How much backup power do I need during loadshedding?
Loadshedding has been ongoing in South Africa since 2007 and by all accounts, will not end anytime soon.
According to recent comments made by Sikonathi Mantshantsha, Eskom Spokesperson, loadshedding is here to stay. “We cannot put a time frame, loadshedding is here until we have 4,000-6,000 megawatts of capacity to connect to the system.”, Mantshantsha said to Radio 702 on last week, Monday (18/07/2022).
The best loadshedding solution is to ensure that you have your own backup power supply.
But how do you calculate the inverter and battery size you need? Here’s how to work it out!
DETERMINE YOUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION
The battery storage capacity is determined by how much electricity your home or place of business draws daily. Calculate this, and then use some basic math to figure out how much storage space you'll need for a backup battery.
According to Eskom, a home uses 30 kWh of electricity per day on average across the country. Your home or company's electricity needs may be very different from the national average.
EVALUATE YOUR ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
Add up the power consumption of all the electrical devices in your house or place of work to determine your daily energy usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Although simple to execute, it takes a little time.
Start by listing all of the appliances that utilize power, such as the wifi router, lights, TV, and refrigerator. Calculate the daily power usage for each device by multiplying the wattage rating required by the usage hours.
CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF HOURS YOU REQUIRE POWER FOR DURING LOADSHEDDING
You can do this by simply reading through Eskom’s Loadshedding schedule or by using any of the free-to-use loadshedding apps. Depending on the Stage of loadshedding being applied, power outages can last for over 2 hours.
In some cases, multiple rolling blackouts can occur for more than 3 hours at a time 4-times a day.
CALCULATE HOW MUCH BACKUP POWER YOU NEED DURING LOADSHEDDING
Now that you have determined your energy consumption along with your energy requirement and you know how long you need power.
You are ready for the final step which is to calculate your required inverter and battery size. Simply take your required energy total and multiply it by the number of hours you need power.
Alternatively, you can use our free backup power calculator!
Or contact an InPower specialist today for professional service and expert opinion.
