Everyone Must Be Prepared to Live Without Electricity Supply

While typical electricity outages in Lithuania are usually short-lived, some consumers are facing significant challenges, with service restoration not expected until August 29th. This situation, echoing events from the summer of 2024, underscores the critical importance of electricity as a basic necessity, akin to water, that requires continuous and reliable provision.

The article provides a breakdown of daily electricity consumption, noting that an average household uses between 8.2 kWh for smaller homes and 13.7 kWh for larger ones. However, during an emergency, essential appliances like refrigerators (0.9 kWh/day), internet equipment (0.25 kWh/day), LED lighting (0.2 kWh/day), charging devices (0.4 kWh/day), and heating system automation (0.4-0.5 kWh/day) can reduce the daily need to approximately 2.2-3.3 kWh for a family. This highlights the necessity of prioritizing critical functions when planning for power outages.

Calculating autonomy requires identifying personal priorities. For one person, this might mean powering a refrigerator, internet, and lights, while for another, it could include a well pump or heating circulation. The duration of backup power can vary significantly based on these choices. Generators, energy storage systems, or other backup power solutions can be employed for preparedness. It's crucial to consider not only nominal capacity but also conversion losses and reserve margins. For instance, a 10 kWh storage system might realistically provide around 8.3 kWh, lasting approximately 24 hours for an average home but potentially extending to over three days if consumption is drastically reduced.

Even homes equipped with rooftop solar panels may not have power during an outage. Standard grid-connected inverters automatically shut down when external power is lost. To maintain power, systems must be specifically designed to disconnect from the main grid and switch to a backup source, such as an energy storage unit. This often requires additional equipment and modifications to the electrical panel, with the user pre-selecting which essential circuits the backup system will power.