Escape Load Shedding With Solar: Backup Sizes (2026)
The short answer: most blackout pain is 2–3 kWh/day of essentials — fridge, lights, phones, wifi, fan — and that is small: roughly 0.8–1.5 kW of panels with 2–4 kWh storage. The full home at 8–12 kWh/day needs roughly triple. Start from loads, build in stages, size on the worst week.
South Africa, Nigeria, Lebanon: different cuts, same structure
South Africa: staged blocks 2–12 hrs/day with notice. Nigeria: 4–12 hrs grid/day, unpredictable rotation of grid, generator, solar. Lebanon: 0–4 hrs state power plus diesel subscription capped by amps. Common structure: cuts of 2–6 hours, 1–3x daily, hitting morning and evening peaks — exactly what an essentials battery covers best.
Start from loads, not headlines
- Fridge modern: 80–200 W × 8–12 hrs → 0.8–1.6 kWh/day.
- LED lights: 5–10 W × 5–8 × 4–6 hrs → 0.1–0.5 kWh/day.
- Phones + laptops + wifi: 0.2–0.6 kWh/day family.
- Fan: 40–75 W × 6–10 hrs → 0.3–0.8 kWh/day.
- TV LED: 40–120 W × 2–5 hrs → 0.1–0.6 kWh/day.
Typical essentials total: 2–3 kWh/day, evening peak 0.3–0.8 kW. Peak sets inverter; energy sets battery.
Essentials vs full home
Cooking (1–2 kW), geysers (2–4 kW), pumps (0.75–2.2 kW with 3–7x surge), AC (0.8–2 kW) each exceed the entire essentials peak. Full-home backup costs 2.5–4x the essentials system. Most successful builds start essentials, prove one shedding season, then expand with measured data.
Backup size table
| Backup target | Daily energy | Hardware | Components |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phones + lights + wifi | 0.5–1 kWh/day | 0.4–0.8 kW + 1–2 kWh + 0.5–1 kW inv | $250–900 |
| Essentials + fridge | 2–3 kWh/day | 0.8–1.5 kW + 2–4 kWh + 1–2 kW inv | $550–1,800 |
| Essentials + TV/micro | 4–6 kWh/day | 1.5–2.5 kW + 5–8 kWh + 2–3 kW inv | $1,100–3,200 |
| Full small home | 8–12 kWh/day | 3–5 kW + 10–16 kWh + 3–5 kW inv | $2,200–6,500 |
Staged build path
- Stage 1 — silent backup: inverter + battery with grid charging. Covers 2–6 hr blocks immediately.
- Stage 2 — bill-cutting: add 1–3 kW panels, target 60–80% cut.
- Stage 3 — off-grid tiers: expand toward Tier A/B/C autonomy.
Build 48 V from the start with inverter headroom so stages reuse, not replace. Grid-tied export and mains changes need licensed review and certification.
Why worst-week sizing matters
Average sun misleads backup design. This engine sizes against five years of hourly NASA POWER weather and reports the worst week as design driver, with Tier A/B/C selecting how much you ride through. Ask any vendor which cloudy spell their number survives.
Batteries and inverters for backup duty
Daily shedding is cycling duty: LFP (~6,000 cycles) and sodium-ion handle it for years; lead-acid at 50% usable needs double nominal plus replacements at $240–380/kWh usable. Low-frequency hybrids with 2–3x surge ($85–260/kW) start fridges where high-frequency units trip. Automatic changeover (10–20 ms) keeps wifi alive.
Honest fine print
Aug 2026 indicative ranges excluding mounting, wiring, permits, labor. Educational estimates only — verify with a licensed professional. Batteries and mains wiring can cause fire, injury, and death.
Size your backup on your worst week. Run your address against five years of NASA weather and see essentials-vs-full-home tiers.
⚡ Size my backup freeRelated guides
- Solar vs generator running cost
- How to cut your bill with solar
- Johannesburg sizing · Lagos sizing · all cities
Frequently asked
What size solar for load shedding?
Essentials 2–3 kWh/day: 0.8–1.5 kW + 2–4 kWh + 1–2 kW inverter. Full home 8–12 kWh/day: 3–5 kW + 10–16 kWh + 3–5 kW inverter.
Can I start small and expand?
Yes: battery first, then 1–3 kW panels, then storage toward Tier A/B/C. Choose 48 V with headroom from the start.
Will grid-tied solar work during cuts?
No without hybrid plus battery and changeover — standard inverters shut down for anti-islanding safety.
How long will a battery last in a blackout?
Usable kWh ÷ load kW: 4 kWh on 0.5 kW ≈ 8 hrs; on 2 kW ≈ 2 hrs, minus inverter draw and derates.