In order for the charging station to meet all your basic needs in autonomous power, you need to understand how much energy your devices consume per day. Techno 24’s recommendations and a special calculator will help you with this.

How to calculate electricity consumption

Step 1: Make a list of required devices

Start by making a list of devices you’ll need in case of a power outage, such as lamps, refrigerators, laptops, medical devices, and other essential devices. Prioritize the most important devices to maintain basic functions in your home.

Step 2: Check the device’s power

Determine the power consumption of each device in watts (W). This information is usually found on the device itself, the power supply, or the user manual. If it’s not available, you can find it online by searching for the manufacturer’s specifications. Be aware that some appliances, such as refrigerators or water heaters, have a higher starting power than their normal operating power.

Step 3: Estimate your daily usage time

Estimate how many hours per day you will use each device during the outage. For example, a refrigerator can run for 12 hours and a laptop can run for 4 hours. This estimate will help you calculate the daily energy needs of each device.

Step 4: Calculate your daily watt-hour consumption

To determine the daily watt-hour (Wh) consumption of each device, multiply the device’s wattage by the estimated daily usage time. Use this formula:

Daily W/hour consumption = Device power (W) x Daily usage time.

For example:

• Refrigerator: 150 W x 12 hours = 1,800 W-hours
• Laptop: 60 W x 4 hours = 240 W-hours
• LED light: 10 W x 5 hours = 50 W-hours
• Phone charger: 5 W x 2 hours = 10 W-hours

Step 5: Calculate total daily household consumption

Add up the watt-hour ratings for each major appliance to determine the total daily watt-hour requirement. In the example above the total is 2100 Wh.

Step 6: Add security buffer

Add a 20-30% buffer to the total consumption to avoid overloading the station and to account for unexpected voltage spikes. Multiply total power by 1.3 (for 30% buffer).

An example of a buffered calculation:
2,100 Wh x 1.3 = 2,730 Wh

This buffer allows the charging station to comfortably support your devices without overcharging.

Charging station selection

Once you know your total daily watt-hour needs, look for a station that meets or exceeds that requirement. Following these steps will ensure your devices stay on when you need them most and help you maintain essential functions in your home during a power outage.

By the way, thanks to the rewlogan/power calculator created by a Ukrainian product designer, you will be able to simplify the energy calculation process for charging station selection. Simply specify the devices you plan to charge or power, specify their power and desired operating time; The calculator will calculate the approximate consumption and recommend specific station models.