Is 48V good for an Apartment?

[billvon]

I'm curious is 48V is the way to go for an apartment backup system. I live in an area susceptible to power outages. I would need to power up 2 Frig/freezers-Full size, 1-Microwave, 2-Portable AC Units, Mics Computers/Phones. If this a good recommendation, then getting an all-in-one unit is what I would be interested in. My next question then is 3000W or 5000W? Which is best for my needs. Thanks in advance for any guidance.

At those powers, yes. 48V or 400V.

 

[chrisski]

Thanks for the reply !! Yes I need to do some research and math on possible appliances to run. To answer a few of your questions:
1-I would not see running everything at once. Rotate between heavy power us items. Probably run Frig/Freezers during the day and AC at night. It gets hot in Texas !!
2-I would anticipate a power outage of 3-7 days.
3-Yes, I would have solar panels attached to recharge. I live in Texas so lots of sun. I currently own 2-100W panels to charge my Licitti Battery Box w/ 12v 100AH battery. My apartment has a backyard space that gets lots of sun and I have a driveway that also gets a lot of sun.
4-I would anticipate purchasing an All-In-One unit like PowMR or SunPower 48V-3000m or 5000 W with 4-12v 100AH batteries.
5-Pricing is an issue but I'm aware of the need to buy quality items so I budget accordingly.
Please let me know your thoughts.

I don't think these loads can realistically be run off battery back up in an apartment. Four 12 volt 100 amp hour batteries will provide an insignificant amount of power for any heavy load, and 200 watts of panels would not be enough.

Realistically, I think you may be able to cook eggs with a 700 watt hot plate or run a crock pot to cook a day's worth of food when the sun is shining, and perhaps run a fan, but not the refrigerator 24 hours a day and air conditioning.

Since its getting hotter, you can get a kilawatt meter and plug this in to your devices and find how much power each device uses and come up with a plan. Put this on a spreadsheet and that will help you plan.

I am in a similar latitude in AZ, and with my solar generator with a 1200 wh battery bank, I can expect 400 watts of panels to provide me with 3 kWh of power throughout the day. I think you have 2400 wh of batteries and 200 watts of panels. To get so much power with my panels, I need to angle them into the sun three times a day.

 

[mgentile7]

Will's hand truck build is a good place to start. If you have more budget though, or want more power output though, there's lots we can recommend over and above that.

Thanks. I believe I saw that youtube video.