Starlink Power Supply: What Size Power Station to Run Starlink?

Running Starlink on portable power is essential for off-grid living, traveling, or ensuring uninterrupted connectivity during electrical outages. But how much energy does Starlink actually require, and which portable power station (PPS) is best suited for the job? 

You can stay online anytime, anywhere, by understanding energy consumption across different Starlink models and pairing them with the right PPS size. Now, let’s get started so you can stay connected.

How Much Solar Power Do You Need To Run Starlink?

To calculate how much solar power you need to run your Starlink, you must first know how much energy your particular model consumes. For instance, the Mini only consumes about 40W during active use, while high-performance models could consume 150W. 

Once you know your wattage, you must also calculate the kWh or Wh of usage, which is the number of watts or kilowatts simply multiplied by the length of time it needs to run in hours. Note that 1 kW = 1000W. To calculate its Wh for a 24-hour day, multiply the wattage by 24 hours to get the daily energy consumption. 

This table shows the average energy consumption for the standard, enterprise, mini, and high-performance models during active usage and idle usage. It also includes a calculation showing how much electricity is needed to keep the models running for a full 24-hour day. 

This information will help you decide which size of EcoFlow Portable Power Station you need to run your hardware. If you want to use the power for a different number of hours, ignore the 24-hour usage and multiply the energy consumption by 8 hours, 12 hours, or however long you need to stay connected. 

Keep in mind that the PPS will need recharging after a day or two, depending on your model. This is where solar panels come into play. If you have a suitable-sized array to recharge your PPS, you can keep your Starlink running indefinitely. The solar battery inside the PPS will store the energy your solar panels produce during the day. 

That way, you can stay connected and have internet for entertainment or work even at night or during bad weather when the sun isn’t shining and the panels are not producing electricity.  

Which Portable Power Station Should I Choose To Run Starlink?

For Starlink Mini: EcoFlow RIVER 3 Portable Power Station

The EcoFlow RIVER 3 Portable Power Station is a small solar generator with 245Wh capacity, perfect for running the Mini and a Wi-Fi router since your Mini only consumes 20-40W. Let’s assume it’s using 30W the entire time. In that case, you could run it for 8 hours without a recharge. 

Of course, there may be times when it is idle, in which case it will last longer. Also, to get more online time, simply hook up your portable solar panels to the PPS. The sun will recharge the power station during the day when the sun is shining, and its solar battery stores that energy so that you can still keep your Mini powered up, allowing you to stay connected day and night. 

For Starlink Standard: EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus

For standard systems that draw more power, you need a larger capacity PPS. The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus starts at 1024W capacity. This is enough energy to run a standard Wi-Fi router and Starlink hardware for your entire workday, even with multiple connected devices. In fact, it will keep you actively connected for more than 12 hours without a recharge. If simply idle, it will last about two days. 

The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus is also large enough to run household appliances during a power outage. To keep your internet connection and essential appliances running for days during an outage, you would simply need to recharge your PPS during the day using solar panels so you can still use it again at night.

For Starlink High Performance: EcoFlow DELTA 3 Pro

High-performance systems use the most energy, which makes sense since they are optimized for performance rather than energy consumption. This means you will want to invest in a larger PPS for your high-performance system. 

For instance, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Pro is a powerful unit with an impressive 4000W capacity that is also expandable with extra batteries. This allows it to be used as a whole-home generator, offering plenty of energy to run an entire house, whether as an off-grid electricity solution or for whole-home backup during outages. Even without the expandable capacity, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Pro will provide plenty of power to run high-performance satellite connections. 

If your high-performance system is running actively at 150W, you can stay connected for 26 hours or more without a recharge! So, even if you have lots of work or are doing a marathon video game competition, you don’t even have to take time out to sleep. Combine that with some solar panels to keep it recharged, and you will never worry about being disconnected again.      

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Starlink’s energy needs vary depending on the model and hardware that you have, as well as how many devices are connected and how much data they use. Still, staying connected with the right EcoFlow Portable Power Station is simple and efficient. 

The compact and lightweight EcoFlow RIVER 3 Portable Power Station can keep you connected if you’re running a low-power Mini for casual internet usage. Or, maybe you’re a heavy internet user, whether for work or play, and need a high-performance system, so the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Pro has you covered. 

Even with heavy usage, it will keep you connected for more than 24 hours without a recharge. Add solar panels to either option and create an eco-friendly, off-grid solution that runs your internet day and night.