Solar backup: keep recharging through a long outage
A battery runs down eventually. Solar panels can refill it during the day, which is how a power station gets you through a multi-day outage.
Assumption We assume 4 peak sun hours a day and 75% real-world panel output, so each 100 W of panels makes about 0.30 kWh a day. Winter and cloudy days can be much lower. For your own address, check NREL's PVWatts calculator.
Official portable panels and recharge time
| Panel | Watts | Price* | Fits | Days to refill one station with 1 panel Est. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow 400W Portable Solar Panel EcoFlow sells it in a DELTA Pro 3 Solar Generator (PV400W) kit ($3,099). | 400 W | $699 | EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3, EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra | EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3: 3.4 days (4.10 kWh) EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra: 5.1 days (6.14 kWh) |
| Anker SOLIX PS400 Bifacial Portable Solar Panel Anker brand panel; check the connector/voltage limits for your station. | 400 W | $699.99 | Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus, Anker SOLIX C1000 | Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus: 3.2 days (3.84 kWh) Anker SOLIX C1000: 0.9 days (1.06 kWh) |
| Jackery SolarSaga 200W Solar Panel Jackery's panel for its Explorer stations (Jackery offers a 5000 Plus kit with 2 x SolarSaga 500 X). | 200 W | $379 sale / $429 regular | Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus, Jackery Explorer 2000 v2, Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus: 8.4 days (5.04 kWh) Jackery Explorer 2000 v2: 3.4 days (2.04 kWh) Jackery Explorer 1000 v2: 1.8 days (1.07 kWh) |
| BLUETTI PV350 Solar Panel BLUETTI lists the PV350 as compatible with the Apex 300 and Elite 200 V2. | 350 W | $599 sale / $649 regular | BLUETTI Apex 300, Bluetti Elite 200 v2 | BLUETTI Apex 300: 2.6 days (2.76 kWh) Bluetti Elite 200 v2: 2.0 days (2.07 kWh) |
| Goal Zero Nomad 200 Goal Zero brand panel. | 200 W | $599.95 | Goal Zero Yeti 1500X | Goal Zero Yeti 1500X: 2.5 days (1.52 kWh) |
*Prices are from each brand's site as of 2026-10-25, rounded down from the listed price. Recharge time = station capacity ÷ (panel watts × 4 h × 0.75).
Maximum solar input per station
Adding more panels only helps up to the station's solar input limit.
| Station | Max solar input | Best-case kWh/day at that limit Est. |
|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 2,600 W | 7.8 kWh |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra | 5,600 W | 16.8 kWh |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus | 3,200 W | 9.6 kWh |
| Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | 4,000 W | 12.0 kWh |
We haven't captured solar input limits for the smaller stations yet. Check the manufacturer's spec sheet before you buy.
Rooftop solar + a home battery: what it costs
| Solar, median price per watt | $2.57/W |
| Median system (12 kW) | $30,712 |
| Solar portion when bought with storage | $2.55/W |
| Battery storage, median | $1,130/kWh |
| Estimate: 12 kW solar + 13.5 kWh battery Estimate | ≈ $45,967 before incentives |
Source: EnergySage Intel marketplace report (EnergySage marketplace quotes, H1 2026 (Jan-Jun), released Sep 2026); also covered by pv magazine. Our estimate adds the median system cost to 13.5 kWh × $1130/kWh. Real quotes vary.
The federal 30% credit (Section 25D) ended for systems installed after 12/31/2025 (IRS). Check state and utility programs instead.
Size your backup with solar recharging Get solar + battery quotes
FAQ
Can solar panels recharge a portable power station during an outage?
Yes, if the station has a solar input. Using our assumption of 4 peak sun hours and 75% real-world output, each 100 W of panel makes about 0.30 kWh a day. Actual output depends on where you live, the season and the weather.
Is there still a federal tax credit for solar or batteries?
No. The IRS says the Section 25D residential clean energy credit does not apply to systems installed after December 31, 2025.
What does rooftop solar plus a home battery cost?
EnergySage's H1 2026 marketplace data shows a median of $2.57/W for solar (about $30,712 for a 12 kW system) and $1,130/kWh for storage. Adding a 13.5 kWh battery puts our estimate at roughly $45,967 before any state or utility incentives.
Backup power, before the next outage
A short email when it matters: outage-season prep checklists before summer storms and winter freezes, state and utility rebates that open, change, or run out of money, and real price drops on the power stations in our data.