Interactive off-grid planning
Starlink battery runtime and solar calculator
Estimate daily energy use, usable operating time and the solar capacity needed to replace Starlink’s consumption.
This is a planning estimate, not an electrical design. Use wattage measured from your own equipment under representative conditions whenever possible, and include every other load in the vehicle or property separately.
Enter your system assumptions
How the estimates are calculated
Daily energy
Average watts × operating hours. A 50-watt average used for eight hours is 400 Wh per day.
Usable runtime
Battery volts × amp-hours × usable percentage × conversion efficiency ÷ load watts.
Solar replacement
Daily watt-hours ÷ peak sun hours ÷ solar-system efficiency. This replaces only the entered Starlink load.
What it excludes
Fridges, lights, pumps, computers, router accessories, standby loads, battery charge inefficiency and reserve for poor weather.
Use better inputs
- Measure average consumption across real usage, not only idle operation.
- Observe startup and adverse-weather peaks.
- Use a realistic operating schedule instead of assuming 24 hours.
- Follow battery manufacturer limits for usable depth of discharge.
- Use conservative seasonal solar hours for the places and months you travel.
- Have critical or high-current systems checked by a competent installer.
Power questions
Why does my measured wattage change?
Network activity, hardware, temperature, weather, heating features and Wi-Fi demand can all affect consumption. Design from representative measurements with margin.
Is a 100 Ah battery enough?
Amp-hours alone are insufficient. Voltage, usable depth, conversion losses, Starlink load, operating time and every other electrical load determine runtime.
Should I use an inverter or DC conversion?
The better approach depends on your hardware, approved power requirements, safety protection and total system design. Compare measured end-to-end efficiency rather than assuming one method is always superior.