Portable Power Station Calculator
A portable power station calculator helps you estimate whether a battery power station can run a device and how long it will last. The two most important numbers are battery capacity in watt-hours and the average watt draw of the appliance.
This calculator estimates runtime hours, available usable energy, total phone-sized recharges, and whether the selected appliance is a reasonable match for the station size. It works well for comparing common use cases like laptops, fridges, CPAP machines, TVs, fans, and light emergency backup loads.
Short answer: Runtime is roughly battery capacity in Wh multiplied by efficiency, then divided by the appliance wattage. Small power stations are great for electronics and light loads, while larger 1000Wh to 2000Wh units are much better for fridges and longer backup needs.
Power Station Runtime Calculator
Estimate appliance runtime, usable energy, and phone-size recharges from power station battery capacity and load wattage
Popular Power Station Sizes
| Model | Battery Size | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Jackery 240 | 240 Wh | Phones, lights, laptops, small electronics |
| Jackery 1000 | 1002 Wh | Longer laptop use, mini fridges, CPAP, TVs |
| EcoFlow River 2 | 256 Wh | Compact travel and backup electronics |
| Delta 2 | 1024 Wh | Home backup essentials and medium loads |
| Bluetti AC200P | 2000 Wh | Larger appliances for shorter periods |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1500X | 1516 Wh | Extended backup for mixed electronics |
Runtime Formula
The practical runtime formula is:
Runtime (hours) = Battery Capacity (Wh) × Efficiency ÷ Appliance Power (W)
For example, a 1000Wh unit with 90% usable efficiency running a 60W fridge load gives 1000 × 0.9 ÷ 60 = about 15 hours. This is a more realistic estimate than assuming the full rated Wh is always available at the AC outlet.
Runtime Examples
240 Wh unit
A 240Wh station can run a 45W laptop for about 4.8 to 5 hours or a 10W phone load for around 21 to 24 hours depending on losses.
1000 Wh unit
A 1000Wh station can run a 60W mini fridge for around 14 to 15 hours or a 30W CPAP for roughly 30 to 33 hours in simple estimates.
2000 Wh unit
A 2000Wh station can run a 700W portable AC for around 2.5 to 2.7 hours in a simplified calculation with normal losses.
Phone charging
A 2000Wh station can deliver many full phone recharges, but you should calculate that from phone battery energy in Wh, not from charging power in watts.
What it can run
Portable power stations are usually best for electronics, communications gear, CPAP machines, lights, fans, TVs, and some refrigerators with manageable average draw. They are much less suitable for long use with kettles, space heaters, hair dryers, large microwaves, or full-size AC units because those loads are high both in wattage and in total energy demand.
Output rating matters just as much as battery size. A station may have enough energy for a device in theory, but it still cannot run that appliance if the inverter watt limit is too low for the load or surge demand.
Practical warning: Refrigerator and portable AC runtimes depend heavily on duty cycle. A compressor appliance does not pull its peak wattage every second, so average watts are more useful than nameplate startup watts when estimating runtime.