Power outages are a time of extreme frustration.
It is also the time when we come to realize how much addicted and reliant on electricity and internet we really are.
If laptop is your source of work and entertainment, then it is understandable why you want to have it charged at all times.
Here we will learn about 7 ways to charge laptop battery in a power outage so that you can cater to your addiction.
This will especially be helpful for those who routinely face power outages in their cities and countries due to overall power shortfall. Long routine power outages can put a serious dent in your work or entertainment on the laptop.
You must note that most, if not all, of the methods will require you to make an investment one way or another.
Related: How You Can Charge A Laptop Battery Without A Laptop
7 Ways to Charge Laptop Battery in a Power Outage
1. Get an External Laptop Power Bank
If you have scheduled power outages, then this is an excellent investment that you can make.
The external laptop charger come equipped with AC power outlet and a hell a lot of capacity to not just power your laptop but also rest of your device.
The best thing about these chargers is that you can charge them when the power is back online. So essentially, there won’t be anytime in between when your laptop will not have a power source.
For places with prolonged power outages, these may not be the solution as they can be drained in few hours.
On top of that, most of these charges have a maximum power rating of 100W. Therefore, if you have a gaming laptop that draws 200W or more during gaming (typical), then just remember not to game when using this charger.
For some more technical understanding of what max power rating is, read this.
If you want a simple method to charge your laptop during power outages, then this is great option to go for. Just remember to charge this when the power is back on.
2. Using the Car Battery with an Inverter
These are very simple and cheap devices that are excellent for charging up your laptop in an emergency.
Basically, you can connect the inverter to the terminals of the battery. The inverter will then convert the DC current of the battery into the AC current that the laptop would use.
They also come with AC power outlets so you can easily hook up your laptop.
Just remember that when using them, keep your car engine TURNED ON. If you do not keep the engine turned on while charging your laptop, the inverter will drain the battery leaving it completely useless.
With a depleted battery, the car wouldn’t turn on either. So be careful.
Related: How To Charge Your Laptop In The Car
3. Pedal Charger
This would require some manual workout; however, this is one of the best ways to always ensure that you have power for your laptop.
As long as you are well fed, have energy and have the stamina, you can charge your laptop for as long as you want.
This basically works like a hand crank, but, hand crank isn’t too feasible to charge a large device like a laptop.
Hence, this pedal basically allows you to work your body out as well as charge your laptop during power outages.
Furthermore, not only is this device fordable, it also has AC power output for easy connection.
4. Investing in a Portable Solar Charger
If you are sick and tired of the power outages and you really want to have your laptop and other devices up and running all day, you can get a portable solar charger.
These are not your full fledged Solar Power solutions with inverters and all. Instead, these are relatively small portable solar panels that come with DC power outlet.
Note that Solar Power coming from the panels is DC in nature not AC.
Furthermore, you can also charge your phones and tablet. They are not just excellent for surviving through power outages, but also great for camping, traveling and other outdoor activities.
The only drawback with these chargers is that they would not work at night. Therefore, if you are a late night worker, then these may not be feasible for you.
5. Use a Portable Power Station
Like the portable Laptop Power banks, these are also basically large battery packs.
However, the difference is that they carry a whole lot of power and can charge your average laptop multiple times. On the downside, they are not as portable and are a bit bulkier.
One of the best aspect of these power stations is that is that you can charge them via anything imaginable including Solar Panels, Car Engine, Power Outlets etc.
For example the one we have shown here is the Jackery Explorer 240. If you have a 50W solar charger, you can recharge this device in 10 hours.
6. Investing in a Power Generator
This is one of the most obvious option that you can opt for. Power generators do not cost much. In fact, per watt cost of a gas powered generator is cheaper than the per watt cost of a portable battery.
You can find Power Generators with various fuel forms. They may run on Natural Gas, Gasoline, Diesel or a combination.
Depending upon what fuel you have readily available, you can opt for the particular generator type.
The best part about power generators is that they are always available for operation so long as you have the required fuel.
Unlike the Solar Power Generators that rely on sun and daylight and portable chargers that need charging themselves once they run out, power generators can provide you electricity for as long as you want. Just bear in mind the fuel cost and the occasional maintenance.
Unfortunately, power generators can have very high operating costs especially if the fuel cost is expensive in your region.
7. Investing a Full Fledged Solar Power Solution
If you want to charge your laptop during a power outage at home then why not invest in a full fledged solar power solution?
I know I am escalating things too quickly (charging a laptop vs powering an entire home), but you can seriously consider this as an option. This is especially true if you are just sick and tired of the power outages.
You can literally turn you entire house into a solar powered home by making a one time investment and reaping the benefit for eternity.
A Solar Power Solution requires large solar panel arrays, large batteries and a Power Inverter.
Depending upon the solution that you want, the system can be quite cheap but also run into thousands of dollars.
A large 1500W system with an inverter and 400ah battery would cost you about $1900. This is sufficient for most small homes (not just a single laptop, but the entire home)
You wouldn’t have to worry about night time either since the batteries store power during the day.
There are a few issues with this.
- 1Solar Power solutions for the entire home are expensive
- 2They require large area for Solar Panel installation (depending upon the capacity of your system).
- 3They are most feasible in areas that receive adequate sunlight throughout the year.
- 4Operating large devices like AC and Fridge require more expensive solutions
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways to charge laptop battery in a power outage. However, almost all of them require you to make an investment.
We will not suggest making a contraption yourself and fiddling around with the laptop battery at all if you are inexperienced. On the other hand, if you ARE experienced with handling electronics and playing around with electrical devices, we would still recommend caution since laptop batteries are volatile.
The 7 ways that we have mentioned here should cater to various people. Some of the things that we have mentioned here are quite cheap. Others are expensive.
Andrew White is the founder of TechGearoid, a leading technology review & information website that is designed to help consumers make better decisions when it comes to their IT purchases. As a specialist tech writer (nerd) with over 10 years of experience, he enjoys writing about everything there is to do with modern technology & the newest market innovations. When he isn’t providing value for his readers, he’s usually drinking coffee or at the beach. Andrew lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and family.