Watts describe power at a moment; watt-hours describe stored energy. You need both numbers to size a portable power station correctly.
Watts (W) tell you how much power a device draws and how much AC output a station can provide. Check continuous output and startup surge.
Watt-hours (Wh) describe battery capacity. Practical runtime is lower than a perfect capacity-divided-by-load calculation because of conversion losses and reserve.
First confirm the inverter can handle the load in watts. Then use watt-hours to estimate how long the battery can support it.
Enter battery capacity and average device load. This planning estimate uses 85% usable efficiency.
Actual runtime varies with conversion losses, cycling loads, temperature and battery condition.
Continue with the Power Guides & Resources hub for related runtime, appliance-sizing and solar-planning articles.
Use your estimate above to compare current portable-power options. Start with the closest capacity or solar setup for your needs:
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