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Battery or gas generator for a power outage
kWh capacity, 120 or 240 V, panel hookup, winter and safety: what a portable power station can do during an outage, compared with a gasoline generator.
In short
A “battery generator” is a power station: it stores electricity, it doesn’t produce it.
- It gives off no carbon monoxide. A gasoline generator, on the other hand, must never run inside the house, the garage or the shed.
- What it can power depends on two figures: its capacity (in Wh) and its output (in W).
- The electric water heater, baseboard heaters and many well pumps often run on 240 V (check their nameplate): only some power station models supply it.
- To connect it to the panel, you need approved interconnection equipment (a transfer switch or a panel designed for that purpose), installed by an electrician.
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What a battery generator is
After every big outage, the same question comes back: can one of those big portable batteries replace a generator? The answer depends on what you want to keep running, and on two figures printed on the unit’s spec sheet.
It’s a portable power station: a big battery with an inverter and outlets. It doesn’t make electricity, the way an engine-driven generator does. It gives back what was put into it when it was charged. When it’s empty, it has to be recharged.
What it can power
Two figures count:
- Capacity, in watt-hours (Wh): the amount of energy stored. It’s what determines how long it lasts.
- Output, in watts (W): what it can deliver at the same time. It’s what determines how many appliances it powers at once.
The basic calculation is simple: an appliance that draws 100 W for 10 hours uses 1,000 Wh. Your appliances’ consumption is printed on their nameplate or in their manual.
A few common models, according to the manufacturers’ pages and manuals (these are examples, not recommendations):
| Model | Capacity | Output | Voltage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus | 2,042.8 Wh | 3,000 W | 120 V (240 V with 2 units) |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | 3,600 Wh | 3,600 W | 120 V (240 V with 2 units and an accessory) |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 | 3,840 Wh | 6,000 W | 120/240 V |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 4,096 Wh | 4,000 W | 120/240 V |
| Jackery Explorer 5000 Plus | 5,040 Wh | 7,200 W | 120/240 V |
120 V or 240 V
The refrigerator, lighting and small electronics generally run on 120 V. Other appliances need 240 V, often the electric water heater, baseboard heaters and many well pumps: the voltage is printed on their nameplate. A power station that only supplies 120 V can’t run them, even if its output seems sufficient.
It’s the first figure to check if you have a well or if you want to heat a room during the outage.
Connecting it to your panel
Plugging appliances directly into the power station, with extension cords, is simple. To power circuits in the house, you need equipment to connect to the panel. The manufacturers offer some in Canada:
- EcoFlow: the Smart Home Panel 2, which can also accept a 3 to 12 kW fuel-burning generator. EcoFlow specifies that it must be installed by a qualified electrician.
- Jackery: a manual transfer switch, sold on its Canadian site.
- Anker: a 10-circuit manual transfer switch and a home kit, sold on its Canadian store.
Connecting to the panel is an electrician’s job. In Québec, the Régie du bâtiment doesn’t allow you to do it yourself, even in your own home.
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A battery doesn’t like the cold. The manual for the EcoFlow DELTA Pro, for example, states that it only charges between 0 and 45 °C, and that it discharges between −10 and 45 °C. So it isn’t made to stay in an unheated garage in winter. Check these ranges in the manual of the model you’re interested in.
Indoors: the risk that remains
A power station doesn’t burn fuel: it gives off no carbon monoxide, and the manufacturers say it can be used indoors. The risk that remains is heat. EcoFlow asks that it be kept away from heat sources and in a dry, ventilated place.
A gasoline generator is the opposite. Health Canada is clear: never run it indoors, in the garage or in the shed, and place it at least 6 metres from any building.
The fixed battery, connected to the panel
The power station described above is a portable device, recharged when it’s empty. The fixed battery is a different device: a set of one or more batteries and one or more inverters, permanently connected to the home’s electrical panel. That connection is an electrician’s job, as for a power station you want to connect to the panel.
When the battery is connected in parallel with Hydro-Québec’s grid, Hydro-Québec’s authorization is also required. The application guide for standard E.12-07 covers battery storage systems, and it’s the master electrician who files the connection request, preferably before the equipment is bought.
In one of the setups we install, the hybrid inverter and its battery are connected to the main panel, and a secondary emergency panel, fitted with a manual transfer switch, groups the circuits to keep running during an outage.
Since October 1, 2026, Rénoclimat pays up to $4,000 for adding a fixed battery. The system must, among other things, be at least 5 kWh and not be isolated from the electricity distributor’s grid. The rebate covers the equipment: the master electrician’s fees are excluded, as are transportable batteries, and therefore the power stations described in this guide.
The setup, the emergency panel and the steps up to Hydro-Québec’s final authorization are on our fixed backup battery page.
Battery, gas, or both
| Battery power station | Gasoline generator | |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon monoxide | None | Yes: outdoors only, 6 m from the house |
| Energy available | Limited to its capacity, then it must be recharged | As long as there is fuel |
| 240 V | Depending on the model | Depending on the model |
| Panel hookup | Manufacturer’s equipment, installed by an electrician | Approved transfer switch, installed by an electrician |
| Cold | Charging ranges to check | Used outdoors |
For an outage of a few hours and a few appliances, a power station can be enough. For a long outage, you need a source that produces electricity: a portable generator connected to a transfer switch, or an automatic generator.
Frequently asked questions
Can a battery generator power a house?
A few circuits, for a limited time, yes. The models cited in this guide store about 2 to 5 kWh, and some accept extra batteries. To know what you need, the calculation starts from what you want to keep running.
How long will it run my refrigerator?
Divide the power station’s capacity (in Wh) by your refrigerator’s consumption (in W), printed on its nameplate or in its manual. A refrigerator doesn’t run continuously: the estimate gives a ballpark figure, not a guarantee.
Can it be connected to the electrical panel?
Only with approved interconnection equipment, installed by an electrician. For the panels and transfer switches sold by these manufacturers, we didn’t find any Canadian certification: ask for the label before buying.
Can it be used inside the house?
Yes, it gives off no carbon monoxide, and the manufacturers say it can be used indoors. Keep it away from heat sources, in a dry, ventilated place. A gasoline generator, on the other hand, never indoors.
Does it work in the cold?
It depends on the model. The EcoFlow DELTA Pro, for example, doesn’t charge below 0 °C and doesn’t discharge below −10 °C. Check the temperature ranges in the manual.
Can it replace an automatic generator?
Not for a long outage: a power station stops when its battery is empty, while an automatic generator produces electricity as long as it’s supplied with natural gas or propane. For short outages and a few appliances, a power station can be enough. A fixed battery, permanently connected to the panel, can also back up the chosen circuits, but it too only gives back the energy stored, then has to recharge: see our fixed backup battery page.
Is it certified for Canada?
At the time of writing this guide, we didn’t find any Canadian certification mark on the official pages of the models cited. Ask the seller for it, especially if you want to connect it to the panel.
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Sources
The figures cited in this guide come from the documents below, consulted on October 4, 2026. Manufacturers’ spec sheets change: check them before buying.
- Health Canada, preventing carbon monoxide exposure
- Jackery Canada, Explorer 2000 Plus
- Jackery Canada, Explorer 5000 Plus
- EcoFlow, 240 V accessory for the DELTA Pro (Double Voltage Hub)
- EcoFlow, using a power station indoors
- CMEQ, Informel, January 2020 (interconnection equipment) (in French)
- EcoFlow Canada, DELTA Pro 3
- EcoFlow, DELTA Pro manual
- EcoFlow Canada, Smart Home Panel 2
- Anker SOLIX Canada, F3800
- Anker Canada, transfer switch
- RBQ, work you can do yourself (in French)
- Québec.ca, Rénoclimat participant’s guide, section 4.6 (in French; consulted on October 15, 2026)
- Hydro-Québec, application guide for standard E.12-07 (in French; consulted on October 15, 2026)