Calculator – SteamKick

Your devices

Rename any device to tell similar ones apart (e.g. "PoE camera – barn" vs "PoE camera – house"). Uncheck "Essential" for devices you could live without if power is tight.

STEP 2

Your goal

What size do I need?

How long will my station run?

How many solar panels?

Days of autonomy

Custom (days)

Enter a positive number of days.

Power everything via DC directly (12V / PoE), skip the inverter

Your station's capacity (Wh)

Assumes all listed devices run at the same time, continuously.

Peak sun hours in your area

4 hours/day — check your local average (NREL PVWatts or similar).

Assume worst case: all motor-driven devices (fridge, fan, pump…) start at the same time

STEP 3

Result

How this is calculated

Usable battery fraction Inverter/AC path efficiency DC-direct path efficiency Solar system efficiency Inverter idle draw (W)

These are working assumptions, not guarantees. Real-world runtime is shorter than the math suggests — cold temperatures, battery age, and inverter idle draw all reduce it. Values outside a sane range (0–1 for the fractions, ≥ 0 for idle draw) are automatically clamped.

Peak load normally assumes only one motor-driven device starts at a time (the worst single startup surge). Turn on "assume worst case" above if you might run two motor loads together, e.g. a fridge and a well pump on the same station.

See our full methodology.

Estimate only — not a substitute for the manufacturer's specifications. For critical equipment, add a safety margin. Some links on this page are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure.