Emergency Preparedness: Power Basics



To run this, I need to give it 5 amps supplied via 115 VAC (Volts of Alternating Current). To see if I can power it, I need to convert this to Watts by multiplying the amps by the volts: 5.0A x 115 VAC = 575 Watts. My single 100-Watt solar panel isn't nearly enough so I'll need to run it off my 3250 Watt propane generator.

Some Watt Requirements of Household Devices
Air Conditioner: 7200 Watts to start, 3250 Watts to run
Refrigerator: 2000 Watts to start, 500 Watts to run
Microwave Oven: 3500 Watts to start, 700 Watts to run
Water Pump: 4000 Watts to start, 2000 Watts to run
Television: 300 Watts
Computer: 400 Watts
Coffee Maker: 1500 Watts
Electric Blanket: 400 Watts

To figure out how many total Watts you'll need to do the "volts x amps" calculation for everything you want to run at the same time and add them all up to get the total Watts needed. This number can climb very high very quickly! Assume that if you want to run a fridge, freezer, and AC unit you'll need some sort of powerful generator or a whole bunch of solar panels and batteries along with a very large inverter to convert the solar panel/battery DC power into the AC power this needs. Follow the links below to learn more about using generators and solar panel systems.

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