Quick guide to technical specifications on solar batteries

Here are some common scientific terms you will come across while shopping and comparing models for a power station:

• Watts

A power rating that describes the maximum energy output available, meaning how many devices a portable station can run at a time (higher watts means you can power up more devices at a time). It’s a measure of energy transfer per second, 1 watt means 1 joule per second.

Different devices require different watts output to run, for example a Microwave Oven requires around 750 watts, a 27” TV would require around 100 watts. A 1000 watt output, means you can do everything from charging your phones and tablets to keeping a mini fridge running or setting up a space heater to stay warm during a winter storm.

 Note: In electrical terms, energy means the capacity to do electric work, whereas power means rate of energy transfer per unit time.

• Volts

Voltage (V or Volts) describes the potential of energy to move, sort of like water pressure. It’s the expression of available energy per unit charge. In easy words, it shows the power rating (what sort of power-hungry devices you can run) and what sort of equipment will your system power-up. The primary voltage used in US sockets is 110 Volts. The alternative, 220 Volts, is used in universal sockets that can fit power plugs from any country, and some european sockets.

• mAh (milliampere/hour)

mAh shows how long a battery can last, or sustain a constant discharge of energy in milliampere. If the power is increased, it affects the mAh value with a higher discharge.

• Whatt Hours Wh

Watt hours are a unit of measure that dictates how long a certain amount of power can be dissipated over time. The Watt Hours is the number of watts that can be discharged per hour. As a hypothetical example if a device like a vacuum cleaner requires 1000 watts of energy, then a powerstation with 1000 watt hours could power it for one hour. If a device like 27” TV requires 100 watts of energy then a powerstation with 1000 watt hours could power it for 10 hours.

This unit helps to evaluate amounts of energy available for a task performed within a time frame. As an additional practical example certain electric powerstations with 6070Wh can keep a standard refrigerator running for up to 100 hours, a CPAP machine for 90 hours, and outdoor lamps for almost 550 hours.

• Ports

Different model powerstations have different types of ports and different numbers of ports. These are the outlets that let you plug in different types of power cords. The most common ports, are AC ports which are similar to the sockets you would find on your wall. AC ports are different in across different countries, some powerstation models come with a universal AC port which can take plugs from any country. Most powerstations also come with USB-A and USB-C ports for charging cell phones and laptops as well as DC input for solar charging and DC output, which is similar to a cigarette lighter in your car.