In the past and presently, we have had electrical power disruptions because of faults and load shedding. It, therefore, comes to reason that having back-up power, whether it is to sustain your business operations or maintain a comfortable lifestyle, has become essential.
There are a number of easily accessible options out there—electrical generators, UPS systems, and solar installations. Which one should you go for?
I would advise either a solar installation for an off-grid solution or a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) system to deal with power cuts. If you’re trying to cut costs, an electrical generator is a bad idea (even if the initial purchase price is cheaper). Why is this a bad idea?
- For a generator to run, it needs fuel. You will have to refill that generator after a few uses.
- With fuel prone to price increases and shortages, this not only becomes expensive, but inconvenient as hell. On top of the purchase price, your generator will be costing you money from day 1 of use.
- Like other fuel engines, your generator has routine maintenance costs—changing oil and filters, for example.
- Because of fuel costs (and because some generator models have a recommended maximum run-time before they must be switched off to cool down), you will, most likely, not have uninterrupted power. Can you imagine running a generator daily for 10–18 hours each time? That generator will become a half-solution.
- You will have to consider secure generator storage outside of your house. If you don’t already have a caged and roofed area, you will need one constructed.
For roughly the same price as a decent diesel generator, you can get a solar installation that can power your lights, electronics, and refrigerator. You can get a gas stove for cooking.
Why solar power?
- You pay once, and you have to think about the next purchase in 3 or more years when you need to replace batteries. The battery/ batteries cost a few hundred dollars, and spread over several years, the cost becomes insignificant.
- Your batteries are charged by solar panels (for free) during daylight hours and/ or by inexpensive power from the power utility at night.
- Because you are essentially getting “free” power from nature, and there are no cool-off times, you can afford continuous, uninterrupted power. What a liberating idea it is to have continuous power without paying a single cent toward operational costs.
- Because of the cheap operational costs, you can opt for an automatic changeover system utilising a UPS for uninterrupted power.
A UPS system is more or less like a solar installation but without the solar panels. Batteries are solely charged by power from the power utility.
If your area is fault-prone, continuous power is essential for your premises, and you have the money, it’s better to include the solar panels.
A few tips when considering a solar/ UPS solution
- Always go with a company/ components with industry-standard warranties.
- Get as high a power rating as you can afford (and need) for your UPS/ inverter. The power rating will determine the electrical appliances you can use on your back-up power system. If the one appliance you need to be connected is the refrigerator, get an inverter that can power it. Batteries and solar panels can always be added onto the installation if the existing ones prove inadequate.
- Consider switching from incandescent/ fluorescent lamps to LED lamps. LED lamps are much brighter whilst consuming less power. Whereas a 6–9 Watt LED lamp will brighten a room, you would likely need a 15–20 Watt fluorescent lamp or 60–100 Watt incandescent lamp for the same effect. The cumulative effect for an entire house will result in a substantial difference. Although LED lamps cost a little more, they will prove more practical in extending your solar battery time and possibly reducing the required UPS power rating.
How to select an optimal solar/ UPS back-up system on a budget
Step 1: Low Power Consumers
Determine the basic devices and appliances that have to be powered by your back-up system. These could be your lights, laptop, smartphone, Wi-Fi modem, television, and decoder. Calculate the maximum instantaneous power these devices will draw. You can do this by adding the power ratings of the appliances you think will likely be connected simultaneously. Most appliances have their power rating in Watts (W) printed underneath or at the back of the device.
The value you get after your calculation will be the baseline—you should not get an inverter/ UPS rated lower than this value.
Step 2: High Power Consumers
Determine the highest power consumer (just one) you will NEED to be powered by your back-up system. You may have to consider your microwave, refrigerator, kettle, or borehole pump. Usually, these high power consumers don’t need to be run continuously or simultaneously—you can switch off your refrigerator and run your borehole pump or microwave for a few minutes. Choosing only one high power consumer ensures that you can get a lower-rated and cheaper inverter/ UPS, battery bank, and solar panel array.
Add the power rating of the chosen high power consumer to the baseline value calculated in Step 1. The result will be the minimum power rating (in Watts) for your inverter/ UPS.
Step 3: Installation
There are two options—get a solar technician/ engineer/ company to do it for you or do it yourself. If you decide to go with a company/ technical expert, make sure to describe your needs (as determined in Step 2) and to get a tailored solution. If you get a standard package, it will likely satisfy more than your needs and may be too expensive.
If you are confident in your technical abilities, you can buy your own components (solar panels, cables, charge controller, batteries, and UPS) and do the installation yourself. The easiest installation would consist of two interconnected systems:
- Solar panels, charge controller, and batteries
- Batteries, UPS, and AC connection (at the main electrical distribution board)
If you decide to do it yourself, you must be comfortable with the idea of calculating the size/ rating for your battery bank, solar panel array, and charge controller. You can get help from a tech-savvy friend or one who already has a solar installation at their home.
With a combination of research on solar installations, basic electrical knowledge, and reading device manuals, you can easily do your own installation. Just be certain you understand what you’re doing before you attempt the installation—you wouldn’t want to damage any of the equipment you would have bought.
For more useful practical advice and tips, check out the PDF eBook, Living Mindfully on a Budget.
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