Size a portable solar generator or power station for a set of loads.
Portable power stations must satisfy two independent requirements: energy capacity for the day’s consumption and inverter rating for the peak simultaneous load. Either can be the binding constraint. Solar input must be large enough to replace a day’s consumption within available sun hours, or the unit steadily depletes across a trip.
Solar Generator Sizing
Battery Wh = daily Wh × autonomy ÷ usable fraction; inverter W = peak load × 1.25
Battery Wh = daily Wh × autonomy ÷ usable fraction; inverter W = peak load × 1.25 Portable power stations must satisfy two independent requirements: energy capacity for the day’s consumption and inverter rating for the peak simultaneous load. Either can be the binding constraint.
Solar input must be large enough to replace a day’s consumption within available sun hours, or the unit steadily depletes across a trip.
This calculator takes 5 inputs: Daily energy needed, Peak simultaneous load, Days without solar, Usable capacity, Solar panel input. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.