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Solar Generator Sizing Calculator (Canada)

Size a portable solar generator for Canadian camping, RVing and power outage backup. Calculate battery Wh, inverter W and panel input with Canadian sun-hour data.

Solar Generator Sizing Calculator

Daily energy (Wh)
360 Wh
Battery capacity (Wh)
889 Wh
Inverter continuous (W)
1,500 W
Solar input (W)
290 W

How to use this calculator

The Canadian solar generator calculator above turns a load profile into three numbers: battery capacity in Wh, inverter continuous power in W, and solar input in W. Enter average load, daily runtime, peak surge and Canadian peak sun hours — outputs update instantly.

  1. Average load (W) — sum the running wattage of everything running at once. A laptop runs 50 W, a 12 V cooler 40–60 W, LED lights 5 W each, a CPAP 30–60 W.
  2. Runtime per day (h) — actual run-time. A fridge cycles 8 of 24 hours.
  3. Days of autonomy — Canadian summer in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes generally works at 2 days; the Prairies and BC interior 1 day. Winter and shoulder seasons need 2–3 days minimum.
  4. Peak surge load (W) — the largest single load. A 1,200 W kettle, 1,500 W hair dryer, fridge compressor start 1,500–2,200 W. The calculator multiplies by 1.25 to size the inverter.
  5. Peak sun hours — NRCan PV-potential annual averages: southern Ontario / southern Quebec 3.6–4.0, Prairies 4.0–4.5, BC south coast 3.0–3.5, Maritimes 3.4–3.8, Northern Territories 2.5–3.5.

How the math works

Three first-principles formulas:

Daily energy:

daily_Wh = avg_W × hours

Battery capacity (Wh):

battery_Wh = daily_Wh × autonomy / (DoD × inverter_eff)

60 W × 6 h × 2 days at 90% DoD and 90% inverter efficiency: 720 / 0.81 = 889 Wh. Round up — 1,000 Wh class units are the Canadian camping sweet spot.

Inverter continuous (W):

inverter_W = peak_W × 1.25

Solar input (W):

solar_W = battery_Wh / (PSH × charge_eff)

At Canadian average 3.6 PSH and 85% charge efficiency: 889 / 3.06 = 291 W. Plan a 300 W folding array.

What a solar generator costs in Canada (Q1 2026)

Pricing from EcoFlow Canada, Jackery.ca, Bluetti Canada, Anker SOLIX Canada, Canadian Tire and Costco.ca portable-power categories:

Use caseBattery WhInverter WSolar input WTotal kit
Weekend camping (phone + lights + CPAP)300–500600–1,000100–200C$550–950
RV / van life (12 V fridge + appliances)700–1,2001,200–1,800200–300C$1,000–2,000
Power outage essentials (fridge + router + lights)1,000–2,0001,800–2,400300–500C$1,600–3,200
Whole-home critical loads (fridge + furnace blower + sump)3,000–5,0003,000–5,000800–1,200C$3,500–7,000
Off-grid expandable (modular packs)6,000–18,0004,000–7,2001,200–3,600C$7,000–19,000

Provincial sales tax adds 5–15% depending on province; HST in Ontario / Maritimes is built into shelf prices at Canadian Tire and major retailers.

Where most Canadian solar generator buyers under-size

Three common patterns from the EcoFlow Canada community, Quebec solar forums and Canadian Tire reviews:

  1. Sizing on running wattage, ignoring surge. A 1,000 W inverter handles a 700 W coffee maker but trips on a fridge compressor or furnace blower start.
  2. Solar input sized for Texas, not Toronto. A 200 W panel that recharges a 1 kWh unit in Phoenix delivers about half that in Ottawa in October.
  3. No cold-weather plan. LiFePO₄ batteries refuse to charge below 0°C without internal heaters. EcoFlow Delta 2 and newer Bluetti models include heating; older Jackery units don’t. Critical-load winter backup must use a model with built-in low-temp protection.

Pair this with the off-grid system calculator, battery bank calculator, and RV solar calculator

This calculator gives the headline three numbers for a portable unit. The off-grid calculator scales the same logic to a fixed cottage or remote build. The battery bank calculator drills into Ah at 12 V / 24 V / 48 V (AWG for wire per CSA C22.1). The RV solar calculator picks roof-mount panel wattage for Canadian RV / van builds.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What size solar generator do I need for car camping in Canada?
For a weekend trip with a 12 V cooler, LED lights, phone charging and a CPAP — about 60 W average for 6 hours/day plus a 1,200 W kettle in short bursts — you need a 700–1,000 Wh battery, a 1,500 W continuous inverter and a 200 W folding panel. Canadian peak sun hours range from 3.0–4.5 (NRCan PV potential maps), so plan more solar input than equivalent US/AU loads. Common Canadian retail picks: EcoFlow Delta 2, Jackery Explorer 1000 v2, Bluetti AC180, Anker SOLIX C1000.
Will a solar generator power my fridge during a power outage?
A Canadian Energy Star refrigerator draws 90–140 W running and cycles about 8 hours/day — 720–1,120 Wh/day. With one day of autonomy at 90% LiFePO₄ DoD that's roughly a 900–1,400 Wh unit. Compressor surge can hit 1,500–2,200 W, so plan a 2,000 W continuous inverter. Realistic options through Canadian Tire, Costco.ca and the EcoFlow / Jackery / Bluetti Canadian sites: EcoFlow Delta 2 Max, Jackery 2000 Plus, Bluetti AC200L.
How much solar panel do I need to recharge a portable power station in Canada?
Take battery Wh ÷ (PSH × charge efficiency). A 1,000 Wh unit at Canadian average PSH 3.6 and 85% MPPT efficiency needs 1,000 / (3.6 × 0.85) = 327 W of panel. Plan a 300–400 W folding array. In winter (Nov–Feb) PSH drops to 1.0–2.0 across most of Ontario, Quebec and the Prairies; solar recharge isn't reliable and DC–DC vehicle charging or AC mains becomes the primary top-up.
Do solar generators qualify for the Canada Greener Homes Grant?
The Canada Greener Homes Grant (closed to new applicants 22 February 2024 but ongoing for already-approved files) and successor provincial programs target permanent, EnerGuide-evaluated home improvements installed by qualified contractors. A portable solar generator that's plug-and-play does NOT qualify — only fixed PV + battery systems installed by accredited installers are eligible. The Canada Greener Homes Loan (interest-free up to $40,000) is also limited to fixed installations.
Solar generator vs gas generator in Canadian winter?
A 2 kWh solar generator runs an Energy Star fridge plus lights plus router for about 14 hours silently — fine for most Canadian outages, which average 5–6 hours/year (Statistics Canada / Hydro One data). Gas generators are necessary for multi-day winter ice-storm outages where solar recharge is unreliable; -25°C also degrades lithium battery output (LiFePO₄ loses about 30% usable capacity below -10°C without internal heaters). Most rural Canadians run both: solar for silent shoulder-season backup, gas/propane for the deep-winter emergency.

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