Comparison tables: power stations & solar panels
Verified specs, August 15, 2026 — capacity, output, chemistry, recharge time, weight, and ballpark price tiers, side by side. Product links are paid Amazon links (disclosure); prices are volatile, so the button shows the live price.
Verdict
For most Florida homes, a 1,000–2,000Wh LiFePO4 power station covers a multi-day outage for the fridge, fans, phones, and a CPAP — a gas generator is only worth adding if you need to run a well pump or central air conditioning.
Portable power stations
Listings checked August 15, 2026 — we show a ballpark tier rather than a number ($ budget, $$ mid-range, $$$ premium); the buttons show the live price, which is the price that counts.
| Model | Capacity | AC Output (cont. / surge) | Chemistry | AC Recharge | Weight | Price tier | Best for |
|---|
| Jackery Explorer 300 | 292 Wh | 300 W / 600 W | LiFePO4 | ~2 hrs | 8.3 lb | $ · budget | Phones, laptops, CPAP top-ups, go-bag |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | 1024 Wh | 1800 W / 3600 W | LFP, 4,000 cycles | 56 min @1500W | ~28 lb | $$ · mid-range | Fridge + fans + devices, multi-day; expandable to 5 kWh |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | 1024 Wh | 2000 W / 3000 W | LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles | 49 min @1600W | ~25 lb | $$ · mid-range | Best 1kWh value; 10 ms UPS mode |
| Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 | 2048 Wh | 2400 W / 4000 W | LiFePO4 | 58 min to full | ~60 lb | $$ · mid-range | Best value per watt-hour here; whole-weekend fridge/freezer |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 4096 Wh | 4000 W / 8000 W, 120/240V | LFP | ~50 min to 80% | ~113 lb (wheeled) | $$$ · premium | Near-whole-home; 240V loads, transfer-switch installs |
Storm Score — one number, fully derived
A weighted roll-up of the specs in the table above — not a test result, just arithmetic you can check: fridge endurance 40% (hours vs a 48-hour target), surge headroom 25% (vs 3,600W), recharge speed 20% (an hour or better scores full), portability 15% (Wh per pound). Full normalization is on the methodology page.
| Model | Endurance (40%) | Surge (25%) | Recharge (20%) | Portability (15%) | Storm Score |
|---|
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 9.9 |
| Anker SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 | 73% | 100% | 100% | 85% | 8.7 |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus | 36% | 100% | 100% | 91% | 7.3 |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 | 36% | 83% | 100% | 100% | 7.0 |
| Jackery Explorer 300 | 10% | 17% | 50% | 88% | 3.1 |
A high score means "strong all-rounder for a Florida outage," not "best for you" — a CPAP-only household is better served by the lightest unit than the highest scorer. That is why the weights are published: disagree with them, re-weight them yourself.
Solar panels
| Panel | Watts | Type / fold | Weight | Efficiency | Price tier | Best for |
|---|
| Jackery SolarSaga 100W Light | 100 W | Bifacial, foldable, IP68 | 4.5 lb | 25% cell-level (not comparable to module figures) | $ · budget | Lightest carry; pairs with 300–1000 Wh units |
| TWELSEAVAN 100W | 100 W | Mono ETFE, multi-fold, IP65 | 9.3 lb | 24% cell-level (not comparable to module figures) | $ · budget | Budget second panel; MC4 fits most brands |
| Renogy 200W Portable Suitcase | 200 W | Hinged suitcase w/ kickstand | ~28–34 lb | up to 25% (manufacturer claim, N-type) | $$ · mid-range | Fast field recharging, no roof mount |
| Renogy 200W Rigid | 200 W | Rigid framed mono | ~26 lb | ~22% | $ · budget | Permanent roof/shed mount; best value per watt |
Frequently asked questions
What size power station runs a refrigerator?
Plan on 1,000–2,000 Wh. A modern Energy Star fridge draws roughly 100–150 W while cycling, or about 1–1.5 kWh per day. A 1024 Wh unit like the DELTA 3 Plus or C1000 Gen 2 covers roughly 14–20 hours; a 2048 Wh C2000 Gen 2 covers a full day. Add solar to extend indefinitely.
Gas generator or battery power station?
Batteries win indoors and for quiet, maintenance-free use — no fuel, no carbon monoxide, no oil changes. Gas wins on sustained output: at the same mid-range tier, a gas inverter unit makes roughly 2,200–3,500 W but runs only 8–12 hours per tank, while a battery holds about 1 kWh and runs silently indoors. Many Florida homes run both: gas for the fridge, battery for bedrooms.
Do solar panels charge on cloudy or rainy days?
Yes, but expect 10–25% of rated output. A 200 W panel may deliver 20–50 W under heavy Florida overcast, and near zero in a downpour. Budget three to five cloudy days to do what one clear day does. That is why storm kits pair panels with a full battery charged before landfall.
Can a power station run a window air conditioner?
A 5,000 BTU window unit draws about 450–550 W running with a surge near 1,200 W. A 1024 Wh station runs it roughly 2 hours; a 2048 Wh C2000 Gen 2 about 3.5–4 hours; a 4096 Wh DELTA Pro 3 about 7–8 hours. Inverter or "smart" ACs stretch those numbers substantially.
How many watt-hours does a CPAP need overnight?
A CPAP draws roughly 30–60 watts without humidifier or heated hose, which over an eight-hour night is about 240–480 watt-hours. With heated humidification it rises to roughly 70–95 watts, or 560–760 watt-hours a night. So a 292 Wh Explorer 300 covers about one dry night and cannot cover a humidified one; a 1024 Wh station covers two to three dry nights. Turn off humidification during outages — it is the single largest draw in the machine, and Florida humidity makes it largely redundant.
How long do these batteries last?
LiFePO4 units are rated 3,000–4,000 full cycles to 80% capacity. The C1000 Gen 2 and DELTA 3 Plus both quote 4,000 cycles. At a realistic backup-duty rate of ten to twenty full cycles a year, cycle count is never the limit — calendar aging is, typically 10–15 years. Warranties run three to five years depending on model.
Can you fly with a portable power station?
No. FAA rules cap lithium batteries at 100 Wh in carry-on, or up to 160 Wh with airline approval. Even the smallest unit here, at 292 Wh, is nearly triple the limit and is banned from both cabin and checked baggage. Ship it by ground instead.
Is it safe to store one in a Florida garage?
Not ideal. Most units specify storage between roughly -4°F and 113°F, and an uninsulated Florida garage can exceed 120°F in August. Sustained heat accelerates cell degradation. Store indoors at 50–70% charge, top up every three months, and never charge a battery that feels hot to the touch.
Do I need a transfer switch?
Only if you want to power hardwired circuits — well pump, central AC, whole-house lights. For plug-in loads you simply run extension cords, no switch needed. Units with 120/240 V output like the DELTA Pro 3 support a manual transfer switch or smart panel, which requires a licensed Florida electrician and a permit.
LiFePO4 versus NMC — which is better?
LiFePO4 (LFP) for backup power, every time. It delivers 3,000–4,000 cycles versus roughly 500–1,000 for NMC, tolerates heat far better, and is much less prone to thermal runaway. NMC is lighter per watt-hour, which is why it survives in phones and EVs. Every station in the table above is LFP.