Path-Q Solar
How long could a battery run refrigeration and basic lighting during an outage?
Answer
The runtime depends on the battery's usable energy, inverter losses, refrigerator cycling and startup demand, lighting load, other connected devices, and whether solar recharges the battery. A rough planning method is usable battery energy divided by average load, adjusted downward for conversion losses and reserve limits; an installer should model the actual loads.
Key points
- Use usable rather than nameplate battery capacity.
- Account for refrigerator startup surge and variable compressor cycling.
- Include networking, controls, chargers, and standby consumption.
- Separate continuous power capability from total energy capacity.
- Model cloudy periods if solar recharge is part of the plan.
What it depends on
- Usable battery capacity
- Inverter continuous and surge rating
- Actual appliance energy use
- Solar recharge and operating reserve settings
Risks and trade-offs
- A battery may have enough energy but insufficient surge power to start a refrigerator.
- Runtime estimates can be optimistic if they use average rather than measured loads.
- Cold weather, aging, reserve settings, and additional loads can reduce available runtime.
Information you may need
- Battery usable capacity and output
- Refrigerator starting and running requirements
- Lighting and other critical loads
- Desired reserve and recharge assumptions
Your next step
What to do next
Obtain appliance measurements or nameplate data and request a written runtime calculation for the exact critical-load panel.
Path-Q
Find the right next step
Answer a few questions and we’ll narrow your options.
Loading…
SQ01267