The December 2007 ice storm remains one of the most destructive outages in Kansas history: freezing rain on 10 and 11 December coated lines and trees across the state, and the power outages affected around 260,000 people. Back then the utility was Westar Energy, which is now part of Evergy, and it sits inside the wider Southwest Power Pool (SPP) grid. Add tornado season and summer straight-line winds, and Kansas homes face outages in every season. If you are already comparing Kansas solar quotes, remember that a grid-tied rooftop system shuts off during a blackout (anti-islanding) unless you also have storage. A solar generator is one quiet, fuel-free way to close that gap.
Two real Kansas outages, two different causes
The 2007 ice storm was physical damage. Ice loaded lines and limbs until they snapped, and the damage to the electric system alone was estimated at $136 million, the costliest ice storm in Kansas history. It was part of a December 2007 storm run that knocked out power to roughly 1.5 million customers from Oklahoma north to Iowa, so crews were stretched thin across several states at once. The February 2021 cold snap was a different kind of outage: nothing was broken, but the regional grid ran short of supply. On 15 February 2021 the Southwest Power Pool ordered controlled interruptions for the first time in its history. Evergy rotated power off in blocks of roughly 30 to 60 minutes, hitting about 60,000 customers on the Monday and nearly 100,000 (about 10% of its customers) on the Tuesday. Short rotating outages in a deep freeze are a poor fit for a gas furnace, because the blower stops each time, and a battery that switches over in a moment covers exactly that gap.
Why ice, not tornadoes, is the grid’s worst enemy
Tornadoes are the state’s signature threat, but ice does the most sustained damage to the grid. A tornado’s outage is intense and local; an ice storm’s is broad and slow to fix, glazing hundreds of miles of line at once. Sizing backup in Kansas means planning for a multi-day event, not an afternoon: you want a battery that carries your essentials and refills from the sun between rounds of weather.
How long each Jackery runs a Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Kansas 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 Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| 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 summer wind 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 Kansas
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 an ice storm or a tornado, 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: Kansas solar incentives & costs · Best solar generators for home backup (Oklahoma) · Best solar generators for home backup (Missouri)