The work of a whole arsenal of home appliances, gadgets and all kinds of electrical stuff is usually tied to electricity. You can organize an autonomous power supply system using mobile charging stations.

What is it and how does it work?

Conceptually, charging stations are some kind of hybrids of capacious power banks and UPS devices. Their design is based on a high-capacity battery, backed up by a variety of outputs for connecting different gadgets and appliances. Usually, in charging stations there are a couple of sockets and a built-in inverter for converting voltage up to 230 V. Also, such devices are equipped with USB ports (including those with support of fast charging), a cigarette lighter for connecting automotive electronics, DC outputs current at 12 V for supplying low-voltage devices. All connectors on board the charging station can be activated simultaneously.

The symmetrical USB-C port on board the charging stations can directly power the laptop.

Thanks to this device, autonomous power is provided to almost all devices in your home, if for some reason there was a power outage. Tracking the battery level of the charging station, power consumption and estimating the approximate remaining time of the portable power station are carried out by the info display or by a smartphone via a Wi-Fi network. Similar features are implemented in EcoFlow brand models. In particular, through a mobile application, it is possible to remotely control all connection ports with electricity consumption statistics for each of them.

What can be powered from the charging station?

The most obvious way to use a charging station is to restore battery charge in mobile gadgets. For these purposes, specially provided USB ports are best suited. Their use is convenient from the point of view that there is no need to convert energy to 230 V to connect an external charger. After all, the power supply will reduce the voltage to 5 V anyway. Also charging stations from leading brands almost always have a symmetrical USB-C connector with an output power of up to 100 watts. With a suitable cord, you can extend the battery life of a laptop with support of Power Delivery charging technology.

During power outages, a portable charging station will come in handy in the kitchen.

You can power any household appliances from the 230 V sockets of the charging stations. For example, a refrigerator, a TV or even a heater. In addition, most models provide the possibility of a short-term increase in peak power to start the electric motors of some equipment (for example, a borehole pump, a microwave oven, etc.). Starting currents in this case are several times higher than the rated power consumption.

Popular charging stations

Choosing a charging station according to the parameters of power and battery capacity

The fundamental factor in choosing the right charging station is the power. It is necessary to calculate the total power consumption of all electrical appliances planned for simultaneous connection. Both mobile power plants with a modest battery with a capacity of about 200 W * h, and energy-intensive stations with a battery up to 25 kW * h are produced. The energy intensity indicator reflects the ability of the device to power any electrical appliance. For example, a conventional model with a battery capacity of 2000 Wh can power a 2 kW load for one hour.

One charging station will help to establish autonomous operation of a whole arsenal of home appliances.

The period of autonomous power supply can be extended by using additional batteries. The charging station will gain a couple of kilograms of extra weight, but will be able to provide electricity for critically important appliances longer. Extra batteries are usually sold separately. There can be several such links in one chain - you can vary their number depending on the tasks set.

Battery life of charging stations

Even basic models of portable charging stations with a small capacity battery can easily charge an average smartphone 10-15 times. More powerful stations (up to 1000 W) are suitable for connecting a refrigerator, multi cooker, organizing autonomous operation of lighting devices in the house. And if the storage of food supplies and light bulbs can be powered from the charging station for hours in a row, then the conditional multi cooker will work from it only for an hour and a half. However, this time should be enough for cooking.

An additional battery extends the battery life of the charging station.

The specific battery life of mini-power plants depends on the aforementioned battery capacity and the level of power consumption of the connected equipment. It will not be difficult to calculate it for specific needs.

Can a mobile power station replace a backup power generator?

In certain conditions, portable charging stations are a suitable alternative to power generators. For example, such devices fit perfectly into the concept of apartment housing, where there is simply no suitable place for generator exhaust. Mobile power plants are also better than generators in other parameters - they are small in size and light in weight, easy to transport, and support the simultaneous charging of a large number of connected equipment.

You can charge the charging station from an outlet, cigarette lighter socket, generator, and even solar panels.

The vast majority of charging stations support the fast charging feature - in an hour and a half, they completely recharge the battery. You can charge them both from a household outlet (if there is electricity), and from the generator. Other ways to charge portable power stations are from a car cigarette lighter socket or solar panels. In particular, almost all EcoFlow charging stations have a built-in controller for charging from solar panels. The panels themselves are sold as accessories. During daylight hours, solar energy fully restores the battery level in such stations. During the charging procedure, they simultaneously supply energy to the connected gadgets or appliances.

Interesting fact. The Tesla Powerwall energy conservation system, as the most famous on a global scale, can be considered a charging station. The system accumulates solar energy during the day, giving it in the evening and at night. Tesla Powerwall batteries complement centralized power networks and ensure uninterrupted operation of lighting, refrigerator and Internet during power outages. By installing additional batteries, a reduction in dependence on electrical networks is achieved up to complete autonomy.

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Mobile charging stations come to the rescue in various situations. They perform effectively in the field, in nature and in an ordinary residential building. If you need to have a capacious power bank with 230V outlets on hand, a portable charging station is the best thing to advise.