Glossary
Power station terms, explained
The specs that decide how long a station runs your devices, in plain English.
Terms
Watt-hours (Wh)
How much energy the battery holds. A 1,070 Wh station could in theory deliver 1,070 W for one hour or 107 W for ten. In practice you get about 85% of it from the AC outlets; see how we calculate.
Watts (W)
How fast a device uses energy. Runtime is watt-hours divided by watts, so halving the load roughly doubles the hours.
Continuous output
The most power the AC outlets can supply for as long as the battery lasts. Your devices running at once must add up to less than this, or the station shuts off.
Surge (peak) power
A short burst above continuous output, for the moment a motor starts. Some fridges need two to three times their running power to start (Anker), and BLUETTI’s manual says some compressors need two to four times (BLUETTI). Some makers list no surge rating; we say so on the station page.
Lifting or boost mode
A mode that lets the station power heating devices, such as kettles, that are rated above its output. The station still delivers no more than its rated watts, so they heat more slowly. BLUETTI calls it Power Lifting (BLUETTI manual); other makers use other names. It is for resistive loads, not motors, and it is not the same as surge.
Usable capacity
What you can actually get out. Converting the battery’s DC to 120 V AC loses energy, so we multiply by 0.85. USB‑C and 12 V outputs lose less.
Inverter
The part that turns the battery’s DC power into AC power like a wall outlet. It uses some power itself, even with a small load.
Own draw (idle consumption)
Power the station uses itself while it’s on. BLUETTI’s manuals list it, for example about 9 W for the Elite 30 V2 (manual), and include it in their runtime formula; on a small load it can matter more than the device. Switch the station off when you don’t need it.
LiFePO4 (LFP)
Lithium iron phosphate, the battery chemistry in most current portable power stations. It is rated for thousands of charge cycles and is heavier per Wh than the NMC cells in older or lighter models.
Charge cycles
One full discharge and recharge. Makers rate how many cycles a battery lasts before it holds a set share of its original capacity, often 70–80%. Capacity fades with age, which is why the advanced calculator has a battery-age setting.
Solar input
The most solar power the station accepts. More panel watts than this won’t raise its top charging rate, though a little extra can help in weak sun if you stay within its limits. Check the voltage and plug limits in the manual; a panel array above the voltage limit can damage the station.
MPPT
Maximum power point tracking: the solar charge controller inside most stations that gets the most out of a panel as light changes.
Sun hours
Hours of strong, direct sun. We count 75% of a panel’s rating as real output; see the solar guide.
Pass-through charging and UPS
Pass-through means running devices while the station charges. A UPS mode switches your devices to the battery when grid power fails, within a stated time in milliseconds. Check that time and the UPS load limit, which can be lower than the station’s rated output, before relying on it for computers or medical devices.
Pure sine wave
The kind of AC power wall outlets supply. Portable power stations from the major brands output a pure sine wave, which motors, chargers and sensitive electronics run best on.
Expansion battery
An add-on battery that plugs into some stations to add Wh. It adds capacity, not output: the station’s continuous output limit stays the same.
Operating and charging temperature
Most stations can run below freezing but can’t charge below 32°F; each station page lists the maker’s limits. Cold also cuts usable capacity, so the advanced calculator has a cold-weather allowance.
Quick answers
What is the difference between Wh and W?
Wh is how much energy the battery stores; W is how fast a device uses it. Hours = Wh × 0.85 ÷ W.
Is surge the same as boost or lifting mode?
No. Surge is a brief burst for starting motors. Lifting or boost modes let a station power heating devices rated above its output, still within its rated watts, and don’t help motors start.
Put the terms to work in the calculator.
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