WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT · SOLAR
Solar basics. Honest expectations.
Small solar won't run your house. It will keep your phone charged, recharge a battery station, and give you free lighting indefinitely. Here's what each tier costs and what it actually delivers.
FROM THE FIELD
The most common portable solar failure during an outage is a cable that does not fit. That pattern surfaces in account after account, from hurricane aftermath to ice storms: a panel from one brand and a station from another, stored in a closet, unboxed on day one, and the connectors are incompatible. No adapter in the box, no store open. This page covers what each tier of solar delivers. The field says to test that delivery chain, panel to station to device, before the power goes out.
THREE TIERS
Solar for outages comes in three sizes.
Each tier does more and costs more. Start with the tier that matches what you actually need to keep running, not the one that sounds most impressive on a product page.
Tier 1 · $30–$80
Small USB solar chargers
A foldable 20–30W panel with USB ports. Charges phones and power banks directly from sunlight. Slow by grid standards — a full phone charge takes two to four hours in direct sun — but free and indefinitely sustainable.
Good for: keeping communication devices alive in an extended outage. Not for running appliances.
Tier 2 · $80–$300
Portable panels (60–200W)
Rigid or semi-flexible panels that connect to a battery station via MC4 or XT60. A 100W panel in good sun produces 300–500Wh per day, enough to meaningfully recharge a 500Wh battery station and keep it cycling through a multi-day outage.
Good for: recharging battery stations. Requires a compatible station with solar input.
Tier 3 · $400–$3,000
Solar battery systems
A matched panel-and-battery-station combination — 200W panel plus a 1,000–2,000Wh station — that functions as a self-recharging power hub. Provides lighting, device charging, fan operation, and CPAP power indefinitely as long as the sun is available.
Good for: multi-day and extended outages. The 200W Solar guide covers the full setup.
Affiliate disclosure: New World Survival earns a small commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. We only recommend gear we'd put in our own kit.
REAL NUMBERS
What a panel actually produces in a day.
Panel wattage is a peak rating under ideal lab conditions. Real-world production depends on sun hours, angle, temperature, and clouds. These numbers reflect typical US conditions, not the best-case figures on the box.
From the field · Accounts from multi-day outages describe the same arc: confidence on day one turns to rationing by day three, as clouds, competing loads, and shorter-than-expected charge windows reveal that the numbers below are ceilings, not guarantees.
DAILY PRODUCTION · TYPICAL CONDITIONS
Assumes 4–5 peak sun hours. Northern states and winter conditions reduce output. Southern states and summer add to it.
Panel placement matters
A portable panel flat on a horizontal surface loses 15–25% of potential output compared to one tilted toward the sun. During an outage, take a few minutes to angle the panel roughly toward solar south and tilt it to face the sun directly.
Shade from a single branch or roof overhang can reduce output by 50% or more. Position panels in full, unobstructed sun and recheck their orientation midday.
Pairing with a battery station
The panel charges the station during the day; the station powers your household at night. Check your battery station's maximum solar input before buying a panel — some units cap at 150W even if the panel is larger.
A 200W panel recharging a 1,000Wh station in five to six sun hours creates a sustainable loop. The 200W Solar project guide covers the full component list and wiring.
Cold weather affects the battery, not just the panel
Winter storms reduce solar production, but they also reduce what the battery can accept. Most lithium-ion and LiFePO4 batteries charge slowly below about 40°F (4°C) and many stations refuse to charge at all below freezing as a built-in protection against cell damage. If a battery station is sitting on a cold garage floor or an unheated porch during a winter outage, it may accept little or no charge from the panel even in full sun. Bring the station indoors where temperatures stay above freezing before connecting it to solar.
HONEST LIMITS
What small solar cannot do.
Setting the right expectations before buying prevents disappointment during an actual outage. These are the loads that small solar cannot support.
Central air conditioning
A central AC unit draws 3,000–5,000 watts continuously. No portable solar setup can power it. A window unit draws 500–1,500W — possible with a large battery station but drains it in hours.
Electric water heater
Electric water heaters draw 4,000–5,500 watts. Outside the range of any portable solar system. Gas water heaters with electronic ignition may work with a small battery station for the igniter only.
Electric range or oven
An electric range burner draws 1,200–3,000 watts per element. An oven draws 2,000–5,000W. Neither is practical on battery or portable solar. A propane camp stove is the outage cooking solution.
Grid-tied rooftop solar
A standard grid-tied rooftop solar system shuts down automatically when the grid fails — it must, to protect lineworkers. Without a battery backup or special inverter, your rooftop panels produce nothing during an outage.
Electric furnace or heat pump
Forced-air furnaces and heat pumps draw far more power than any portable system can supply. A gas furnace blower motor (300–500W) is within battery station range and is a common use case.
Cloudy winter storms
Winter storms that cause the longest outages also produce the least solar production — heavy cloud cover, short days, snow on panels. Solar is a supplement during these events, not a primary power source.
Where does the refrigerator fit?
The refrigerator is the load most households ask about first. A standard refrigerator uses 1,000 to 1,500Wh per day, but it cycles on and off rather than running continuously. A compressor that draws 150W might run 40% of the time if doors stay closed.
A Tier 3 system (200W panel and a 1,000Wh+ station) can keep a refrigerator cold through a multi-day outage with careful load management: run it during peak sun hours, keep doors closed, and accept that other loads compete for the same daily budget. A Tier 1 or Tier 2 setup cannot sustain it. The 200W Solar Setup guide covers the full math.
WANT THE FULL PICTURE?
Build a real solar setup
The 200W Solar project guide covers component selection, wiring, battery sizing, and what a completed system realistically powers day-to-day — not just in an emergency.
200W Solar SetupRELATED GUIDES
More from the energy section.
USB Solar Chargers
Foldable panels for phones and small devices, no power station required.
Solar Power Banks
A built-in panel is convenient, but check what it can actually deliver.
Portable Solar Panels
The panels that pair with a power station for real recharge capacity.
Solar Battery Systems
Sizing the whole system: panel wattage, battery capacity, and daily budget.
Battery Systems
The stations that pair with solar panels and store what they produce.
200W Solar Setup
Build a permanent solar system that outlasts any outage.
Generators
When you need more power than solar can provide.
When Household Solar Stops Being Enough
The point where a property needs an array rather than a panel, and the honest case for staying where you are.