We will talk about four options for backup power supply in a blackout, consider their pros and cons in the current conditions, and also collect links to other useful materials on the topic in one place.

Four working solutions

Prolonged power cuts are also fraught with a lack of heat, water and other familiar urban benefits. The discomfort associated with these restrictions can be reduced or eliminated in one of the following four ways, namely by:

  • generator;
  • mobile charging station;
  • uninterruptible power supply with rechargeable batteries;
  • a car inverter connected to a car battery (it can be under the hood or in the house).

The backup power capabilities of all these devices are based on operating power. For basic domestic needs (especially in force majeure), even a value of up to 2 kW will suffice. Although everything is individual. The second defining moment is the autonomy time. But here it is already necessary to consider each option separately. First, we will talk about some important introductory points.

The question of cooking: it will be difficult without gas

In ordinary life, total electrification is a path of progress (just look at the growing popularity of electric vehicles) with an abundance of pluses and a minimum of disadvantages. But with force majeure, the situation changes.

Electric heating (including with the help of air conditioners), water heating with a boiler, an induction hob turn into a “pumpkin” when the light goes out, and a modern apartment turns into a renovated cave. That's when everyone remembers that a gas hob and oven is not such a bad option. Yes, there is often not even a timer with auto-off and accurate temperature control, but in an emergency you can:

  • cook food;
  • heat water to buy a baby;
  • warm up the kitchen and not so quickly feel cold due to the heating radiators that have become cold.
Kitchen gas appliances get a new life.

Accordingly, in apartments or houses with gas, a complete blackout is definitely not as critical as in housing without it. And by the way, if problems with centralized gas supply suddenly add to the lack of electricity, almost any modern gas stove (hob) can be connected to a cylinder and again enjoy the basic benefits of civilization.

What should residents of apartments without gas do? At a minimum, it is worth buying a tourist gas burner and cylinders for them. They have risen in price this fall, but their initially low cost makes such an investment feasible for almost everyone.

The presence of a stationary or tourist gas stove in blackout conditions is also preferable because it allows you not to use a backup energy source to power very wasteful kitchen appliances.

Experienced tourists are initially better prepared than others for difficult conditions.
Gas Burners

Water and heat

With water and heating, the situation when the light is turned off can be very different. Much depends on where you live in the private sector or an apartment building.

Why, in case of force majeure, a private house usually seems to be more versatile housing than an apartment? At a minimum, due to the fact that the first one almost always has a house adjoining area and more or less autonomous water supply. In a more or less modern private house, this is its own well, while the rest have a water intake column or a well. That is, in private housing, you can stay with water even during a large-scale blackout, when city services (vodokanal) shrug their shoulders and promise to restore everything (2-3 hours maximum).

Another potential advantage of private housing in the absence of light is the greater variability of heat supply. Often here you can warm yourself not only with gas, but also with solid fuel, including the “good old” firewood. In case of a serious blackout, there will be no central heating in the apartment. Accordingly, you can not do without backup power for the use of air conditioning or heaters.

But the apartment has its advantages. In them, the energy consumption is usually significantly lower. There are fewer wasteful appliances (there is no deep pump, septic tank, boiler, etc.) and it is a little easier to establish backup power.

Water from the well is a clear plus, but you need to feed the pump.

The simplest example is related to the same well. To obtain water from it, it is necessary to feed the deep pump. Yes, this is a device with moderate power consumption, but also with high inrush currents. At the start of work, it has an increased power consumption (from 3 to 7 times more than during subsequent work). Suppose, for a kilowatt pump, at startup, the power consumption can reach 5 kW for several seconds, and not every generator will pull it (not to mention other devices, such as UPS or charging stations).

The apartment also has devices with high starting currents. These are primarily air conditioners and washing machines. But their short-term increase is not so large (up to 3 times). And the same washing machines are far from the most obligatory electrical appliances for use in case of force majeure.

It is also a little easier for apartment dwellers to organize themselves in order to overcome the challenges of a possible blackout together. For example, some OSMBs are actively discussing drilling wells in a closed area of a residential complex in order to have an alternative source of water. Also, for example, residents of one entrance / house can buy a powerful generator together. It is much easier to connect it to all apartments of a high-rise building than to several private houses remote from each other.

Deep pumps

Work and Internet

Many people, even during a blackout, need to somehow study or work. To everyone who needs computer equipment for this, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with our material “How to organize remote work during power outages”.

The highlight is a laptop with good autonomy and / or support for the Power Delivery charging protocol. The latter will allow you to power the laptop using a power bank, which also supports this technology.

As the practice of prolonged blackouts in Ukraine (according to planned schedules or emergency) shows, the main “bottleneck” is not the autonomy of portable computers, but the Internet. The main wire disappears along with the light, as the central routers in the basement or in the attic of high-rise buildings stop working. Mobile Internet remains for some time, but then it also disappears completely, or video communication “does not pull” its speed.

What alternatives are there for this case?

The first is the Passive Optical Network (PON) technology, when a fiber optic cable is brought into the apartment directly (without intermediaries in the form of routers), and the Internet connection is provided by a special terminal installed in the subscriber's apartment. This terminal has low power consumption like a regular router, so it can even be powered by a power bank. But in this case, the possibility of providing such a service depends on the provider, and not on the desire of a particular user.

Starlink is no longer a dream, but a reality, if not a necessity.

The second alternative is Starlink terminals, that is, satellite Internet. This is a technology already actively used in our country, which has proven its effectiveness in difficult conditions. The disadvantages include the high price of acquisition and use (monthly subscription starts at $ 60). But here, too, you can consider the option of joint acquisition for a group of people (for an entire office, residents of one house, etc.).

It is also worth considering that Starlink is not entirely suitable for the first floors and basements: the quality of communication with the satellite can “limp”.

In any case, in order to be able to work (charge a laptop, power a router or other equipment for the Internet), protect food in the refrigerator from spoilage, warm up with a heater or operate a gas boiler, a backup power supply will be needed during a long blackout. And here we return to a detailed consideration of the alternatives given above.

Power bank for laptop charging

Option number 1: generator. The most effective, but not the most versatile

Probably, the best (most effective) of all in domestic conditions during long blackouts are gasoline generators. They can power various household appliances, ranging from small gadgets to stoves, air conditioners, borehole pumps, etc. What can we say, if such devices allow businesses to keep working, including large industrial enterprises.

You will find the maximum information about the selection rules in the material "How to choose a backup power generator".

Generators for a private house are excellent backup power without any obvious disadvantages.

Here are a few key takeaways:

  • The power of the device depends on your needs. To meet basic needs, models from 2 kW are usually needed. Even 2000 W is enough for a refrigerator, laptops and other mobile devices;
  • even a very modest power generator (about 1.5 kW) will be able to solve the basic tasks of survival in an apartment. Let not all at once, but in turn, but still. It will be possible to power a convector or an inverter air conditioner from it so as not to freeze. Then heat the water in a small boiler (up to 50 liters). What can we say about laptops, smartphones, routers and various "small things";
  • it is best to operate the generator in a private household, and not in a high-rise apartment, since these devices are not the quietest and must be placed outdoors to remove exhaust gases;
  • it is also permissible to operate generators to the apartment (especially when it comes to force majeure). Low power models are not very noisy. Plus, for a balcony or loggia, you can consider appliances with a special soundproofing casing, and they work even quieter than washing machines during the spin cycle.

The key problem with generators today is the rush price increase. Since the summer, the price tags have literally doubled. Today, the simplest models for 1 - 2 kW cost the same as they previously asked for more powerful inverter ones, that is, quieter, more economical and giving out the correct AC sine wave necessary for delicate equipment.

Main plus : the generator is able to compensate for literally everything needed in energy consumption. The main thing is to choose the right power.

Main disadvantage : problems with accommodation in apartment buildings + rush price increase.

Over the year, a household-class generator has risen in price by 2.5 times.

Features : noise, the need to remove exhaust, fuel consumption (on average up to 0.5 liters per 1 kW of electricity per hour), the need for maintenance (refueling, oil changes, etc.).

Who suits? This is a great choice for a cottage, mansion, other private housing. Also, the generator is a compromise choice for residents of the first floors of apartment buildings and apartments with balconies.

Who is not suitable? Those who live in apartments without a balcony. True, even here there is a way out - the purchase of one powerful generator for the whole entrance.

Alternators with acoustic casing

Option number 2: mobile charging station. Stylish, fashionable, youthful, but expensive

If suddenly you have not heard about EcoFlow brand products, then first of all we recommend that you read the material “Autonomous power supply: what are portable charging stations?”. In short, this is a large 230V power bank, which nevertheless retains mobility and other features.

Charging stations break sales records in our country.

Various electrical appliances can be connected to the charging stations. What exactly? Depends on the effective power. So, it is permissible to connect not only any laptop, but also a refrigerator to models up to 500 W. Something more serious will “pull” versions of 800 W or more. True, the power ceiling at charging stations is still lower than that of generators or top-end UPSs. For example, the flagship EcoFlow DELTA Pro has 3600 watts.

The autonomy of mobile stations cannot be compared with generators. The latter can work for days on end (the main fuel is regularly replenished), here the autonomy time is limited by the available battery. For the flagship model mentioned above, this is 3600 Wh, that is, a pair of electric burners of the corresponding total power can work from the station for about an hour. But if it is a router, a laptop, lighting and a refrigerator, then the time will increase tenfold.

You can “increase” autonomy by adding additional batteries. But this is where the downsides begin. Both extra batteries and charging stations themselves are expensive. And now because of the excitement and even more so.

In many ways, this is a price for convenience and unpretentiousness. Connecting any devices is simple and clear, noise is possible (but not great - the cooling fan turns on periodically). Subsequent charging is quite fast (sometimes even faster than modern power banks). Another feature is the variability of the charging process of the station itself. Many models can be connected in addition to conventional sockets to the car's cigarette lighter or powered by solar panels (purchased separately).

The main plus: convenient, unpretentious operation.

The main disadvantage: the high price (for the devices themselves and for additional batteries) + a rush rise in price right now.

Charging stations added almost 100% in price over the fall, but even earlier they were not cheap compared to conventional UPSs.

Features : low maximum power (there are literally a couple of models for 3+ kW), convenient transportation, fast and variable charging.

Who suits? For those who are ready to overpay for comfort during a blackout.

Who is not suitable? For those who need to power several powerful devices at the same time.

Charging stations

Option number 3: UPS + batteries. Less hyped but effective alternative to charging stations

UPS, that is, uninterruptible power supplies, can also be considered for the role of backup power supply. The best option in this case inverter UPS. During operation, they correct the voltage in the network, that is, they do not need additional stabilizers, and even in offline mode (powered by batteries) they produce an ideal AC sine wave, that is, they are literally safe for any equipment.

Just inverter UPSs are often notable for the highest power parameters compared to other “uninterruptibles”. In practice, this means that a suitable device can be found to power a single appliance or an entire multi-apartment building. Of course, the cost of the most powerful solutions will be appropriate.

For a private house, inverter UPSs up to 3 kW are considered quite enough, and even 2 kW can be limited to an apartment. This should be enough to back up the most important household appliances, including the refrigerator, computer equipment, main lighting, etc.

Battery life directly depends on the capacity of the batteries. Most inverter UPSs support external batteries. If necessary, you can purchase an impressive amount of batteries to be ready for many hours of blackout. True, a rack of batteries can take up a lot of space, significantly exceeding in size any generator along with several cans of gasoline.

This is what a truly standalone UPS system looks like.

To determine the optimal battery capacity, you can not do without calculations. It is necessary to take into account the desired battery life, and the average load in the home network, and the efficiency of the inverter UPS.

You can find more information about calculations and types of UPS batteries in the article "How to calculate the operating time of home and computer equipment from batteries". Immediately, we note that with an average load of 500 W, a 1000 Ah battery pack should be enough for about a day of battery life. Accordingly, at 100 Ah - up to 2.5 hours.

You can determine the average load in your house or apartment by reading the electricity meter. If he “winded up” 300 kW per month, then an average of 10 kW of consumption per day comes out, and hourly - 415 watts.

Ideally, such a backup power system should be mounted next to the distribution panel and connected to it. In this case, during an emergency power outage, the necessary devices will automatically switch to work from the UPS.

Main plus : balance in terms of price, quality and safety.

The main disadvantage : bulky with good autonomy.

Features : they work quietly, protect against overloads, you can’t do without calculations before buying the whole kit, if you don’t build the system next to the switchboard, then you will need a lot of wires and extension cords.

Who suits? Those who are not ready to spend money on mobile stations and cannot use the generator.

Who is not suitable? There are no such.

Inverter UPS

Option number 4: Car set of auto- inverter and batteries. Alternative for the car owner

Another backup power supply system for electrical appliances during a blackout is based on a car inverter, that is, a device that converts 12 V DC to 230 V AC.

There are two possible schemes of work in this case:

1. Option for a country house with a car "at hand". We open the catop of the car, connect the inverter to the car battery. We start the engine at idle. The current through the inverter (there is at least one outlet here) can be supplied to household electrical equipment - directly or through the electrical panel. In fact, the car and the converter perform the function of a generator.

2. Option for an apartment without direct use of the car. We remove the battery from the car (or buy a new one, that is, it is not necessary to be a car owner), connect it to an auto-inverter, and from the latter we power the necessary home devices. To subsequently charge the battery, you must either install the battery in the car (without discharging it to zero), or use a special charger. You can also find on sale universal auto-inverters with a charging function. That is, if you connect the inverter to the outlet, then through it it will be possible to power the car battery.

In fact, the last scheme will be similar to the UPS + batteries. That is, the increase in autonomy is achieved in the same way - with a certain number of batteries. Fortunately, this is a fairly sought-after product in the car market, that is, you can later sell unnecessary batteries.

Usually, an autoinvetor is taken to a car interior, but times are changing.

It should be borne in mind that a lot of low-quality auto-inverters offered for sale. The declared power indicators in practice can be 2 or even 3 times lower. That is, instead of 3000 W, there can be about 1500 W, and this is still not bad. There are also questions about the quality of the converted current (jumps and deviations from the desired sinusoid are possible).

Not everyone will like to periodically switch the battery between the inverter and the charger through the terminals with "crocodiles" (plus there may be several batteries). Although for avid motorists, this will definitely not cause problems. Plus, such a kit will come out the cheapest (even if you need to buy a charger).

Main plus : you can do without a generator and get a similar result.

Main disadvantage : a suitable set must be correctly assembled and connected.

Features : probably the lowest cost of all options, you can’t do without calculations before buying the whole kit, there may be questions about the quality of the current (not all auto-inverters produce a sinusoid).

Who suits? Car owners, especially those who like to spend time in the garage.

Who is not suitable? For those who are not ready to understand the nuances, connect the terminals, etc.

Car Inverters

As a conclusion

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the listed options for providing backup power supply do not exclude, and if necessary, can complement each other quite well. For example, a small mobile charging station can be combined with an inverter UPS. The first device is useful for powering mobile and various low-current gadgets, and the second is for powering vital household appliances, such as a refrigerator, heater, etc.

Plus, a lot of generators provide a 12 V output, that is, they can be used to recharge car batteries. And if there are several of the latter, then with a long blackout it will be more convenient to power them in this way, and not alternately connecting them to the car.