Scenarios › What size power station for an off-grid cabin
What size power station / solar generator for an off-grid cabin?
A weekend cabin runs a fridge, lights, WiFi, and electronics off solar, topped up each day. You size for the overnight-and-buffer window the battery carries alone, then match solar input to replace it by day. Here is a 12-hour buffer for a modest cabin, and the expandable units worth it if you want to coast through cloudy stretches.
3,107 Whcapacity needed
330 Wrunning watts
1,380 Wsurge to clear
12 hruntime horizon
This load: Refrigerator (modern) · LED Lights (10 bulbs) · WiFi Router + Modem · Laptop. Want to tweak it? Open the full sizing tool and adjust the appliances and hours.
What size you need
You need about 3,107 Wh — and 12 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the Mango Power Power E; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 1,380 W.
The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 330 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 1,380 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 233 W
Watt-hours = 233 W × 12 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 3,107 Wh
1
Mango Power Power Esmallest that fits
3,506 Wh 3,000 W cont · 4,800 W surge expandable ~14 h on this load $$$
First Mango Power entry — a 3.5 kWh, 3,000 W home-backup unit on CATL LFP cells rated 6,000+ cycles, expandable to 14 kWh with add-on batteries.
LiFePO4 (CATL) · 0-80% in 60 min AC (30A fast-charge cable); full in ~1.5 h · 100 lb
2
EcoFlow DELTA Pro
3,600 Wh 3,600 W cont · 7,200 W surge expandable ~14 h on this load $$$
The whole-home contender on wheels — 3,600 W, expandable to 25 kWh, panel-ready with a transfer switch.
LiFePO4 · AC + EV charging; expandable to 25 kWh · 99 lb
3
Growatt HELIOS 3600
3,686 Wh 3,600 W cont · 4,500 W surge expandable ~14 h on this load $$$
Whole-home-class unit, expandable to 36 kWh; Watt+ mode boosts to 4,500 W of loads.
LiFePO4 · Simultaneous 120V/240V + XT60/Anderson solar input for fast combined charging · 99 lb
4
Bluetti Elite 400
3,840 Wh 2,600 W cont · 3,900 W surge ~15 h on this load $$$
Bluetti's own billed as the lightest 3.8 kWh station on the market — a non-expandable, sealed unit undercutting the EcoFlow DELTA Pro and Anker SOLIX F2600 on price/capacity; part of the new Elite series alongside the existing elite-300/elite-100-v2/elite-200-v2.
LiFePO4 · AC+solar combined 0-80% in 70 min (2,800 W); AC-only full in 2.5 h; solar max 1,000 W · 86 lb
5
Anker SOLIX F3800
3,840 Wh 6,000 W cont · 9,000 W surge expandable ~15 h on this load $$$
A 6,000 W, 240 V system for whole-home backup including a well pump and electric range, expandable to ~27 kWh.
LiFePO4 · 120/240 V; expandable to 26.9 kWh · 132 lb
6
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus
3,840 Wh 6,000 W cont · 12,000 W surge expandable ~15 h on this load $$$
The newer-generation F3800 — same 3,840 Wh and 6,000 W continuous rating, but double the solar input (3,200 W) and adds 240V gas-generator bypass charging for extended outages.
LiFePO4 · ~1.5 h with 240V generator input; under 3 h AC; up to 3,200W dual-MPPT solar · 137 lb
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Disclosure.
The load, appliance by appliance
| Appliance | Running | Surge | Duty | |
|---|
| Refrigerator (modern) | 150 W | 1,200 W | 35% | size on its own → |
| LED Lights (10 bulbs) | 100 W | — | 100% | |
| WiFi Router + Modem | 20 W | — | 100% | |
| Laptop | 60 W | — | 100% | |
⚡ Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician. Appliance wattages are representative chart values and vary by model; check your nameplates. Duty cycle (how much of the time a load actually draws) is how we keep the watt-hour estimate from overselling capacity.
Common questions
What size power station / solar generator for an off-grid cabin?
For Refrigerator (modern), LED Lights (10 bulbs), WiFi Router + Modem, Laptop over 12 h, you need about 3,107 Wh of capacity, 330 W continuous output, and at least 1,380 W of surge. The smallest unit that clears all three is the Mango Power Power E; a step-up like the Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus adds headroom for longer outages.
How many watt-hours does this load need?
About 3,107 Wh for 12 h — we take the duty-weighted average draw (233 W, since cyclic loads like fridges and pumps don't run constantly), multiply by the hours, and divide by a usable-capacity reserve. Running watts are 330 W; surge is 1,380 W.
Other scenarios
Sources: appliance wattages — standard appliance/generator sizing charts; station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-10-05; approximate). Informational only — a computed sizing estimate from published appliance-wattage charts and manufacturer station specs. It is not an electrical guarantee. For hardwired or whole-home backup, transfer switches, or any permanent install, consult a licensed electrician.