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.
Prepared by the Solar Calculator HQ editorial team. Review our formula, source and limitation standards.
Solar Generator Sizing Calculator
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.
- 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.
- Runtime per day (h) — actual run-time. A fridge cycles 8 of 24 hours.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 × hoursBattery 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 × 1.25Solar 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 case | Battery Wh | Inverter W | Solar input W | Total kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend camping (phone + lights + CPAP) | 300–500 | 600–1,000 | 100–200 | C$550–950 |
| RV / van life (12 V fridge + appliances) | 700–1,200 | 1,200–1,800 | 200–300 | C$1,000–2,000 |
| Power outage essentials (fridge + router + lights) | 1,000–2,000 | 1,800–2,400 | 300–500 | C$1,600–3,200 |
| Whole-home critical loads (fridge + furnace blower + sump) | 3,000–5,000 | 3,000–5,000 | 800–1,200 | C$3,500–7,000 |
| Off-grid expandable (modular packs) | 6,000–18,000 | 4,000–7,200 | 1,200–3,600 | C$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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- NRCan — Photovoltaic potential and solar resource maps of Canada — PSH by location
- CanmetENERGY — federal solar research and design tools
- Canada Greener Homes program — federal grant and loan details
- CSA C22.1 — Canadian Electrical Code — wiring and grounding requirements
- Statistics Canada — Electricity reliability data — average outage minutes by province
- Solar Industry Magazine — Canadian market reports — installed-cost benchmarks