Since I'm without electricity, I'll make this post, compiling information on the options the market offers to solve the lack of electricity.
Inverter charger (without solar panels):
Option 1
1.5kW 110V Inverter Kit With 2560Wh Battery Bank(1 x 12.8V 200Ah Battery) With this kit, you can power:
- Inverter refrigerator
- Lights
- TV
- Wi-Fi
- Fans
- 110V outlets
Price: $1580
2 year warranty on inverter and battery 🪫
Includes equipment, materials, and installation (assuming it's next to the electrical panel)
Autonomy of approximately 4 to 5 hours
Option 2
3kW 110V Inverter Kit with 5120Wh Lithium Battery Bank (2 x 12.8V 200Ah Batteries) With this kit, you can power:
- TV
- Refrigerator
- LED lights
- Fans
- Water dispenser Water
-Wi-Fi
Price: $2290
2 year warranty on inverter and battery 🪫
Includes equipment, materials, and installation (assuming it's next to the electrical panel)
Autonomy: Approximately 7 hours
Option 3
6kW 110/220V inverter kit with a 10240Wh lithium battery bank (1 x 51.2V 200Ah battery)
This system can power:
-TV
-Refrigerator
-LED lights
-Fans
-Water dispenser
-Wi-Fi
-1 x 12,000 BTU air conditioner
Price: $4680
2 year warranty on inverter and battery 🪫
Includes equipment, materials, and installation (assuming it's next to the electrical panel)
Autonomy: Approximately 4-5 hours
For an apartment, these are the best options if we take into consideration the following products:
The following are gasoline powered, smell awful, and are noisy
These enormous ones are usually used in mini markets or large stores.
These options are more viable if you're going camping or something similar, because in terms of price and energy durability, it's more feasible to buy an inverter if you want to power your home.
$2999 - $6717 for 70 minutes of power
I keep a few of these handy to help with power outages, they connect to a cars alternator... not a lot of power, but good for a fridge and a couple other things or to charge a battery.
Idle car usually sips gas to run it, and driving the car to get gas is something you'd have to do anyway for a generator.
$60 here in the US, might be an option for you there.
Do you have heavy duties on imports? This youtuber has a whole series of videos on how to install your own solar and there are some pretty good deals out there. I like the idea of finding vetted components that won't break the bank. Panels seem to be the cheapest part these days too - but maybe not after they're mounted and wired. My neighbor has been finding lightly used 400W solar panels for ~$100 each, which makes for a pretty hefty system without spending too much. I hear the solid state inverters are getting a lot more reliable these days too. The heavy transformer based ones have historically lasted longer, but you pay quite a premium for them.
Whatever you decide, please keep us posted with the result - this will be a cool project!
How long does charging take? Hopefully, you can get the banks fully charged before you need them again.
I might be inclined towards the gas ones, despite the drawbacks, just because you can go out and get gas, independent of your home electricity being on. Although, I know there are issues with access to gasoline, too.
What are the costs of solar panels?
In my opinion, gasoline generators have some drawbacks. For example, I live in a small rented apartment, and they're very noisy you know how complaining neighbors can be and they give off a very strong smell, which isn't good for my asthma and allergies. Many families choose this option for their homes. The gasoline shortage isn't a positive point, and where it's readily available, it costs, I think, 50 cents per liter. The amount of gasoline consumed depends on the size of the generator. I'm not entirely sure how much gasoline I use per week, running it for six hours a day.
The price of solar panels depends on the size; to power an entire house, it can range from $7,000 upwards.
It would be neat if your apartment building owner would buy a generator and split the costs across everyone's rent.
Are solar panels even possible with your apartment situation?
The building doesn't belong to a single person; each apartment has an owner. In that case, the owners of each apartment would have to agree to acquire a generator. But to be honest, it's quite complicated. Many residents here owe their condominium fees, they don't pay the contributions collected for repairs in the common areas, and I doubt they'd want to or be able to contribute $500 or more for a generator. That's why I have to get one just for this apartment and coordinate with the owner.
I see
Are you saving up for a system like this? How difficult is it to acquire? (Only for sale in big cities?)
Yes, I'm saving up and looking at the best options. That's right, major cities are where there's a larger market for solutions to these problems.
Zapping you some sats and posting a comment for visibility. I hope your situation improves soon
Stay strong
We live 99.9% offgrid using solar with a small gas generator for backup if it rains for more than 4-5 days.
We have good efficient fridge freezer 300 Litres total about 80 l freezer. It cost USD$400.
It is rated to use only 271 kw/hrs/year- only about 750watt/hours/day.
The fridge freezer is perhaps the most crucial element in a basic solar home setup as you do not want it to fail and it demands power 24/7.
So if you can get a good efficient one its is well worth it.
So to the core solar set up.
We started with one 100 ah 24v lifepo4 battery. This is the most expensive part- about USD$600.
For inverter we have a 3500 watt rated one that can power a small circular saw and everything else you might want like microwave, lights TV, computer etc.
The inverters are about USD$300-400 for a decent one.
Solar panels are now so cheap- here in NZ they are selling for about 4 watts/USD- amazingly cheap.
So you would want at least 800 watts of solar panels- so at most $USD300.
Wiring and some switches etc maybe another USD100.
All up cost estimate-
Fridge freezer 400
Battery 100ah 24v Lifepo4 600
DC-AC Inverter 300
PV panels 80 watt 300
Wiring switches etc 100
USD 1700
You could start with a much smaller system eg
1 PV 400 watts 150
wiring 50
DC-AC Inverter 1000 watt 100
Lead acid 24v 100ah battery 300
USD 600
This would give you backup power for most appliances including your existing fridge so you dont have to upgrade while the power cuts leave you without power.
You could even go smallest yet and just get a large battery bank to power your phone and fan for $50 and charge it up when the power is on. If you were not using airconditioner it could probably power everything for you most of the time.
Note above prices are NZ prices we have a flat import tax of 15% which is also applied to all locally made products- so we effectively have free and open trade with all the world at least those who reciprocate which is not everyone!
If you need airconditioner its gonna be a problem - they suck a lot of power.
But a fan, or two or three, is definitely viable for solar setup.
I have used a small airconditioner on our solar setup as you mostly only need them when the sun is shining but you will not want to use it through the night if you are running offgrid solar.
first system should read PV panels 800 watts not 80- ran out of time to edit it.
Looking at the options you list the time they give you will be hugely increased if when there is a power cut you turn off the aircon and use fan or fans.
Your power hungry aircon is the problem...can you do without and manage with fan/s?
That will reduce the cost hugely and the 1.5 kw inverter battery setup could suffice for at least 12 hours.
Using just the basic needs excluding aircon you should be able to manage on an average consumption of ~100 watts or less for fridge, lights and fan.
Yeah, for an apartment I’d probably go with an inverter too. Generators sound like a real headache with the noise and gas.
Dude, they don’t have any money. Are you serious?