Glossary · Kits and equipment

What Is a Portable Power Station? How They Work and Size Up

Portable power stationAlso sold as a solar generator

A movable lithium-ion battery with a built-in inverter and AC, USB and DC outlets, charged from the wall, a car or solar panels.

  1. Charge fromA wall outlet, a car or solar panels.in
  2. BatteryLithium-ion, rated in watt-hours (Wh).DC
  3. InverterMakes AC, rated in watts (W) and surge watts.AC
  4. OutletsAC for appliances; USB and DC ports too.
A power station stores DC in its battery and makes AC with its own inverter, so your appliances plug straight into it, not into your home's wiring.

At a glance

Inside
A lithium-ion battery, an inverter, outlets and charge inputs
Two numbers
Capacity in Wh (how long), output in W (how much at once)
Safety standard
UL 2743, Portable Power Packs, up to 20 kWh of lithium-ion
Not for
Wiring into your home: that's a home battery system (UL 9540)
Risk
Lithium-ion packs can overheat; CPSC has recalled some for fire hazards

A portable power station is a big battery you can carry, with its own outlets. The CPSC describes them as high-capacity lithium-ion battery power banks, with USB ports, AC outlets and DC outputs. UL calls the category portable power packs, meant for when grid power isn’t available, such as camping or emergencies, according to its Q&A.

What size do I need?

Two numbers matter. Capacity, in watt-hours, decides how long it can run your things; output, in watts, decides how much it can run at once, and its surge rating decides whether it can start a fridge or an AC. Our power station sizer works out both from the appliances you pick and the days you need.

Which certification should it have?

UL’s standard for this kind of product is UL 2743, Portable Power Packs, which covers packs with built-in inverters and lithium-ion capacity up to 20 kWh, per its scope. It doesn’t cover packs connected to, or feeding, a home’s wiring: UL says battery systems for that are certified to UL 9540. Check the listing in the lab’s own directory, as with any certification, and follow the maker’s instructions: the CPSC has recalled power stations whose batteries could overheat.

Published by the Plugged Sun editorial team

Sources

  1. UL 2743, Portable Power Packs, Edition 3 (Source, UL Standards & Engagement, 2025)
  2. Q&A: Portable Power Packs (Source, UL Solutions, 2026)
  3. HALO 1000 Portable Power Stations Recalled Due to Serious Fire and Burn Hazards (Official document, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2024)

Where Portable power station comes up