Guides · Updated October 12, 2026
What size power station do I need for a two-day outage?
For the essentials most families name (fridge, Wi-Fi, a few phones, some lights and a CPAP), two days comes to roughly 2,980 Wh if you run the fridge half the time, which is enough to keep food safe. After inverter losses that puts you in the 3 to 4 kWh class, or a 2 kWh unit plus a solar panel. Run the fridge nonstop and the need jumps past 4 kWh.
Where the energy goes over 48 hours
| Device | Draw | Hours a day | Two-day total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator, cycled | 45 W avg | 12 | 1,080 Wh |
| Wi-Fi and modem | 15 W | 24 | 720 Wh |
| Phones | 10 W | 3 | 60 Wh |
| LED lights | 40 W | 6 | 480 Wh |
| CPAP | 40 W | 8 | 640 Wh |
Add 15% for inverter losses and a small reserve and you land near 3,000 Wh. The refrigerator is half the total, which is why cycling it matters more than anything else you can do.
Three ways to cover it
- One 3 kWh unit. The Jackery HomePower 3000 at $1,349 covers the list above with a little to spare.
- A 2 kWh unit plus a 200 W solar panel. On a decent day the panel puts back 800 to 1,000 Wh, which turns a EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max or Bluetti Elite 200 V2 into a two-day setup for less money, and it keeps working on day three.
- A 4 kWh unit if you will not babysit the fridge. The EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 runs everything above nonstop for about 1.7 days.
The units that fit
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DELTA Pro 3
Cheapest unit that runs Refrigerator, Wi-Fi and modem and 3 more for about 2.3 days.
F3800 Plus
Lighter and smaller, and still covers it for about 2.2 days.
Yeti PRO 4000
Extra headroom: about 2.3 days on one charge, and it accepts add-on batteries.
Prices are each brand's list price on October 12, 2026; buy links go to Amazon, where the price can differ. Adjust the devices and days in the finder for your own numbers, or see all 20 models.
Common questions
What if I add a space heater or window AC?
Each adds 1,000 to 1,500 W while running and will roughly triple the energy need. See our guides on space heaters and window AC for the real numbers; an electric blanket or a fan is the usual answer.