Are Solar Generators Any Good? Pros, Limits, and How to Choose

Yes, solar generators are good, and they work well for what most people buy them for, which is keeping the fridge cold, the lights on and the phones charged through an outage without the noise or fumes of a gas generator. If you're wondering whether they're a gimmick, they're not, as long as you size one for what you need to power and plan your recharging around the sun.

One of the questions we get before people buy is which brand gets the most complaints. Our answer starts with what you need to keep running, because you'll be disappointed by even a good unit if it's too small for your fridge or well pump.

How a Solar Generator Works

Think of a solar generator as a big rechargeable battery with its own outlets, plus solar panels to fill it back up. An inverter inside turns the battery's DC (direct current) electricity into the AC (alternating current) power your appliances use, so you can keep things powered without any grid connection when the lines are down after a storm.

A solar generator works like a savings account. Your panels make deposits while the sun's up, and after dark you draw on the balance to keep the lights on, the phones charged and the Wi-Fi going. If you spend more overnight than your panels put back the next day, the balance drops, so on a cloudy stretch you'll want to go easy on the withdrawals.

Where Solar Generators Fall Short

You'll never line up at a gas station after a storm or deal with stale fuel. The trade-off is that you can't control how fast your battery refills, because that's up to the sun.

Clouds, haze, dust, snow, dirt and shade all cut what your panels produce, and in winter you've got fewer daylight hours. So after a storm, while the sky's still gray, expect smaller deposits, and add more panel capacity if you want your backup to last a few days.

You also lose a little energy along the way. Battery storage isn't 100% efficient, so a bit of what you store is lost while charging and converting and never reaches your devices. When you estimate runtime, leave yourself a cushion, and don't plan on draining the battery to zero.

Draining a battery to empty is hard on it. Every deep drain adds wear, and leaving it empty for weeks can damage it for good. Most power stations cut out early to protect the cells, but keep some charge in reserve anyway, especially when the morning's gray.

Do Solar Generators Work for Your Appliances?

Before you decide whether a solar generator will work for you, check two numbers. Battery capacity, in watt-hours (Wh), is your balance, or how much energy you've got saved. Inverter output, in watts (W), is your withdrawal limit, or how much you can pull out at any one moment.

That's how a unit with a full battery can still fail to start your fridge. A fridge compressor needs a short burst of extra power (its starting surge) to get going, and if that burst goes over the withdrawal limit, the inverter shuts off, however much energy you've got saved.

So before you buy, add up the watts of everything you'd want on at once, including motor surges. Then multiply each device's watts by the hours you need it (a 100-watt load for 10 hours uses 1,000Wh), and pad both numbers for losses and cloudy days.

Are Solar Generators Good for Indoor Backup?

Gas generators make carbon monoxide, and the CPSC warns that they must stay outdoors, away from windows, doors and vents, because their exhaust can kill within minutes. Do not use a gas generator in your house or garage, even with the door open. A solar generator has no engine and no exhaust, so you can keep it inside, right next to the fridge or CPAP it's powering.

That doesn't make a gas generator the wrong choice. If you need to power heavy loads like central air or a well pump for days on end, a gas generator puts out more power for less money, and a tri-fuel model like the DuroMax XP13000HXT works with gasoline, propane or natural gas. We also sell bundles that pair the EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra X with that DuroMax, so you get quiet battery power inside and fuel backup for the long haul.

Are Solar Generators Good for Home Backup?

They can be, as long as you go big enough. With a larger system and expandable batteries, you can back up the circuits you rely on, like the fridge, lights, Wi-Fi and medical equipment. We've sold Nature's Generator since early 2019, and homeowners install their MyGrid 10K for exactly this. Whether a solar generator can power your house depends on your loads, your panels and how long your outages last, and you'll find the bigger systems in our solar generators for home backup collection.

Choosing the Right Unit for Your Needs

Most people don't need a whole-home system. For camping, tailgates and short outages, a compact unit like the EcoFlow RIVER 2 Pro from our portable solar generators is plenty. If you want panels in the box, look through our solar panel generators, or compare every size in our full range of solar generators.

You can compare solar generator cost by size, and if your budget's tight, there are good budget solar generators for home backup and handy solar generators under $500 for the basics. When you're ready to buy, check where to buy a solar generator so you know that your warranty's covered.

If you're still not sure whether a solar generator is right for you, give us a call at (954) 249-2314. Tell us what you need to keep running and for how long, and we'll help you work out whether solar, gas or a bit of both makes sense for your home.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a solar generator inside my home?

Yes. A battery-based unit has no exhaust, so you can keep it right next to what it's powering. Do not cover the vents, and keep it away from water and heat. Your panels still need to sit outside in the sun, so feed the cable in through a slightly open window.

Do solar generators work if I already have rooftop solar?

Yes, and they can cover a gap a lot of rooftop owners don't know about. Most grid-tied rooftop systems shut off during an outage unless they were set up with an inverter and battery storage for backup, so ask your installer whether yours was.

What should I do if an outage hits during a stretch of cloudy days?

Cut back to the essentials, like the fridge, a few lights and any medical devices, and keep your panels clear of snow, dirt and shade, moving them to follow the sun. If you also own a gas generator, you can recharge your power station from it outdoors for an hour or two a day until the sky clears.

How should I size a unit for a medical device I use overnight?

Size the battery to cover every hour the device is on, with no help from the panels. Check the draw with everything switched on, since a CPAP's heated humidifier adds a lot, and add a cushion for losses. If you depend on the device for life support, do not rely on a single battery, and talk to your doctor or supplier about a backup plan.