Lights On Labs helps you choose between a power station, a portable generator, a standby generator and a home battery. Pick the appliances you need to keep running and size your backup around them.
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Watts from EWEB’s generator sizing sheet, with 85% of the battery usable after inverter losses. Use your own appliances
Each one trades cost, noise and runtime differently. Start with how long your outages usually last.
| Power stationA big battery with outlets | Portable generatorGasoline, propane or both | Standby generatorStarts on its own when the power fails | Home batteryWired into your electrical panel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $499 to $2,799Store prices | $499 to $4,899Store prices | $4,999 to $8,515With a transfer switch | $13,055 to $18,480Average installed quotes |
| Installation | None. Plug in what you need. | Extension cords, or $450 to $950 for an interlock kit an electrician puts in | $1,650 to $5,400 for the electrician, permit and pad | An installer, included in the quote |
| Runs for | Until the battery is empty. Solar panels can refill it. | As long as you keep refueling it | As long as the gas line runs, or the propane tank lasts | Until the battery is empty. Solar can refill it by day. |
| Noise | Silent apart from the cooling fans | Loud. Inverter models are quieter. | An engine outside the house, plus a regular self-test | Silent |
| Use indoors | Yes | Never. Carbon monoxide can kill in minutes. | No. It sits on a pad outside. | Indoors or outside, wherever the installer mounts it |
| Best for | Fridge, Wi-Fi and a CPAP through short outages | Big loads on a budget | The whole house, hands-off | Quiet backup alongside solar panels |
| Best power stations | Best inverter generators | Best standby generators | Home batteries compared |
A big battery with outlets
Gasoline, propane or both
Starts on its own when the power fails
Wired into your electrical panel
Prices are the lowest and highest of the models we track, checked in October 2026. Installation ranges come from installers’ cost guides. The carbon monoxide guide has the CPSC’s rules for running a generator outside.
Free calculators and data built from manufacturer specs and public records. You don’t need an account.
A motor needs a burst of extra power for a second or two when it starts. That surge is what trips a generator that’s too small.
| Appliance | Chart | Running + extra at startup |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 700 W + 2,200 W | |
| Chest freezer | 700 W + 2,200 W | |
| Sump pump, 1/3 hp | 800 W + 1,300 W | |
| Well pump, 1/3 hp | 1,000 W + 2,000 W | |
| Space heater | 1,500 W | |
| Furnace blower, 1/3 hp | 700 W + 1,400 W | |
| CPAP machine | 56 W |
Generator sizing figures from EWEB, the same ones the runtime calculator uses. The label on your appliance has its exact rating.
Standby generators
Seven air-cooled units from Generac, KOHLER and Champion, compared on output, price with a transfer switch, fuel per hour, noise and warranty.
Published October 2026, by Alex Rowan