What size power station runs a refrigerator?

A modern refrigerator averages roughly 50 to 70 watts as it cycles, about 1.2 to 1.7 kWh a day; older units can use two to three times that. For one day, look for about 2,000 Wh of capacity and an inverter that handles the compressor start-up surge, often around three times its running watts.

What is the difference between Wh and W?

Watt-hours (Wh) is how much energy the battery holds: how long it lasts. Watts (W) is how much power it can deliver at once: what it can run at the same time. You need enough of both.

Can I run a power station indoors?

Yes. A battery power station has no exhaust, unlike a gas generator, which must never run indoors or in a garage because of carbon monoxide. Keep it ventilated and away from heat like any large battery.

Can I plug a power station into my house wiring?

Not directly. Feeding power into house circuits without a transfer switch can injure utility workers and damage equipment. Run appliances from the station with extension cords, or have an electrician install a transfer switch or a manufacturer-approved home panel.

How much solar do I need to recharge it?

Divide your daily watt-hours by your peak-sun hours, then by about 0.75 for real-world losses. At 2,000 Wh a day and 6 sun hours, that is roughly 450 W of panels. The desert Southwest gets about 6 to 7 peak-sun hours; much of the US gets 4 to 5, less in winter.

Backup power

What size power station do you need?

Three numbers decide it: how much energy you use in a day, how much power you draw at once, and how much sun you have to refill it. Tick what you would actually run below and the calculator gives all three.

The short answer. Phones, lights, Wi-Fi and a CPAP for a night: under 1 kWh. A refrigerator plus essentials for a day: about 2 kWh. Fridge, freezer and essentials for two to three days: 4 kWh or more, usually an expandable system with solar.

How big a power station do you need?

Tick what you would run in an outage. Watts and hours are typical figures; change them to match the labels on your own appliances.

Run it	Watts	Hours a day	Wh a day
RefrigeratorAverage draw as it cycles; older units can use 2 to 3 times this.			1,440
Chest freezer			–
LED lights (5 bulbs)			250
Wi-Fi router and modem			480
Phones (2)			30
Laptop			–
CPAP, no humidifierHumidifier on can double it; check your machine.			–
Box fan			–
TV			–
Microwave			–
Well pumpNeeds a large inverter for the start-up surge.			–

Days without the gridPeak-sun hours where you liveDesert Southwest about 6 to 7; much of the US 4 to 5; less in winter.

Battery

2,588 Wh

2,200 Wh a day × 1, with ~15% losses

Inverter output

140 W

surge up to ~260 W when motors start

Solar to refill daily

489 W

of panels at 6 sun hours, ~75% real-world

Large: 2 to 4 kWh

Usually on wheels. Suits a refrigerator and essentials through a full day or more.

Look for a power station with at least 2,588 Wh of capacity and a continuous output above 140 W (surge rating above 260 W). Compare at EcoFlow, Jackery or ALLPOWERS.

Estimates for planning, not an electrician's load calculation. Never run a power station's output into a house circuit without a transfer switch. Medical devices: check the manufacturer's battery guidance.

The three numbers

1. Capacity, in watt-hours (Wh). How long it lasts. Add up watts × hours for everything you will run in a day, multiply by the days you want to cover, and add about 15% for the energy lost converting battery power to household current. A station rated 2,000 Wh delivers roughly 1,700 Wh to your appliances.

2. Output, in watts (W). What it can run at the same time. Add the running watts of everything on at once. Anything with a motor (refrigerator, freezer, well pump) draws a surge when it starts, often around three times its running watts, so check the station's surge or peak rating too.

3. Solar input, in watts. How fast you can refill it. Daily watt-hours ÷ peak-sun hours ÷ 0.75. Without solar, an outage longer than the battery means a dark night.

Three worked examples

A night without power. LED lights 50 W × 5 h, router 20 W × 12 h, two phones, a CPAP 40 W × 8 h ≈ 840 Wh, about 990 Wh with losses. A 1 kWh station just covers it; 1.5 kWh leaves margin.
Keep the food cold for a day. Refrigerator 60 W × 24 h (1,440 Wh) plus lights, router and phones ≈ 2,200 Wh, about 2,600 Wh with losses. Look for 2 to 3 kWh and an output that handles the compressor surge.
Ride out a three-day storm. Refrigerator and chest freezer plus essentials ≈ 3,200 Wh a day. Three days on battery alone is about 11 kWh; more realistic is a 4 to 6 kWh expandable system with roughly 600 to 800 W of panels refilling it each day.

What else to look for

Battery chemistry. LiFePO4 (LFP) packs are rated for thousands of charge cycles; older NMC packs for hundreds to around a thousand. For backup you will cycle for years, LFP is the safer bet.
Pure sine wave output. Needed for CPAPs, laptops and anything with a motor. Most current power stations have it; confirm before you buy.
Expandability. Add-on battery packs let you start at 2 kWh and grow later.
Pass-through and UPS mode. Keeps a router or medical device running without a gap when the grid drops.

Safety

Never run a gas generator indoors or in a garage. Carbon monoxide kills. Battery stations have no exhaust.
Never feed a station into house wiring without a transfer switch or a manufacturer-approved home panel installed by an electrician.
For medical devices, follow the manufacturer's battery guidance and keep a margin above your estimate.

Power when the grid is down

A portable power station is a battery with outlets, sized in watt-hours (Wh). Add up what you need to run and for how long: a modern refrigerator uses roughly 1 to 2 kWh a day, a phone about 15 Wh to charge, a CPAP about 30 to 60 W. Check your own appliance labels. Solar panels refill the battery; in desert sun, plan on roughly 6 hours of full-output equivalent a day, less in winter and under cloud.

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Questions

What size power station runs a refrigerator?: A modern refrigerator averages roughly 50 to 70 watts as it cycles, about 1.2 to 1.7 kWh a day; older units can use two to three times that. For one day, look for about 2,000 Wh of capacity and an inverter that handles the compressor start-up surge, often around three times its running watts.
What is the difference between Wh and W?: Watt-hours (Wh) is how much energy the battery holds: how long it lasts. Watts (W) is how much power it can deliver at once: what it can run at the same time. You need enough of both.
Can I run a power station indoors?: Yes. A battery power station has no exhaust, unlike a gas generator, which must never run indoors or in a garage because of carbon monoxide. Keep it ventilated and away from heat like any large battery.
Can I plug a power station into my house wiring?: Not directly. Feeding power into house circuits without a transfer switch can injure utility workers and damage equipment. Run appliances from the station with extension cords, or have an electrician install a transfer switch or a manufacturer-approved home panel.
How much solar do I need to recharge it?: Divide your daily watt-hours by your peak-sun hours, then by about 0.75 for real-world losses. At 2,000 Wh a day and 6 sun hours, that is roughly 450 W of panels. The desert Southwest gets about 6 to 7 peak-sun hours; much of the US gets 4 to 5, less in winter.