About Lights On Lab

Hi, I'm Daniel, and I run Lights On Lab.

The idea is simple. When the power goes out, or before you spend a few hundred dollars on a battery or a generator, you should be able to get a clear answer to "what do I actually need?" without digging through spec sheets, sponsored top-10 lists and forum arguments.

So the site has two parts: free calculators that show their working, and guides that explain the reasoning instead of just telling you what to buy.

What it covers

• Portable power stations and home batteries
• Portable, inverter and standby generators
• Portable solar panels and charging
• Getting through outages in houses, apartments and RVs

How the content is made

Every calculator explains the formula behind its answer, so you can check it yourself. Product specs come from the manufacturers' own spec sheets, and where real-world results usually differ from the label, the guides say so.

Products and prices change, so guides get revised when specs, models or recommendations change, and the date at the top shows when that happened. And safety comes first: if a job needs a licensed electrician, the guide says so, and you won't find shortcuts like backfeeding recommended here.

How the site makes money

Lights On Lab is free to use. It earns money from display ads and, in some articles, from affiliate links: if you buy something through one, the site may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Brands don't pay for placement and don't get a say in what's recommended. The affiliate disclosure has the details.

Get in touch

Found a mistake, have a question, or want something covered? Every message gets read. Email hello@lightsonlab.com or use the contact page.