Starlink is the load that catches people out — it runs continuously and pulls more than a laptop. Wattonomy estimates the solar and battery it takes to keep one online, then designs the whole system, with the wiring and parts to build it.
A real Wattonomy output — a Starlink-ready off-grid build
System
12 V
Battery
5.12 kWh
Solar
400 W
Inverter
MP 12/2000 120V
SmartSolar 150/351×
200W solar panel2×
Battery → inverter cable4×
Battery → inverter fuse1×
Wire & fuse sizes follow ABYC E-11 — each conductor carries its fuse and stays under a 3% voltage drop.
Built to ABYC standards
Gauge · fuse · volt-drop sized
Every spec sourced
Always-on internet is an always-on load.
Because Starlink runs day and night, it’s often the biggest single draw in a small build — and an under-sized bank means it drops offline overnight. Wattonomy sizes the battery, solar and cabling around continuous use, to ABYC E-11.
What it takes to run Starlink
Wattonomy’s baseline is a standard dish running continuously at about 1,000 Wh/day; the Starlink Mini or scheduled sleep draws less, the high-performance dish more — enter your measured watts for an exact result.
Daily energy
About 1,000 Wh/day for a standard dish running continuously; the Mini or scheduled sleep draws less, the high-performance dish more — add your real figure for an exact design.
Battery
Enough LiFePO4 to keep the dish online overnight and through a cloudy day without dropping too deep.
Solar to replace it
In fair sun a few hundred watts replaces a day’s Starlink draw with margin; poor sun needs more or a second charging source.
Cables & fuses
Sized for continuous current and voltage drop, with the right fuse — to ABYC E-11.
What you walk away with — free
A full system sized to keep your Starlink online — battery, solar, inverter
A real wiring diagram with cable gauges and fuses
Cable & fuse sizing with the voltage drop checked
A shoppable parts list, each line traceable to ABYC or Victron specs
Building it for real? Unlock the build binder.
Free gets you a safe, correctly-sized design. The build binder gets you the documents to build it right — and prove it's right.
Printable wiring diagram, yours to keep & tape inside the build
Full parts list, every line sourced
The volt-drop & fusing calculation trail — the "why" behind every spec
The build binder is a one-time unlock — no subscription, no auto-renew.
Questions
How much solar do I need to run Starlink?
A standard dish running continuously draws about 1,000 Wh/day, so a few hundred watts of solar in fair sun replaces it with margin; the high-performance dish or poor sun needs more. Wattonomy sizes it from your figure and climate — enter your measured watts for an exact result.
How many batteries to keep Starlink on overnight?
For a ~1,000 Wh/day setup a battery around 5 kWh (roughly 400Ah at 12V) keeps it online overnight plus a cloudy morning. The Mini or scheduled use needs less — the tool sizes the exact bank.
Can solar run Starlink without a battery?
Not reliably — Starlink runs day and night, so it needs a battery to carry it through darkness and cloud. Solar recharges the battery; the battery runs the dish.
Does this cover the high-performance / Gen 3 dish?
Yes — those draw more than the standard dish, so add your dish’s real watts as a custom load and the tool sizes the bank, solar and wiring around it.
The standards we build to
Plain version: these are the recognized rulebooks your design is sized against, so the numbers hold up to a surveyor, an inspector or an insurer.
ABYC E-11The US standard for AC & DC wiring on boats — what a surveyor or insurer actually checks.
Wattonomy applies these standards in its calculations. It is not certified, sponsored or endorsed by ABYC, ISO, NFPA or Victron — it sizes your design to meet what they require, and shows the working.
Sized and checked to ABYC E-11. Last reviewed June 2026 — see the full methodology for the exact rules behind every number and how each design is validated.
Built by anABYC Certified Master Technician