Inverter trolleys and portable power stations to help survive load-shedding

Those looking for a solution to help them keep essential appliances and some electronic devices powered during load-shedding can choose from a wide range of inverter trolleys and portable power stations.

These kinds of products offer a means of surviving load-shedding bouts without having to fork out tens of thousands of rands for a backup solar system or a generator.

Despite several load-shedding suspensions in recent weeks, experts expect load-shedding to be a reality for at least a few more years.

In early January 2024, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy published its latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2023), revealing that South Africa can expect at least another four years of load-shedding.

Energy experts Professor Anton Eberhard and EE Business Intelligence managing director Chris Yelland slammed the document for lacking credibility.

However, they tend to agree that load-shedding will still be a reality for some time.

“SA’s IRP 2023 is a stitch-up, with pre-determined outcomes in line with what the energy minister has been advocating — wishful thinking around improvements in Eskom power station performance, delays in coal decommissioning, ‘clean’ coal, nuclear energy, and lots of gas,” said Eberhard.

“Yet, (energy minister Gwede) Mantashe has failed to make progress in any of these areas in the four and a half years he’s been energy minister. The only thing he has actually achieved is a slow-down in renewable energy investments.”

Yelland described the document as a “shoddy piece of work, lacking in maturity and depth”.

“South Africa has a wealth of power system modelling competencies which have clearly been ignored in the preparation of this draft IRP. How this work was approved by the Cabinet for commencement of the public and stakeholder consultation process is beyond me,” he added.

With load-shedding expected to persist for several years, MyBroadband looked for affordable inverter trolleys and portable power station products that South Africans can use to survive load-shedding bouts.

Inverter trolleys and portable power stations to survive load-shedding

Inverter trolleys and portable power stations essentially combine the components of a home battery and inverter installation into a portable form that can be plugged into mains power to charge.

They feature standard sockets to connect an extension cable, multiplug, or directly plug in your electronic equipment.

However, powering multiple appliances and devices simultaneously will likely require a power strip.

Like home battery and inverter installations, it is important to consider the type of battery, its capacity, and the maximum output of the inverter.

The inverter’s output determines how much power can be drawn at once. For example, a 3kW inverter will overload if your connected devices draw more than 3,000W simultaneously.

Therefore, it is advisable not to use power-hungry appliances like kettles or other devices with elements while using the inverter trolley or portable power station.

It is best to first determine which appliances you want to use during load-shedding and the amount of power each draws before deciding on a backup.

Battery type and capacity determine how long you can power these electronic devices.

Fortunately, this is relatively straightforward to calculate. You can add the total power draw of the appliances you want to keep powered, and then multiply the result by the number of hours in a load-shedding session to determine how many kWh the battery must provide.

However, it is essential to differentiate between total capacity and the battery’s usable capacity when considering the depth of discharge.

Lead-acid batteries degrade rapidly when discharged below 50%, meaning you would have to double your battery capacity requirements.

However, lithium-ion batteries perform well when discharged to as low as 10%. They also offer significantly more recharge cycles than lead-acid batteries and won’t need replacing as often.

For example, if your appliances draw 1,000Wh or 1kWh during a bout of load-shedding, you would require a lead-acid battery with at least 2,000Wh or 2kWh of capacity.

On the other hand, you would easily get by with a 1,200Wh or 1.2kWh lithium-ion battery.

Some of the most affordable portable power stations and inverter trolleys available in South Africa are listed below, along with pricing.

We only included products with lithium-ion batteries.