Two very different disasters bracket the way Arkansas loses power. In January 2009, an ice storm devastated the northern half of the state and left communities without electricity for days. In March 2023, an EF3 tornado tore straight through Little Rock and its suburbs, ripping out power along its track. Entergy Arkansas and SWEPCO cover most of the state, with cooperatives serving the rest, but neither a winter ice storm nor a spring tornado waits on your utility’s restoration timeline. If you are already comparing Arkansas solar quotes, it is worth understanding what most installers skip: a grid-tied rooftop system shuts off during a blackout unless you also have storage. A solar generator is one quiet, fuel-free way to close that gap.
Two real Arkansas outages, two different timelines
The ice storm of 26 to 28 January 2009 was a slow-building crisis. Outages in northern Arkansas grew from about 150,000 customers on the afternoon of 27 January to around 350,000, at least 30,000 utility poles were downed or snapped, and as many as eighteen deaths were reported across the state. A week later, on 3 February, about 100,000 customers were still without power. The tornado of 31 March 2023 was over in minutes but did concentrated damage: an EF3 with 165 mph peak winds, tracking just over 34 miles from west Little Rock to the south side of Cabot. Entergy Arkansas peaked at about 54,000 customers out just before 7 p.m. that Friday, and its crews had to deal with more than 1,500 damaged or destroyed poles, 435 transformers and nearly 2,000 spans of wire, with Pulaski County the hardest hit. Restoration for the 2023 event ran for several days, and the 2009 one ran for weeks in places.
Ice and wind, one backup plan
Ice and wind hit Arkansas from opposite seasons, but they leave homeowners in the same spot: a house with no power for days, and roads and gas stations that may not work either. Neither cares whether your power comes from Entergy Arkansas, SWEPCO or a rural co-op. A battery power station paired with solar panels covers both without fuel, fumes, or noise.
How long each Jackery runs a Arkansas home’s essentials
Size against energy used per day, not the wattage printed on the box. These are typical figures; your own appliances will differ, so check the label on each.
| Load | Typical draw | Energy per day |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge/freezer | ~150W running (cycling) | ~1,200Wh |
| Wi-Fi router | ~10W | ~240Wh |
| LED lights (ten bulbs) | ~50W | ~300Wh (6 hrs) |
| Phone and laptop charging | ~20 to 60W | ~150 to 250Wh |
| Window AC (summer storm) | ~900 to 1,200W while running | ~4,000 to 6,000Wh |
| Furnace blower (winter ice storm) | ~300 to 600W | ~1,500 to 3,000Wh |
| Central AC or well pump (240V) | ~2,000 to 3,500W | ~8,000 to 14,000Wh |
Fridge, lights, Wi-Fi, and phones add up to roughly 1,900 to 2,000Wh a day. Here is how long each unit lasts on its stored charge alone, before any sun comes back, allowing for about 15% lost in conversion.
| Unit | Stored energy | Essentials only (~1,950Wh/day) | Fridge alone | A window AC cycling (~700W average) | Furnace blower (~400W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HomePower 3000 | 3,072Wh | about 1.3 days | about 2 days | about 3.5 hours | about 6.5 hours |
| HomePower 3600 Plus | 3,584Wh | about 1.6 days | about 2.5 days | about 4.5 hours | about 7.5 hours |
| Solar Generator 5000 Plus | 5,040Wh | about 2.2 days | about 3.5 days | about 6 hours | about 10.5 hours |
The takeaway: a battery alone carries the fridge and lights for a couple of days, but anything that heats or cools a room drains it in hours. Panels, or a smaller list of loads, are what turn hours into days.
Sizing a solar generator to your Arkansas home
Start with the heaviest load you care about, then work down. If you want to keep central air or a 240V well pump running, you need real output. The Solar Generator 5000 Plus delivers 5,040Wh and 7,200W with both 120V and 240V, and expands to 60kWh.
Solar Generator 5000 Plus specs and price at Jackery (7,200W, 120V/240V)
Most homes do not need that much. The HomePower 3600 Plus (3,584Wh and 3,600W, expandable to 21kWh) ties into your circuits through a transfer switch and handles a window AC plus your essentials. It is the practical middle for a typical Arkansas household. See the HomePower 3600 Plus specs and price at Jackery.
If your only goal is to protect the fridge, Wi-Fi, and lights for a day or two, the HomePower 3000 is the lower-priced option, and its bundle includes solar panels so it refills mid-outage. Check the current price of the HomePower 3000 (panels included).
| Unit | Capacity / output | Best for in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|
| HomePower 3000 | 3,072Wh, 3,600W, panels included | Essentials for one to two days |
| HomePower 3600 Plus | 3,584Wh, 3,600W, expandable to 21kWh | A window AC plus essentials through a tornado-season outage, or a furnace blower through an ice storm |
| Solar Generator 5000 Plus | 5,040Wh, 7,200W, 120V/240V, expandable to 60kWh | Central AC on 240V or a well pump |
Solar versus a gas generator in Arkansas
Every one of these Jackery units is LiFePO4, runs near 30 decibels, produces zero exhaust, and can be stored in a closet or garage. After a tornado or an ice storm, gas stations can lose power too, and a generator that depends on fuel can be hard to keep running.
- Indoor safety and carbon monoxide. A battery station vents nothing and can run with the house closed up.
- Noise. About 30 decibels versus the 60 to 90 a gas generator runs at.
- Fuel. The battery is charged before the storm and refills from the sun after. Fallen trees can block roads to the nearest working gas station for days.
- Maintenance. Oil, carburetor, and monthly test runs for gas. A monthly top-up for the battery.
- What gas still does better. A very long outage with no sun, and whole-house 240V at a lower upfront cost.
Set-up checklist before the season starts
- Charge to full and top up monthly.
- Keep it indoors in a closet, garage, or utility room, away from direct heat.
- Write down which loads go on it. Fridge, AC or furnace blower, router, one lamp per room. Tape the list to the unit.
- Buy extension cords rated for the load. A short 12-gauge cord for the fridge and AC runs.
- Test the AC or furnace blower on the battery once before the season starts.
- Keep the panels accessible for daylight recharging during a multi-day outage.
- Pair the HomePower 3600 Plus with a transfer switch for hardwired circuits. Licensed electrician only.
- Keep a battery-powered CO alarm regardless. A neighbor’s gas generator can still put CO in your house.
If you are not sure which size fits, list what must stay on, add up the wattage, and match it to a unit with room to spare. Compare all Jackery home backup options.
Keep reading: Arkansas solar incentives & costs · Best solar generators for home backup (Missouri) · Best solar generators for home backup (Oklahoma)