Before you can size your solar system, you need to know how much power your stuff actually uses.

Here are your two options.

Option 1: Get Our Solar Estimator 

Option 2: Check it Manually by following the steps below.

Step 1: Check the Label

Look for a small metal plate or sticker on the appliance.
It usually lists Watts (W), Volts (V), and Amps (A).

• • If it says Watts, you’re good — write that number down.

• • If it only says Volts and Amps, use this formula:

• • Almost every appliance (fridge, microwave, TV, fan, etc.) has a little metal plate or sticker on the back, side, or inside door.

• • Look for:
    
    • • “Wattage (W)” — If it says “Watts,” you’re golden.
    • • If it says only “Amps” and “Volts,” don’t panic — you can still calculate it.
    • • If no Watts are listed, just use this easy formula:

Watts = Volts × Amps

Example Calculation:

120 Volts × 5 Amps = 600 Watts

That’s it. No math degree required.

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Watts = Volts × Amps

Example: 120V × 5A = 600 Watts

Thats it. No Math Degree Needed.

Step 2: Estimate Runtime (Hours Per Day)

Once you know the wattage, you need to figure out how many hours a day the appliance is usually running.

Examples:

• • Refrigerator: runs about 8–10 hours total over a day (cycling on and off)

• • TV: maybe 4 hours a day

• • Lights: depends on how much you live like a vampire

(Just ballpark it honestly — perfection isn’t required.)

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• • Refrigerator = 8–10 hours/day (cycles on and off)

• • TV = 3–4 hours/day

• • Lights = depends on your vampire habits

Step 3: Use the Calculator

Enter the Watts and Hours Per Day into the calculator we provided.
It will do the heavy lifting — adding up your daily energy usage.

Step 4: Record It (Use the Calculator We Gave You)

• • Enter the Watts into the calculator.

• • Enter the Hours Per Day.

• • The calculator will automatically figure out how much energy that appliance burns daily.

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Step 5: Add It All Up

• • The calculator automatically totals everything.

• • That total shows how big your battery bank needs to be to keep everything running.

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Step 6: Double-Check With a Kill-A-Watt Meter (Optional)

For tricky appliances or old equipment with no labels,
plug them into a Kill-A-Watt Meter ($25) to see exactly what they pull.

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That’s it.
You’re not guessing anymore.
You’re building your power freedom — with real numbers.

Because guessing is for gamblers. You’re building for survival.

Quick Example for a Typical Homeowner:

Appliance	Watts	Hours per Day	Total Watt-Hours/Day
Refrigerator	600W	8h	4800 Wh
Lights	150W	4h	600 Wh
Television	100W	3h	300 Wh
Laptop	50W	5h	250 Wh
Fan	75W	6h	450 Wh
Total			6400 Wh/day

This homeowner needs about 6.4 kWh of battery storage per day (plus backup buffer).

BONUS TIP: Make It Even Easier

If you can’t find any label on old appliances:

• • Use a Kill-A-Watt Meter ($25 on Amazon)
    
    • • Plug it into the wall
    • • Plug your appliance into it
    • • It tells you exactly how many Watts it’s pulling.

Totally foolproof for fridges, TVs, coffee makers, you name it.

FINAL WORDS:

You don’t need to be an engineer to build your off-grid power system.
You just need the right guide, a basic calculator, and the stubbornness to double-check your numbers.

Final Word: Don’t Be a Dumbass with Your Power Budget

Whatever number you come up with — jack it up by at least 30%.

Why? Because chaos is the only thing you can count on.
Your fridge will run longer.
Your wife will decide it’s baking day.
And Uncle Bob, God bless him, will show up swinging a chainsaw the size of a Buick, bleeding your battery bank dry before you can say, “Shut it down, Bob!”

Plan for war, not for a picnic.

Power like your survival depends on it — because someday it just might.

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