Guides
Plain explanations of how power stations and the things that charge them work.
Each guide starts with the short answer, then shows where the numbers come from, so you can work them out for your own setup. The figures are the ones the calculator uses.
How much will a solar panel charge your power station?
A solar panel rarely delivers the watts printed on it. This guide explains how panels make electricity, what raises and lowers their output, and how to work out what a day of sun puts into your battery.
15 min read · Updated
How to Choose a Portable Power Station: The Complete Buying Guide
Three numbers decide which power station fits: how much energy it stores, how much power it delivers at once, and how hard it can push while a motor starts. This guide shows how to work out all three for your own devices, then how to judge the battery, the charging and everything else on the spec sheet.
22 min read · Updated
How to Install a Solar Panel for the Most Power: Direction, Tilt and Shade
Which way a panel faces, how steeply it leans and what shades it decide how much sunlight it turns into power, and the right answers depend on where you are. Pick your spot on the map for its direction, tilt and sun path, then see what matters and what barely does.
12 min read · Updated
How to Choose the Best Power Station for Camping
The best power station for camping is the smallest one that keeps your fridge, lights and devices going until you can recharge it. This guide shows how to size one for your trip, and what to check for weight, solar, cold, rain and campground rules.
14 min read · Updated
Connecting a Portable Power Station to Your Home Electrical Panel: Safety, Overloads and Legal Considerations
Pushing a power station’s output into a wall outlet to run the house can kill a utility worker and destroy the unit. This guide explains why a male-to-male cord is never safe, how a transfer switch or interlock does the job properly, and how to check that a power station can start your fridge, freezer and pumps.
14 min read · Updated
Solar Panel and Portable Power Station Degradation: How Long Does It Really Take for a Battery to Lose 20% of Its Capacity?
A rating of 3,000 cycles to 80% is measured in a lab. This guide shows how heat, a full charge, time, bending, dust and shade wear down power stations and solar panels in real use, how long each really lasts, and how to make yours last longer.
13 min read · Updated
Get the numbers for your own setup.
The guides use typical values. The calculator uses yours.