Scenarios › Power station for a space heater (1500 W)

What size power station runs a 1500 W space heater?

Be warned: resistive heat is the worst-case battery load. A 1,500 W heater needs a 1,500 W+ inverter and drains capacity fast — run time is roughly usable Wh ÷ 1,500. Here is the honest math, plus far more efficient ways to stay warm in an outage.

5,000 Whcapacity needed

1,500 Wrunning watts

1,500 Wsurge to clear

3.0 hruntime horizon

This load: Space Heater (1500 W). Want to tweak it? Open the full sizing tool and adjust the appliances and hours.

What size you need

You need about 5,000 Wh — and 2 units fit. The smallest sufficient is the Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus; we never push more capacity than your load can use. Surge to clear: 1,500 W.

The math
Running watts (everything on at once) = 1,500 W
Surge watts (worst single startup + the rest running) = 1,500 W
Average draw (cyclic loads counted by their duty cycle) = 1,500 W
Watt-hours = 1,500 W × 3.0 h ÷ 90% usable reserve = 5,000 Wh

Jackery Explorer 5000 Plussmallest that fits

5,040 Wh 7,200 W cont · 14,400 W surge expandable ~3.0 h on this load $$$

The largest single Jackery unit — 120/240V split-phase output makes it a real panel-level whole-home contender, not just a big portable.

LiFePO4 · True 120V/240V split-phase output; expandable to 60 kWh with additional battery packs and units · 135 lb

Check price on the Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus → Full specs

Goal Zero Yeti 6000X

6,071 Wh 2,000 W cont · 3,500 W surge ~3.6 h on this load $$$

Goal Zero’s largest single-unit battery — over 6 kWh for multi-day whole-essentials backup, though the inverter is a modest 2,000 W.

Li-ion · Up to 600 W solar input · 114 lb

Check price at Amazon → Full specs

🔗 The "Check price" buttons are brand-direct affiliate links. We earn a commission when you buy through one — at no extra cost to you, and it never changes which unit we recommend. Disclosure.

The load, appliance by appliance

Appliance	Running	Surge	Duty
Space Heater (1500 W)	1,500 W	—	100%	size on its own →

⚡ 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 runs a 1500 W space heater?

For Space Heater (1500 W) over 3.0 h, you need about 5,000 Wh of capacity, 1,500 W continuous output, and at least 1,500 W of surge. The smallest unit that clears all three is the Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus; a step-up like the next size adds headroom for longer outages.

How many watt-hours does this load need?

About 5,000 Wh for 3.0 h — we take the duty-weighted average draw (1,500 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 1,500 W; surge is 1,500 W.

Other scenarios

Power station for a home outage (fridge + CPAP + sump pump)

12 h

What size power station runs a CPAP all night?

8.0 h

What size power station / battery backup for a sump pump?

6.0 h

What size power station / solar generator for van life?

12 h

What size power station runs a refrigerator in an outage?

24 h

What size power station runs a window AC?

5.0 h

Sources: appliance wattages — standard appliance/generator sizing charts; station specs — manufacturer published specifications (compiled 2026-08-10; 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.