How to Choose Portable Power Station for Lights?
Table of Contents
Top-rated portable power station for lights
How much power does a light need?
The power requirement of lights differs between the kind of lights being used, indoor or outdoor camping.
Regarding indoor lights, the major ones used are incandescent lights, CFL bulbs, halogen bulbs, and LED lights. Incandescent light bulbs require around 100 W of power per hour. Other than daylight, light bulbs are usually operated continuously for around 6 to 8 hours daily in a household, causing a total power requirement of about 600 W to 800 W per day.
Regarding the LED lights used indoors, the power requirement is around 10 W to 18 W. Although not a vast power consumer like incandescent light bulbs, LED bulbs still require around 60 W to 100 W per day if operated continuously for 6 to 8 hours. CFL light bulbs require around 13 W to 16 W of power per hour, whereas halogen light bulbs need around 50 W per hour.
Outdoor lights or camping lights are the light sources used by people while spending time outside or during emergency power outages, and they include devices like torches, spotlights, lanterns, head torches, and tent lights.
A typical two-battery torch requires around 3 watts per hour to function. The rechargeable head torches, essentials for outdoor activities like trekking, require around 10 watts per hour. Small-sized LED spotlights usually use up to 15 W of power, whereas their bigger residential halogen counterparts need a whopping 100 W per hour. The rechargeable camping lanterns need around 3 W to 10 W of power per hour.
Why do you need a portable power station for lights?
There are numerous reasons why it is necessary to use a portable power station for lights. Some of the important reasons for them are discussed below.
For emergencies
Light bulbs and camping lights are some of the most critical devices that would come in handy during an emergency power outage. It is unthinkable to have no light during a power outage at night. So, it is inevitable to have a portable power station that can power the lights for at least a few nights if you live in an area or zone where unannounced power outages are frequent.
For outdoor activities
Being outdoors and engaging in activities like camping, trekking, etc., has become a part of life for a significant share of the population. There are even others who lead an RV life to make the most out of the outdoor life. For such people and such instances, having enough power to at least power light is crucial. Especially when they are headed towards or camping in a lesser-known area, having a light on is vital for safety reasons. So, a portable power station is ideal to ensure this uninterrupted power flow for a bare minimum of electric equipment.
For requirements of longer duration
When it comes to a portable power station, the most significant advantage is that it is rechargeable and, thus, can be used for a very long time with occasional sessions of recharging. While using other forms of power, backups would run out of power after a while, making it challenging to survive until the power is restored. Numerous power stations can even be recharged using a car cable, which would come in handy if the light requirement lasts for an unexpected duration.
For environmental reasons
As mentioned earlier, the necessity of a backup power source comes off as crucial when the user is mostly outdoors and when in need of at least power a light bulb. As light requirements are continuous, the power source is expected to operate throughout the night when the user is outdoors. Thus, it is essential to have a source that minimizes the environment and the people around in terms of noise and fumes. This is where a portable power station becomes a boon. Unlike traditional gas or other fuel generators, they make minimum noise and air pollution. They are rechargeable and run on battery packs; thus, they do not act as a reason to deplete any natural resources from nature.
How to choose a portable power station for lights?
The following section explores the significant features that must be looked at closely while purchasing a portable power station for lights if the buyer wants to make the most out of the purchase.
Capacity
For indoor light requirements alone, the backup power station is expected to power three to five light bulbs for six to eight hours, which is estimated to be around 6% of the total power consumption of a regular household. For this, it would be ideal to have a portable power station of roughly 300-Watt Hours. The required capacity of the mobile power station increases significantly if torches, spotlights, etc., are expected to be powered in the household.
For outdoor light requirements, comparatively higher-capacity portable power stations would be required. As outdoor activities do not offer the safety of the indoors, the user will be forced to keep the lights on throughout the night in most cases. This means that around two or three light sources will operate for at least ten to twelve hours. This demands portable power stations that can provide up to 1000-Watt Hours of power.
If the outdoor activities are light-intensive, like festivals, the power requirement could go way over 1000-Watt Hours.
Output Port
The number of output ports is another crucial aspect of a portable power station for lights. Regarding indoor light requirements, the backup mobile power station is expected to have several standard AC and DC output ports, as the number of light bulb connections would be limited in this case.
But the portable power station is expected to have the maximum number of versatile output ports for outdoor light sources. This is because, while camping or tenting, the person might be in a lesser-known area and, thus, prefer to keep the light sources switched on throughout the night for safety reasons. Therefore, two or three camping lights, along with torches, head torches, etc., would have to be charged simultaneously. If the number of campers is more than a couple, the number of personal light sources like torches could go even higher, and thus, an increased number of output ports would come in handy in a portable power station for lights.
Although most light sources can be powered through the regular AC and DC output ports, the popular LED USB lights require a USB port to be charged, and thus, having a portable power station with versatile output ports is essential for lights.
Recharge Time
Except for the battery-powered light sources like torches, head torches, flashlights, etc., regular indoor light bulbs, camping lights, etc., need uninterrupted power for operation. Thus, having a portable power station with less recharge time would come in handy during long hours of emergency light requirements. Even though mobile devices like torches and lanterns are battery-powered, they tend to run out of power after two to three hours of continuous usage. Thus, it would be ideal to have a portable power station that only takes a couple of hours to recharge completely.
Portable power stations that support pass-through charging could also be helpful during more extended light requirements. It enables the power station to charge the light devices while recharging. This ensures that the light supply is kept intact despite the power station running out of power.
Power Source
Choosing a portable power station for lights demands extra attention when picking the power station with the right power source. If the light requirements are mostly indoors, selecting a mobile power station that does not expel carbon-monoxide content is better. As households and buildings are not very well-ventilated, especially at night, using fuel-powered portable power stations to power lights indoors would be a crucial mistake.
When it comes to outdoor lighting necessities, despite fuel-powered backup power sources being an option, it is always ideal to choose a rechargeable portable power station as they are more reliable, less noisy during operation, and environment-friendly. As outdoor light requirements are for longer hours, it is preferable to have such a silent and less-polluting backup power option.
Also, as the light requirements are minimum during the day, a solar-compatible portable power station could be recharged during the day. It can be used to operate the lights continuously throughout the night. This enables free and clean power for the lights for a very long time. Buying a portable power station for lights with multiple power sources like electricity and solar energy is also advisable, as features like dual charging could save significant time while recharging the system.
Dimensions and Net Weight
Dimensions or total weight of the portable power station does not seem to be an issue when the light requirements are primarily indoor. The user can use a stand-by or bigger portable power station with higher output wattage to power the indoor and courtyard lights during an emergency.
But the size, dimensions, and total weight are crucial for portable power stations for outdoor purposes. The mobile power station needs to weigh a maximum of 80 pounds for convenient handling and be flexible enough to be carried around by a single person in RV, camping, or trekking. But the smaller the power stations get, the less power they will be able to provide for the light requirements, and thus, close monitoring based on the number of light sources that are to be connected and the amount of power required to light the location should be carried out before picking a portable power station of any dimension.
Conclusion
Indoor and outdoor lights are essential electric devices, especially during emergencies. Although they are not highly power-hungry like more significant pieces of equipment, the longer hours of power required to operate the lights put them in dire need of a backup power station.
When it comes to indoor lights, bigger-sized portable power stations with higher output wattage could be of immense use to power both the household lights and the courtyard lights for a more extended period, as mobility is not a major priority in this case.
But regarding outdoor light requirements, a reliable, continuous, compact, and versatile portable power station with the maximum number of flexible output ports is required to cater to the lighting needs. Outdoors demand around 12 hours of continuous light requirements; thus, a portable power station with 600 WH to 800 WH would come in handy in such instances.
Solar-compatible portable power stations are also excellent for outdoor or courtyard light requirements. They ensure a continuous power supply throughout the night by properly recharging themselves to the maximum during the day when powering the lights is not required.
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