Power station or "solar generator"?
Many products marketed as "solar generators" are portable power stations: a battery, an inverter for AC outlets, USB/DC ports, and a charge controller that accepts solar panels. The battery stores energy — it doesn't generate it. Solar panels (sold separately or bundled) recharge it.
Two numbers that matter
- Watt-hours (Wh) — how much energy the battery holds. This decides how long things run.
- Watts (W) — how much power the station can deliver at once (continuous) and briefly (surge). This decides what you can plug in.
Our calculators use transparent math you can check, and they label every number as your input, a manufacturer specification, a planning assumption, or a calculated estimate. Results are estimates — real performance depends on temperature, battery age, solar conditions and the specific product.
Using a fuel generator instead?
See the Generator Runtime Calculator, the Generator Sizing Calculator, or the verified generator database.