Winter is right around the corner, and if you live somewhere with harsh winter weather, that probably means a few lengthy power outages are coming with it.
Every year ice storms, high winds, and overloaded power grids leave thousands of people without electricity for hours or even days at a time. And while the idea of building a backup power system can be intimidating, there’s never been a better time to prepare. With plenty of options for affordable backup batteries and solar power stations, investing in backup power couldnt be easier.
We personally have plenty of firsthand experience dealing with these types of winter outages. During last year’s ice storm, we went five days without power, surviving entirely with an EcoFlow DELTA Pro and a small gas generator. It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked.
To help you stay prepared for similar situations, we’re breaking down what size power station you actually need for different power outages, ranging from one day to three days. All of our recommendations are based on the results of our own real testing, as well as real power consumption data that includes idle rates.
Whether you’re looking for home backup power to keep your fridge, lights, Wi-Fi, and furnace running, or just enough to stay comfortable and connected for a few hours, this guide will help you figure out exactly what kind of system will fit your needs.
When we talk about home backup for power outages, we’re not talking about running your entire house like it’s a normal day. When the grid is down, you’re not going to be powering the oven, air conditioner, or something like an EV charger. Instead, we’re talking about the essentials, which we believe should include the following:
You can even toss in a small TV if you’re going to be without power for a few days. With basic home backup and emergency power, the goal is simple: stay comfortable, stay connected, and stay safe.
One thing we don’t see many people mention when they’re talking about backup power or how long a power station can run is idle consumption. In reality, every portable power station uses some power just to stay on.
Even when it’s not running anything, your power station is still burning through stored energy to keep its systems active. From the display screen and Bluetooth to running the inverter so the outlets are ready to go when you plug something in, there’s a lot of power being used behind the scenes.
Even gas generators and car engines do the same thing, as they need to burn fuel while idling, even if you aren’t using that power.
While a lot of people ignore idle consumption, it’s very important to take it into consideration when calculating your battery capacity, especially when preparing for a power outage or emergency. If you don’t, you might end up thinking your battery will last two days, only for it to die halfway through the first.
That’s why all the recommendations below will include idle consumption rates that are based on our own testing. We want you to have a realistic idea of what you can expect your backup system to do.
Let’s run through a typical daily power budget for an average homeowner running the basics during a power outage:
That brings us to roughly 5,220Wh per day (or 5.22 kWh). You’ll also want an inverter that can handle about a 3,000W output, since several of these appliances might run at the same time.
If you’re curious where we pulled these numbers from, we actually put together a guide that explains it all. While the guide uses a fridge as the main example, it’s a good starting point for anyone interested in how much power appliances use: How Much Power Does a Fridge Use?
For other appliances, you can also check the ENERGY STAR rating, which is usually displayed in the form of a sticker placed somewhere on the appliance.
For a short outage (around 24 hours), you would need around 5.2 kWh of usable power to run the above-mentioned appliances and devices. While your exact needs will vary, and not every person is going to need to run things like a CPAP, we think roughly 5,000Wh is a good battery capacity to aim for.
With that in mind, here are our recommendations for the best power stations to deal with this type of outage:
We’ll start with our budget power station recommendation: the Pecron E3600LFP Dual Voltage Bundle, which includes two E3600LFP power stations and a 240V Hub that allows you to connect them together for 120V and 240V outputs.
We’ve reviewed this Pecron E3600 bundle in the past, and we still think it might be one of the best deals in portable power. Here’s what this package gives you:
After accounting for idle drain, you’d lose about 1.8 kWh daily. If you were to add one Pecron EP3000 Expansion Battery, which adds another 3,072Wh of power storage, your total battery capacity jumps to 9,216Wh. This is more than enough for a full day of backup power, even with idling.
At a total cost of around $3,151 (with our discount code), it’s one of the most affordable complete home backup power systems you can buy. The expansion batteries are also a steal at just $699 each, making it super easy to expand your setup even more in the future.
If you prefer something newer and from a more well-established brand, we’d recommend going for the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 and one DELTA Pro 3 Smart Extra Battery.
Here’s what that setup would deliver:
At about $3,419, you’re paying slightly more for a smaller inverter, but it’s a more advanced system overall. It also works seamlessly with the EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2, which lets you integrate the system directly into your home’s electrical circuits.
This exact setup is similar to what we used during last year’s storm, and that EcoFlow power station didn’t miss a beat. If you’re unsure if you want to go with the budget option or the more “name brand” power station, we actually put together a guide that compares them: Pecron E3600 vs. EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3
When you double the duration of the outage, you also need to double the amount of stored power you have available. For the power requirements we outlined above, that means you’d need roughly 10,440Wh of battery capacity, and that does not account for idle drain. Here's what we'd recommend:
For a two-day power outage, we’d still recommend going with that bundle that gives you two Pecron E3600 units and the 240V Hub, but you’d want to add three expansion batteries.
Doing so would mean that you’d have a combined battery capacity of 15,362Wh of capacity, which would be enough to handle the roughly 14,000Wh of total power requirements you’d have over 48 hours.
Even after accounting for idle consumption, this setup will easily carry you through:
That’s some serious output and storage power, especially given how affordable this setup would be. We know that $4,500 doesn’t seem like a bargain price, but for a system that can get you through a multi-day power outage, it’s very reasonable.
If you want to go with a more mainstream, name-brand system that's backed by better customer support, we’d say to look at the Anker SOLIX F3800 with three expansion batteries. While the DELTA Pro 3 is a really solid power station, we just think an expanded Anker F3800 would probably be the better option for a two-day outage.
With the Anker SOLIX F3800 Power Station and three BP3800 Expansion Batteries, you’d get the following:
At around $5,223 for the power station and batteries, it’s a pricier setup, but you get the option to add some really practical accessories, like the Anker SOLIX Home Power Panel.
Plus, we’ve mystery-shopped Anker in the past, and their customer support team has consistently proven itself to be the best in the industry. Whenever you’re investing your hard-earned money into a high-capacity backup power system, reliable after-purchase support is incredibly important.
If you want to make sure that you’re prepared for a three-day outage, you’ll need about 15,660Wh of usable energy.
While you could always top up any of the options listed above with a gas generator or solar panels, this isn't always practical for everyone. Luckily, there are options available to those who do not want to be reliant on charging their power station during the outage itself, including the following:
We know, it’s getting repetitive, but you just can’t beat this Pecron system for the price. Two Pecron E3600 power stations plus five expansion batteries would give you:
That’s enough to run all of those essential loads for three full days. Again, you could pretty much run them indefinitely if you paired this system with a small gas generator or solar panels by recharging them during the outage, but you wouldn't have to over a three-day period.
If you’re ready to step up from portable power stations to a dedicated home backup battery system, you could build a much more powerful system.
For a three-day outage, we’d probably recommend pairing an EG4 12,000XP Inverter with a pair of EG4 Indoor WallMount Batteries. This setup would give you the following:
This EG4 system would be able to do it all. You could enjoy full off-grid power if you paired it with solar panels, but you'd still have lasting home backup power if you didn’t. You could even start peak shaving to save some money, which means you’d charge the batteries at night with cheaper AC power, and then use that stored power during the day to avoid high daytime utility rates.
Unlike the portable power stations we recommended, this setup would not be portable, but it’s as close as you’ll get to a whole-home backup generator without burning fuel.
If you’re unsure where to start with this stuff, Signature Solar actually sells all of the components you’d need as a pre-assembled backup power solar kit.
When it comes to backup batteries for homes, you’ve got two clear paths: go with an expanded power station setup, or a more permanent solar power system. Amongst those options, here’s what we feel would be the best options for most people:
Each has its place, so it depends on how long you expect your outages to last, how much you want to spend, and whether or not you need your equipment to be portable. Honestly, you can’t really go wrong with any of those options.
No matter which you choose, you’ll be ready for the next outage!
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