A "solar generator" is a portable power station (a battery with a built-in inverter) that you can recharge from solar panels as well as a wall outlet. For home backup it keeps your essentials running through an outage quietly, indoors and without fuel. This guide shows how to size one for your home, then compares four popular models on their published specifications. We have not lab-tested these units; the comparison uses manufacturer and retailer spec sheets checked in October 2026.
Step 1: Work out what you need to power
List the things you want running during an outage, how many watts each draws, and for how many hours a day. Watts × hours = watt-hours (Wh). Here is a typical essentials list:
| Appliance | Typical running watts | Hours a day | Energy a day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 100–200 W (cycles on and off) | 24 | about 1,500 Wh |
| Wi-Fi router and modem | 15 W | 24 | 360 Wh |
| LED lights (4 bulbs) | 40 W | 5 | 200 Wh |
| Phones and a laptop | 60 W | 3 | 180 Wh |
| CPAP (without humidifier) | 40 W | 8 | 320 Wh |
| Total | about 2,560 Wh a day |
Your fridge's real figure is on its yellow EnergyGuide label: divide the annual kWh by 365. A CPAP with a heated humidifier can use two to three times more.
Step 2: Turn that into a battery size and inverter size
- Capacity (Wh): daily energy × days of backup ÷ 0.85 (inverter losses). For the list above, one day needs about 3,000 Wh; two days about 6,000 Wh.
- Continuous output (W): the most you will run at the same moment, plus 20% headroom. The list above rarely exceeds 400 W.
- Surge output (W): motors (fridges, pumps, compressors) draw two to three times their running watts for a second when they start. The surge rating must cover the largest of these.
Step 3: Plan how you will recharge it
Solar recharge time ≈ battery capacity ÷ (panel watts × about 0.75). The 0.75 allows for heat, angle, cable and charging losses. A 1,000 Wh unit with a single 200 W panel needs about 6.7 hours of full sun, which in practice is one to two days. To refill a 3,600 Wh unit in one good day (about 5 peak sun hours), you need roughly 1,000 W of panels, and the unit must accept that much solar input.
Four popular units compared on specifications
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | EcoFlow DELTA 2 | EcoFlow DELTA Pro | Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 1,070 Wh | 1,024 Wh | 3,600 Wh | 3,584 Wh |
| Chemistry | LFP | LFP | LFP | LFP |
| Continuous / surge | 1,500 W / 3,000 W | 1,800 W / 2,700 W | 3,600 W / 7,200 W | 3,600 W / 7,200 W |
| Rated cycles | 4,000 to 70% | 3,000 to 80% | 3,500 to 80% | 6,000 to 70% |
| Max solar input | check listing | 500 W | 1,600 W | check listing |
| Expandable | No | Yes, to about 3 kWh | Yes, to 10.8 kWh | Yes, with extra battery packs |
| Weight | 23.8 lb | about 27 lb | about 99 lb | about 77 lb (wheeled) |
| Fits | Fridge + internet for most of a day; easy to carry | Same size class, can grow later | Two-plus days of essentials, heavy loads | Two-plus days of essentials, wheels, 240 V outlet |
Against the 2,560 Wh-a-day essentials list, the two 1 kWh units cover about 8 to 9 hours; the two 3.6 kWh units cover a little over a day each, longer with solar charging or a lighter load.
See our side-by-side comparison of the EcoFlow DELTA Pro and Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro for more detail on the larger class.
What else to check before you buy
- Pure sine wave inverter: needed for fridges, CPAP machines and electronics. All four above have one.
- UPS or pass-through mode: lets the unit sit between the wall and a device (router, CPAP) and take over automatically in an outage. Check the switch-over time.
- 240 V output: only needed for 240 V well pumps or appliances; most power stations are 120 V only.
- Warranty and support: look for at least 3 years and read recent support reviews, not just product reviews.
- Safety listing: UL or ETL certification for the US, UKCA/CE for the UK and EU.
Solar generator or gas generator?
A power station is silent, safe indoors and needs no fuel, which suits short and medium outages and apartments. A gas or propane generator delivers more power for longer and suits long outages, central air or several large loads, but it must run outdoors, away from windows, because of carbon monoxide. Many households combine a small power station for overnight essentials with a generator for long outages.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a solar generator run a fridge?
Divide the unit's capacity × 0.85 by your fridge's daily use. A typical fridge uses about 1.5 kWh a day, so a 1,000 Wh unit runs it for roughly 13 to 14 hours and a 3,600 Wh unit for about two days.
Do I need a transfer switch?
Not if you plug appliances straight into the unit. To power hard-wired circuits (a furnace blower, a well pump), you need a transfer switch or the manufacturer's home panel, installed by a licensed electrician. Never backfeed your house through a wall outlet.
Can I add more batteries later?
Only on models designed for it. In the table above, the DELTA 2, DELTA Pro and HomePower 3600 Plus accept extra batteries; the Explorer 1000 v2 does not.
Is LFP better than other lithium batteries?
For home backup, usually yes. LFP is rated for more charge cycles and is more thermally stable than NMC, at the cost of a little extra weight.
Sources
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2: Notebookcheck, Mr Solar.
- EcoFlow DELTA 2: EcoFlow data sheet.
- EcoFlow DELTA Pro: Adorama spec sheet.
- Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus: Mr Solar spec sheet.
Specifications checked October 21, 2026, and can change between production runs and regions. Confirm current figures with the manufacturer before you buy.
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