How to size a power station, what solar panels really produce, and when a generator beats a battery — with the arithmetic shown instead of assumed.
Everything here comes down to one calculation: watt-hours needed versus watt-hours stored. Work out what you actually need to run for 24 hours first, and the shopping decision makes itself.
A free solar energy basics course on how panels, batteries, and solar thermal work, so you buy the right setup. Beginner level, about 1.5 to 3 hours.
A free photovoltaic system course on inverters, mounting, disconnects, and battery storage for a grid-tied setup. Intermediate level, about 3 to 4 hours.
A free solar energy engineering course on solar radiation, measurement, and sun-path calculations. Advanced level, about 4 to 5 hours.
A free solar energy engineering diploma on PV cell construction, system design, and stand-alone versus grid-tied installs. Advanced level, about 10 to 15 hours.
A free wind energy course on turbine design, Betz's limit, and how wind power works. Intermediate level, about 3 to 4 hours, with a certificate.
A free renewable energy fundamentals course on solar, wind, water, biomass, and geothermal power. Beginner level, about 1.5 to 3 hours, with a certificate.
A free sustainable and renewable energy course on solar, wind, bio, thermal, and tidal power and their trade-offs. Beginner level, about 1.5 to 3 hours.
A free renewable energy management course on cost-benefit analysis, grid integration, and comparing solar, wind, and hydro. Beginner, about 1.5 to 3 hours.
A free clean energy diploma covering coal gasification, hydrogen, syngas fuels, and renewables. Intermediate level, about 10 to 15 hours, with a diploma.
A free solar energy diploma on solar radiation, concentrators, and harvesting methods in depth. Advanced level, about 6 to 10 hours.
Sizing walkthroughs, head-to-head comparisons of the major power station brands, solar panel explainers, and honest coverage of generator safety. We use manufacturer specifications and real-world output rather than peak-wattage marketing, and we name the trade-offs, noise, weight, fuel storage, charge times.
The numbers that matter
• Watt-hours (Wh) is capacity; watts (W) is output. A 1,000Wh unit with a 600W inverter cannot start a 1,200W appliance, no matter how full it is.
• Refrigerators average roughly 1–2 kWh per day, which is the single most common sizing question we get.
• Solar panels produce their rating only in ideal conditions. Plan on 70–80% of nameplate, and count sun-hours rather than daylight hours.
• LiFePO4 chemistry runs 3,000+ cycles versus a few hundred for older lithium — the number that decides ten-year cost.
Write down the devices that genuinely must stay on, find their watts, and multiply by hours. That total is your target. Add a folding solar panel once you own the battery, not before — panels are useless without somewhere to put the energy.
Carbon monoxide from fuel generators kills people every storm season. Outdoors only, well away from doors and windows, with a CO alarm inside the house.
Current prices on stations, panels, and generators are on our power and solar deals page.
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These guides are general information. Follow manufacturer instructions and local codes for any product you buy. Some links earn Prepping Bargains a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects what we recommend.
