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Every guide on the site, filterable by topic, brand, use case, and format. Each card shows the date its figures were last checked.
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus vs EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 vs BLUETTI Apex 300
The three big home backup power stations compared on usable capacity, solar input, and the full system price with panels and tax included.
Checked November 7, 2026
Will a power station run your sump pump?
Sump pumps are sized by starting watts, not running watts. Here is the surge math, by pump size, and the safe rule for each.
Checked November 7, 2026
How long will it run? Runtime, explained and calculated
The companion to our runtime calculator: duty cycles, the 85 percent usable rule, and worked examples for a fridge, a freezer, a sump pump, and a TV setup.
Checked November 7, 2026
How much solar do you actually need?
Watts, watt hours, sun hours, and panel sizing in plain language, ending with a worked example that sizes panels to a real daily load.
Checked November 7, 2026
Home battery incentives in 2026: what actually changed
The 30 percent federal homeowner credit ended on December 31, 2025. What that means for buying a power station, and where help still exists.
Checked November 7, 2026
Whole-home backup, explained
What whole-home actually means, 240V split phase in plain terms, inlet boxes and transfer switches, and where a power station ends and a standby generator begins.
Checked November 7, 2026
Best power stations for whole-home backup
The launch roundup for whole-home duty, ranked by usable capacity, 240V support, solar input, and expandability, with the math shown for every pick.
Checked November 7, 2026
Best portable power stations for an apartment or rental
Smaller boxes judged on weight, noise, and what they honestly run when you cannot wire anything into a panel.
Checked November 7, 2026
Keep the fridge and freezer cold through an outage
Load math for a fridge and a chest freezer, duty cycles by season, door discipline, and how many usable watt hours a full day really takes.
Checked November 7, 2026
Sump pump battery backup options, compared
A power station vs a dedicated battery backup sump pump vs a water powered backup: surge, runtime, automation, and cost, compared honestly.
Checked November 7, 2026
Solar panels for power stations: rigid vs folding
Cost per watt math for the two panel families, when each one makes sense, and why the cheap watts are heavy and the light watts are expensive.
Checked November 7, 2026
Panel compatibility, explained
Open circuit voltage, input limits, series vs parallel in plain terms, and why a big battery can still refuse most of your panels.
Checked November 7, 2026
EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 deep dive
The biggest base battery of the big three at 4,096Wh: who it fits, where it loses, and its full role in a whole-home system.
Checked November 7, 2026
Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus deep dive
The split phase pick: 3,840Wh, 6,000W of native 120/240V output, and the panel adapter cable gotcha priced into the verdict.
Checked November 7, 2026
BLUETTI Apex 300 deep dive
The value pick with a hard ceiling: cheapest way into real backup, honest about the 800W solar cap and the expansion battery it wants.
Checked November 7, 2026
Jackery vs EcoFlow portable lines
The two portable ranges compared on usable capacity math, solar input caps, and warranty posture, for buyers who do not need whole-home gear.
Checked November 7, 2026
Cost per usable watt hour: the only fair price comparison
Why sticker price per rated watt hour misleads, the 85 percent usable rule, the sortable system table, and how the big three ranking flips on honest math.
Checked November 7, 2026
Transfer switch vs extension cords
The two safe ways to connect a power station to a house: what each costs, when an electrician is required, and the one warning that matters.
Checked November 7, 2026
Midwest winter storm outage checklist
A print friendly prep list for ice and snow outages: pipes, sump risk at thaw, fuel free backup, and the order operations actually happen in.
Checked November 7, 2026
Power station buying mistakes
The five spec sheet tricks that cost buyers money: surge sold as continuous, rated sold as usable, buried solar caps, proprietary cables, and short warranties.
Checked November 7, 2026