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Staying
CONNECTED ALAN COOPER TAKES A LOOK AT THE LATEST TECH OPTIONS TO HELP YOU BEAT LOAD SHEDDING BLUES
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ith working from home and load shedding likely to be facts of life for many South Africans for the foreseeable future, staying productive, powered up, and connected to the internet has never been as important, or as challenging, as it is today. The good news is that there’s now also more technology than ever before to help keep the lights on and the data flowing.
Beyond generators Petrol or diesel fuelled generators are the go-to option for people who want to keep multiple devices and appliances running during power outages. But they have their disadvantages – most notably, they’re noisy and can’t be run indoors. For home-based professionals who just need to keep their computers and internet routers running during shorter periods of downtime, solar, battery and inverter technology – or a combination of the three – may be a better solution.
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Elon to the rescue One of the slicker batterybased power options on the market is the Powerwall from Elon Musk-run electric power pioneer, Tesla. The latest model, the Powerwall 2, recently became available in South Africa. It comes with 13,5kWh of usable capacity, and a continuous power output of 5kW, or 7kW peak power output for short durations. According to local distributors Rubicon SA (Rubiconsa.com), this makes it suitable to provide power to the average South African household for almost 12 hours on its own when fully charged. The Powerwall can be connected to both the Eskom grid and solar panels to charge. Prices start at R159 000, which includes the Powerwall and an inverter, which converts battery (DC) electricity into wall (AC) electricity.
PC power options For those with more modest budgets or needs – like keeping a computer running during load shedding – an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) will probably suffice.
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At its core, a UPS comprises a battery, charger for the battery and an inverter, and provides continuous power to devices that would normally plug into a wall outlet in the event of a power outage. You’ll want one with enough oomph to power a PC as well as a few extras like a monitor and desk lamp for several hours between charges. The Mecer Winner
