Battery vs Generator vs Portable Power Station
Which backup power actually fits your home? Set your critical load and outage profile, then compare the three options on real numbers — runtime, noise, and 10-year total cost.
Matches your actual outage profile Fuel & maintenance costs included Multi-currency — switch in the header
1 Your outage profile
Critical load to keep running
kW
×
h
Home battery
USD
kWh
kW
yrs
Standby generator
USD
/therm
/yr
yrs
Portable power station
USD
kWh
kW
yrs
2 The verdict
Calculating… Adjust inputs to see results instantly.
| Compare | Home battery | Standby generator | Power station |
|---|
10-year total cost of ownership
upfront + fuel + maintenance, cumulative Home battery Standby generator Power station
How this comparison works (methodology & assumptions)
Runtime (battery/station) = capacity (kWh) ÷ critical load (kW)
Propane use ≈ 0.21 gal per kWh delivered · Natural gas ≈ 0.20 therm per kWh
Generator fuel cost/hr = load × rate × local fuel price
10-year cost = upfront + 10 × (fuel per outage × outages/yr + maintenance)
Cost per backed-up hour = 10-year cost ÷ (hours actually covered × 10)
Propane use ≈ 0.21 gal per kWh delivered · Natural gas ≈ 0.20 therm per kWh
Generator fuel cost/hr = load × rate × local fuel price
10-year cost = upfront + 10 × (fuel per outage × outages/yr + maintenance)
Cost per backed-up hour = 10-year cost ÷ (hours actually covered × 10)
- Fuel rates are grounded in typical specs: a 7 kW unit uses ≈1.5 gal propane/h and ≈140 ft³ natural gas/h at full load; we scale with your actual critical load.
- Generator covers the full outage on piped natural gas; propane is limited by your tank size. It must be rated ≥ your critical load.
- Battery & station discharge until empty; recharging from the grid before the next outage is assumed.
- Not modeled: solar recharging, battery depth-of-discharge limits, propane delivery during disasters, transfer-switch permitting costs, resale value.
- Default installed costs are 2026 U.S. mid-market reference points — battery ≈ $14,500 (13.5 kWh installed), standby generator ≈ $9,000 (8 kW installed class). Replace them with your local quotes.
- Prices are typical installed/market ranges (US reference — FX updated 2026-11-06); verify locally.