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Backup power, explained in plain language and honest math.

We compare battery power stations, solar panels, and the gas generators they compete with, using usable capacity and full system prices, never sticker numbers. No invented ratings. No hands-on claims we have not earned. Just the arithmetic, shown.

85% Panels refill what the battery spends

Start with the guides readers come for

Comparecomparison

Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus vs EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 vs BLUETTI Apex 300

The three big home backup power stations compared on usable capacity, solar input, and the full system price with panels and tax included.

Checked November 7, 2026
Use Casesexplainer

Will a power station run your sump pump?

Sump pumps are sized by starting watts, not running watts. Here is the surge math, by pump size, and the safe rule for each.

Checked November 7, 2026
Use Casesexplainer

How long will it run? Runtime, explained and calculated

The companion to our runtime calculator: duty cycles, the 85 percent usable rule, and worked examples for a fridge, a freezer, a sump pump, and a TV setup.

Checked November 7, 2026
Whole-Home Backupexplainer

Home battery incentives in 2026: what actually changed

The 30 percent federal homeowner credit ended on December 31, 2025. What that means for buying a power station, and where help still exists.

Checked November 7, 2026

Browse by topic

Whole-Home Backup

Critical circuits, 240V, transfer switches, and the big stations that feed them.

7 guides

Portable Power

Apartments, rentals, and carryable backup that needs no electrician.

1 guides

Solar and Panels

Sizing, rigid vs folding, and the compatibility math that decides everything.

3 guides

Use Cases

One real job per guide: the pump, the fridge, the winter storm.

5 guides

Compare

Head to heads with the math shown, including cost per usable watt hour.

3 guides

Tools

A runtime calculator and a fair price table. Client side, nothing saved.

1 guides

How we rank, in one paragraph

Every station on this site is planned at 85 percent of its rated capacity, because that is what an inverter actually delivers. Every system price includes the panels the station can use, the cables they need, and sales tax where our research applied it, labeled with the rate and place. When a number cannot be verified against a manufacturer or retailer page, it does not appear. Our full method, and how this site is funded, are on the about page and the disclosure page.

New here and not sure what a watt hour is? The start here page defines the five words that unlock the whole category, then walks you to the right guide for your house.