At Cummins Inc., we know the importance of having power when you need it. We’ve reliably powered vehicles, homes and businesses for decades, all through a variety of solutions. But one of the most versatile units we offer is our portable power stations: compact, off-the-grid energy sources that provide temporary power for one or more devices.

Power stations have a lot of great uses—and they’re not just for recreation or emergencies. One Cummins employee in particular, Susan Morales, saw this firsthand. Morales manages two Cummins branches on the west coast, both of which make extensive use of our Onan power stations. Read on for her story with this affordable, compact source of energy—and why you should consider purchasing one today.

Use case #1: Power for outages

Morales's story begins where most think about having off-the-grid power: when an outage hits. One of her branches in Downey, which both sells parts and does repair work on vehicles, used power stations during a planned outage. "We were probably without power for three-quarters of the day," explained Morales. "Downey got a notification from the electric company that they were going to have a power outage…so we had to jump into gear and say, 'okay, what are we going to do for power? We're still open for business…we need to be able to have our computers and technology.'"

Like for most businesses, power is critical to Morales's operations. Much of their intake and service operations are digitally-based, so losing power means far more than losing lights. "You can't answer phones to give updates, or to answer questions for customers," said Morales. She also stressed that much of their business happens on computers, which would eventually die without the ability to recharge. Thankfully, her second branch in Santa Fe Springs uses power stations for field service work and had some units to spare. She had these brought in for the temporary Downey outage, also renting a generator to charge them all when needed.

"We had one at each desk for the office staff," said Morales. "We had some for lighting, as well as for the shop, for the technicians. But we also used them in our parts department, which is separate from our service facility-so that they could have their computers up and running."

Use case #2: Power for the field

As mentioned above, Morales's branch in Santa Fe Springs primarily does service work for Cummins clients-many of which need power at all times, such as hospitals or companies that use refrigeration. Technicians often have to do service work in places where grid power is not typically accessible, and they rely on power stations to keep their service computers running.

"They sometimes need a source away from the truck," explained Morales, "especially if they're doing something that requires their laptops. And they can run out of power, depending on how long the event is." Thanks to the power stations, this Cummins service branch can quickly perform their work, helping many organizations for which maintaining power is a matter of life or death.

“If there is not a power source available [for service work],” Morales continued, “these little power packs come in handy…technicians can power their laptops while they're working at the locations.”

Use case #3: Power for personal use

A portable power station has uses beyond the business world. Perhaps the best evidence for this comes after the planned outage, where some of Morales's employees bought power stations of their own. Morales offered several reasons why a portable power station made sense in the home-even for herself. "They are really just so small…it's not like you have to go make room for it-I mean, it could pretty much fit anywhere. They're pretty reasonably priced as well, [so] it's not like you have to spend $2,000 to have something on standby that you may or may not use. Some are less than $200, depending on what size you get."

Morales said her techs found many uses for the power stations-not just in emergencies, but for recreational activities, such as having a portable power station for camping.  "I just feel it has more utility in your day to day life," offered Morales, "whereas generators are more for emergencies. I think if you're an avid camper, you probably have a generator that you take…but you could use the generator to charge little power stations."

So overall, is it worth it to buy a portable power station? Morales thinks so-regardless of who you are or what your use case may be. "They're a nice thing to have," she said, "and a good backup plan if you're looking at 'How do I plan for emergencies?' Definitely good to have as a resource, even if you think you're not going to need it."

Power Stations: FAQ

To supplement this article, we’ve included a few common questions about power stations, along with some answers.

What is the difference between a battery pack and a power station?

Generally, the difference is size and capacity. Battery packs (or power banks) are typically much smaller than power stations; battery packs often fit in a purse or backpack, whereas power stations are the size of a purse or backpack. But with more size also comes more utility. Power stations like the Onan PS1000 have multiple outlets and can power multiple devices for hours simultaneously, whereas battery packs have significantly less capability and output.

How long will a portable power station run?

That depends on the unit’s output and what device(s) you are powering. The PS300, which can support up to 9 devices at a time, has varying runtimes depending on the use case. For example, it can charge a smartphone 14 times, charge a laptop 3 times, or power a CPAP device for up to two nights.

What size portable power station do I need?

The right size depends on your use case—in other words, how much power you need, for how long you need it, and how important compactness is. If you’re looking for a backup energy source for an oxygen machine, you might consider the Onan PS1000, which can power CPAP devices for up to 79 hours. On the other hand, if all you need is a small device that charges a cell phone, then the PS100 is likely a better choice. Consider what you’ll use the station for, and how critical it is to maintain power over sustained periods of time.

Want to learn more about portable power stations?

At Cummins, we have the power—and thanks to our portable power stations, you can too. Browse our line of Onan power stations and find the best portable power station for your use case today. Whether you’re wanting backup power for your small business, emergency energy for a personal medical device, or even just a way to listen to music in the great outdoors, there’s a power station that’s right for you.