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By April Lisonbee | 6 min read
3 layers of backup power for your home
With the increase in power outages or length, having backup power at home is more important than ever. Schneider Electric offers various products that deliver reliable energy in your home, from inexpensive and simple to an advanced investment.
Having backup power today is more important than ever. In 2023, almost 34 million U.S. households went without power. Of these homes, 70% said the outage lasted longer than six hours. These frequent and long-lasting outages are a real concern for the 14.5 million homes with an electric medical device or the millions who rely on refrigerators to keep their medicine from going bad. Power outages also disrupt the millions of Americans who work from home. And outages are a danger to the homes that rely on electricity to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
It’s good, then, that there are plenty of options for homeowners looking for reliable backup power. Whether you live in a small apartment or large house, there’s a backup power option right for you.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) backup power
A UPS is a small battery that can power a few devices for a short time. This small battery plugs into any wall socket and automatically switches to its stored energy when the power goes out.
Runtimes vary based on the size of UPS and what’s plugged into it. For example, this APC Back-UPS is about $100 and provides over 30 minutes of runtime when powering 50 watts. To put this into perspective, laptops use about 30 – 70 watts on average.
Only the devices plugged into the UPS are powered during an outage making it perfect for your Wi-Fi router or home office. There are even UPS backup power devices for gamers. But be sure any UPS you get also includes surge protection to always keep your devices safe.
Portable power stations
A portable power station is a portable battery. When the power goes out, you plug in only the devices you need powered. Unlike the UPS, you can take the power with you. This can be useful if you need to evacuate or move around your home during an outage. Portable power stations plug directly into any wall socket to charge and some, like the Schneider OffGrid, have solar panels for charging.
Portable power stations are ideal for homes needing portable backup power. Perhaps you are in a hurricane, flood or fire zone and may need to evacuate. They are also ideal for those who like to camp or hunt and are looking for a multipurpose solution. OffGrid, for example, has a powerful LED light that can be used as a lantern or SOS signal in case of emergency.
Since you want it to be portable, the weight and size of a portable power station are important. For example, OffGrid is lighter and smaller than other units. This makes it easier to move and store.
The runtimes for portable power stations will depend on how you use it. OffGrid, for example, starts at around $300 and is available with power up to 700 watts. A refrigerator typically uses between 300 to 800 watts. So, consider a whole home battery if you want to avoid food and medicine spoiling.
Whole home battery storage
A home battery is a battery that is permanently installed in your home. It can power all or part of your home during an outage. During a power outage, your home switches to the energy stored in these batteries. Home batteries use utility power or solar panels to charge.
Runtimes of home batteries also vary. Some of the more advanced home batteries, like the Schneider Boost, are digitally controlled by the Schneider Home mobile app. When paired with the Schneider Pulse smart electrical panel or Schneider X Series light switches and outlets, your system can automatically turn off power to things that aren’t as important. This increases your battery runtime without reducing your comfort. For longer outages, you can use the app to manually turn off other devices to make Boost last even longer. Boost will even charge itself when a storm is coming so you have a full charge if you need it.
Whole home batteries are ideal for homes in areas prone to frequent outages due to weather or utility outages. Some home batteries may even be eligible for various tax credits and rebates.
Even with a whole home battery, you may still want a portable power station on hand if you need to evacuate. And adding UPS devices throughout your home will extend the life of your home battery even further. With multiple layers of reliable energy, you will have more peace of mind the next time an outage hits.
Ready to build a custom whole home backup power system based on your needs?
Having backup power today is more important than ever. In 2023, almost 34 million U.S. households went without power. Of these homes, 70% said the outage lasted longer than six hours. These frequent and long-lasting outages are a real concern for the 14.5 million homes with an electric medical device or the millions who rely on refrigerators to keep their medicine from going bad. Power outages also disrupt the millions of Americans who work from home. And outages are a danger to the homes that rely on electricity to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
It’s good, then, that there are plenty of options for homeowners looking for reliable backup power. Whether you live in a small apartment or large house, there’s a backup power option right for you.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) backup power
A UPS is a small battery that can power a few devices for a short time. This small battery plugs into any wall socket and automatically switches to its stored energy when the power goes out.
Runtimes vary based on the size of UPS and what’s plugged into it. For example, this APC Back-UPS is about $100 and provides over 30 minutes of runtime when powering 50 watts. To put this into perspective, laptops use about 30 – 70 watts on average.
Only the devices plugged into the UPS are powered during an outage making it perfect for your Wi-Fi router or home office. There are even UPS backup power devices for gamers. But be sure any UPS you get also includes surge protection to always keep your devices safe.
Portable power stations
A portable power station is a portable battery. When the power goes out, you plug in only the devices you need powered. Unlike the UPS, you can take the power with you. This can be useful if you need to evacuate or move around your home during an outage. Portable power stations plug directly into any wall socket to charge and some, like the Schneider OffGrid, have solar panels for charging.
Portable power stations are ideal for homes needing portable backup power. Perhaps you are in a hurricane, flood or fire zone and may need to evacuate. They are also ideal for those who like to camp or hunt and are looking for a multipurpose solution. OffGrid, for example, has a powerful LED light that can be used as a lantern or SOS signal in case of emergency.
Since you want it to be portable, the weight and size of a portable power station are important. For example, OffGrid is lighter and smaller than other units. This makes it easier to move and store.
The runtimes for portable power stations will depend on how you use it. OffGrid, for example, starts at around $300 and is available with power up to 700 watts. A refrigerator typically uses between 300 to 800 watts. So, consider a whole home battery if you want to avoid food and medicine spoiling.
Whole home battery storage
A home battery is a battery that is permanently installed in your home. It can power all or part of your home during an outage. During a power outage, your home switches to the energy stored in these batteries. Home batteries use utility power or solar panels to charge.
Runtimes of home batteries also vary. Some of the more advanced home batteries, like the Schneider Boost, are digitally controlled by the Schneider Home mobile app. When paired with the Schneider Pulse smart electrical panel or Schneider X Series light switches and outlets, your system can automatically turn off power to things that aren’t as important. This increases your battery runtime without reducing your comfort. For longer outages, you can use the app to manually turn off other devices to make Boost last even longer. Boost will even charge itself when a storm is coming so you have a full charge if you need it.
Whole home batteries are ideal for homes in areas prone to frequent outages due to weather or utility outages. Some home batteries may even be eligible for various tax credits and rebates.
Even with a whole home battery, you may still want a portable power station on hand if you need to evacuate. And adding UPS devices throughout your home will extend the life of your home battery even further. With multiple layers of reliable energy, you will have more peace of mind the next time an outage hits.
Ready to build a custom whole home backup power system based on your needs?