What Size Battery Do You Need to Weather a Hurricane?
Hurricane season can be a stressful period in many southeast regions of the United States. Growing up, we had to have gas generators to supply the devices during a breakdown. Now there are batteries that can do the same thing, but it can be difficult to know what size is best for you.
What to expect from the greatest portable generators
Let’s start with the largest portable power plants, capable of providing close to what we will consider an entire backup. Unlike their advertising, I am less quick to say that they can really feed your whole house, unless you are ready to spend several thousand dollars.
I will focus mainly on the power plants of Anker Solix, because these are the units I bought and that I know the most. But other companies such as Jackeny, Ecoflow and Bluetti all sell power plants of the same size.
These portable electrical stations extend the definition of laptop. My anker Solix F3800 Plus weighs only a few books less than me, although it has at least wheels and can be rolled from room to room. This type of power plant tends to cost between $ 2,500 and $ 3,500.
Electrics of this size store up to 5,000 Whs, and only one unit can supply a refrigerator for more than a day. Indeed, your average modern refrigerator with a freezer uses somewhere in the stadium of 1300 watts over 24 hours. Keep in mind that power plants use a certain quantity of their own power covering AC DC energy, even if they are inactive, so that mathematics are not as simple as dividing 5000 per 1300. Units of this size can use about 30 to 70 Watts per hour simply.
- Brand
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Anker
- Dimensions
-
27.6×10.3×15.6
- Weight
-
136.7 lb / 62 kg
The ANKER F3800 Plus is an update version of the Anker F3800 solar generator, offering the same capacity of 3.84 kWh and 6000W. This model is delivered with an improved load, with a new maximum solar input of 3200W and 165 V, as well as a 240 V support of a gas generator.
Most power plants support extension batteries, which can multiply the storage capacity. Many allow systems over 30 kWh. You spend much more than $ 10,000 (otherwise $ 20,000) at this stage, but your home may need a system of this size if you want to continue to supply just as you would with an integrated emergency gas generator – and the system may still not be powerful enough to start large loads like a 5 -ton generator.
So let’s come back to more practical use. I live in a fully electric house in a rural area, and we have a generator input port which allows me to connect a portable power station to our power panel. When the power goes out, an F3800 can manage our refrigerator, a good pump, a septic tank, ceiling fans and internet at home for about 7 to 10 hours.
It is not an infinite power, nor the whole house, but it is enough to resist most of the power outages quite comfortably. That said, you will need multiple units, solar panels or a gas generator to recharge the system if you need to resist a longer breakdown of several days or weeks.
With enough portable solar panels, you can withstand a breakdown indefinitely. My wife and I have resisted several short electricity failures since the purchase of an abundance of power plants. In the kind of beautiful summer days that generally follow a hurricane, your portable power plant can end the day with more energy than it started. In our case, with two 400W panels connected to an F3800, the unit gained energy while actively feeding our house.
What about the following size?
Under the largest power plants, you find slightly smaller and lower units such as the Anker Solix F3000. The DJI Power 2000 that I examined earlier this year also enters this category.
Electric power plants of this size are always able to supply large devices such as a refrigerator or a washing machine. However, he cannot execute so many household appliances, however, limiting his use as a home backup solution, although they often come with the necessary ports to connect to your reception panel.
Units like the F3000, which I have not since needed the biggest outing of the F3800, may be sufficient for a smaller house with fewer loads. They are also a more profitable way to cope with breakdowns if you live in an apartment where you are more likely to connect directly to the power plant anyway.
- Dimensions
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25.6 x 11.8 x 14.8
- Weight
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91.5 lbs
- AC input notation
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120V ~ 30a max, 3 600W max, 60Hz, L + N + PE
- CC exit ports
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13.4v⎓30a
The anker Solix F3000 portable power station has incredible versatility for everything, from emergency feed to outdoor adventures. It is not the easiest to transport, but its set of extensible features compensates.
If you do not need the additional power of a larger power plant, it is worth going with a slightly smaller unit like this which is easier to store and move. After all, these units are often also available with extension batteries to compensate. You can usually get this type of power plant for less than $ 2,000.
The best size for most people
Then we have portable power plants of around 1000 Wh. These generally resemble 12V car batteries with handles and alternating sockets. I consider this to be the ideal size for most people. They are light enough for most adults to pick up but powerful enough to supply most of the devices. Most are at a price of less than $ 1,000 and are often on sale for half of this.
A 1000 W battery can always pass a refrigerator through your typical breakdowns which last only a few hours. They can power hot plates for cooking or operate a fan. They can load phones and pocket computers by several tens of times. With a fast portable solar panel or two, you can usually recharge them in less than three hours.
We have several batteries of this size to reduce the load we put on our F3800. In this way, our largest battery can focus on background loads such as the refrigerator, water and internet while we use our Anker Solix C1000 to power the luxuries as the TV.
- Brand
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Anker
- Dimensions
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14.8 × 8.07 × 10.5
- Weight
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28.4 lb
- Outing ports
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Pure sinusoidal wave of six / 1800W (rise 2400W)
The new Anker Solix C1000 is a compact but powerful 1800W portable plant. It contains 11 different ports, an CA 2400W power overvoltage, integrated lighting and more. Load all your equipment or prepare for an emergency.
Do not reduce the smallest power plants
Now we arrive at the size which, surprisingly, constitutes my favorite power plants. These are the smallest units of less than 500 Wh. In my case, it is the Anker Solix C300. The units of this size are ideal for powering portable devices, internet routers, fans and lights. They are the easiest to move around the house, but they do not have the power to supply large devices.
I love these units because their small size and low weight make them the easiest to grasp. When we go on a trip, we now take a portable power plant with us. This is enough to load several devices at the same time, all at faster speeds than our cars provide it. But the ease with which these are part of a car is not only a luxury. Small power plants are the easiest to wrap if you need to evacuate.
I would not think of these smaller units like the central part of your emergency supply kit, because they will not prevent food and drugs from spoiling, but they can end up being the ones you reach the most. They often also have integrated lights that you can easily leave overnight for several days.
- Dimensions
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4.9 × 4.7 × 7.9
- Weight
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6.17 lbs
- CC exit ports
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100 W pobite
The Anker Solix C300 DC is a versatile and portable power plant with a capacity of 288Wh and an output of 300 W. It has several charging ports, including two double-direction USB-C ports 140W, and can be recharged via an AC socket, a solar panel or a car charger. This makes it perfect for outdoor adventures, travel and emergency backup power.
When it comes to relying on the batteries during a breakdown, a battery is better than nothing, and multiple is better than one. Fortunately, you can develop gradually over time as your budget allows. And when you are done, you can say goodbye to wait in long lines of gas station during the emergencies. Just make sure to check that your batteries are loaded and operate before the storm arrives.
