar post cap lights fit 4x4, 5x5 and 6x6 posts: actual post sizes, how cap adapters work, and what to check for wood, vinyl and composite posts.
Solar Power Banks: Can They Charge a Phone From the Sun?
What a solar power bank's small panel can really do: why makers say solar charging takes days, the math behind it, and when a foldable panel works better.
Balcony Solar in the US: Which States Allow Plug-In Solar Panels
Plug-in balcony solar explained: how it works, the 1,200 W limits, which US states allow it (Utah, Maine, Virginia and more) and what to check first.
Solar Generator Gifts for Campers, RVers and Outage Planners
Solar generator gift ideas by interest: campers, RV and van owners, the prepper parent, tailgaters and balcony renters, with what to check before you buy.
How Much Does a Solar Generator Cost? What Drives the Price
What sets solar generator prices: capacity, output, battery chemistry, panels, expansion, home wiring and refurbished options, plus how to compare cost per Wh.
Solar Generator for Home Backup: What It Can and Can't Run
Can a solar generator run a house? Critical loads, EIA home energy use, expandable batteries and transfer switch options for home backup, with the math shown.
Refurbished Solar Generators: Are They Worth It? Warranties Compared
When a refurbished solar generator (portable power station) is a good buy: warranty terms from EcoFlow, Jackery and BLUETTI, and eBay condition labels.
How to size a portable power station
What Size Solar Generator Do I Need? A Worked Sizing Method
Size a solar generator (portable power station) in watt-hours: list your loads, multiply watts by hours, allow for inverter losses, then check output and surge.
Can Solar Power an Air Conditioner? Panels, Batteries, Mini Splits
Can solar panels or a battery run an air conditioner? Running and startup watts for window, portable, mini split and central AC, and the solar setup each needs.
Cost to Install Solar Panels: Price per Watt and What Drives It
Installed home solar cost per watt in Berkeley Lab's 2025 data, why cash and loan prices differ, and how size, soft costs and incentives shape the bill.
How Many Solar Panels Does It Take to Run a House?
Work out how many solar panels your house needs from your yearly kWh, local sun and panel wattage, with EIA usage figures and DOE production benchmarks.
Solar Panels for Solar Generators: How to Match Your Power Station
Which portable solar panel works with your solar generator: match the voltage range, the solar input watts and the connector, and wire panels safely.
What Can a 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery Run? Runtimes Worked Out
A 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery stores about 1,280 Wh. See worked runtimes for a fridge, CPAP, lights and router, its 100 A limit and cold-weather charging rules.
What Size Off-Grid Inverter Does a Solar System Need?
Size an off-grid solar inverter from your loads: continuous watts plus a margin, surge for motors and pumps, battery voltage, and split-phase 240V needs.
What Size RV Solar Panel Kit Do You Need? Sizing and Kit Contents
How to size an RV solar panel kit from your daily watt-hours and sun hours, what a kit includes, and when flexible panels beat rigid ones on a camper roof.
How to Charge a Solar Generator: Wall, Solar and Car Times
How fast a solar generator (portable power station) charges from a wall outlet, solar panels or a car, with each maker's listed times and solar input limits.
What Size Solar Generator Runs a Refrigerator and Freezer?
Size a solar generator for a fridge and freezer using ENERGY STAR data: daily watt-hours, startup surge, run times and how many solar panels it takes.
What Will a 3000 Watt Solar Generator Run? 3000W to 5000W Sizing
What a 3000W, 4000W or 5000W solar generator can run and for how long: watts vs watt-hours, fridge run times from ENERGY STAR data, and the Jackery 3000.
What Can a 1000Wh Solar Generator Run? Runtimes for Common Appliances
Runtimes on a 1000Wh solar generator (portable power station) for a fridge, CPAP, router, LED lights, space heater and microwave, with the math shown.
Power station brands and batteries compared
EcoFlow vs Jackery vs Bluetti vs Anker Solar Generators Compared
EcoFlow vs Jackery vs Bluetti solar generators, plus Anker SOLIX, compared on capacity, output, surge, cycle life, weight, charging and warranty.
Goal Zero Yeti Models Compared: Yeti 300 to Yeti PRO 4000
Every current Goal Zero Yeti power station compared on capacity, output, surge and weight, plus how the older X-series and Yeti 1250 differ.
Grid-Tied vs Off-Grid vs Hybrid Solar: Which System Fits Your Home
Grid-tied, off-grid and hybrid solar compared: batteries, outages, net metering and cost, plus where the federal tax credit stands for 2026.
Jackery Explorer Models Compared: 100 Plus to 5000 Plus
Jackery Explorer power stations compared on capacity, output, surge and weight, from the 100 Plus to the 5000 Plus, with which size fits which job.
Photo: peupleloup / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
MPPT vs PWM Solar Charge Controllers: Which One Do You Need?
MPPT or PWM solar charge controller: how each works, where each fits, how to size amps and voltage, and which suits a small or large panel setup.
Solar Generator vs Gas Generator for a Power Outage
Solar generator or gas generator for an outage? Compare exhaust and indoor use, fuel, runtime, recharging and noise, with CPSC and Ready.gov safety rules.
4Patriots Solar Generator: Patriot Power Specs and Alternatives
4Patriots Patriot Power Generator models compared on the maker's published specs and warranty against EcoFlow, Jackery, BLUETTI and Anker units of similar size.
LiFePO4 vs NMC Solar Generators: Cycle Life, Safety and Weight
LiFePO4 vs NMC batteries in solar generators (portable power stations): cycle life, how long they last, thermal runaway research, weight and battery care.