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Transparent outage planning math
Whole-Home Outage Survival Simulator
Estimate how long critical household loads can run with batteries, generator fuel, solar charging, vehicle inverter options, and priority-based load shedding.
Critical load daily Wh
2.3 kWh
Critical tier energy per day.
Battery runtime
11.0 h
Selected enabled schedule.
Generator fuel duration
28.6 h
Fuel ÷ burn rate.
Solar recovery/day
1.2 kWh
Watts × sun hours × 0.75.
First failure point
Battery energy is depleted after about 11 hours at the selected daily load schedule.
Most likely limiting factor.
Scenario mode and power sources
Editable preset load table
Daily Wh = watts × hours/day. Runtime estimates update as you edit watts, hours, enabled status, or priority tier.
| On | Load | Watts | Hours/day | Priority | Daily Wh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 kWh | |||||
| 960 Wh | |||||
| 480 Wh | |||||
| 40 Wh | |||||
| 260 Wh | |||||
| 200 Wh | |||||
| off | |||||
| off | |||||
| 600 Wh | |||||
| off | |||||
| off | |||||
| off | |||||
| off | |||||
| off | |||||
| off | |||||
| 64 Wh |
Suggested load shedding actions
- • Run Critical loads first; add Important loads only if battery state of charge remains healthy.
- • Keep Optional loads off until utility power returns or fuel supply is confirmed.
- • Cycle Comfort loads in short blocks instead of running them all day.
- • Stagger high-startup loads such as pumps, refrigerator compressors, microwave, coffee maker, and furnace blower.
- • If no vehicle inverter is available, preserve phones with low-power mode and scheduled charging windows.
Critical-load schedule
- • Keep Critical tier energized first: medical devices, refrigeration as needed, phones, radio, pumps, and required heat equipment.
- • Check battery state of charge every 2–4 hours; shed Important loads if the remaining runtime is shorter than the outage scenario.
- • Use generator blocks outdoors for refrigeration, pump cycles, charging batteries, and short appliance use; do not run it indoors or in a garage.
- • Solar recovery estimate: 1200 Wh/day before storage limits; prioritize batteries and communications during sun hours.
Assumptions and limitations
- • Simple deterministic math: daily Wh = watts × hours/day; battery runtime = usable Wh ÷ average selected load watts.
- • Solar daily Wh = solar watts × sun hours × 0.75 derating factor; real clouds, shading, angle, temperature, and battery charge limits vary.
- • Motor startup surges, power factor, battery temperature, charger limits, fuel quality, altitude, and generator load curves are not modeled.
- • Follow appliance, inverter, battery, generator, transfer-switch, and local electrical-code requirements.
More HazardNow tools
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Explore the rest of the standalone emergency planning tools. They are informational only and do not replace official alerts or instructions.
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Local Risk History
Disaster History
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Power & Household Safety
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Prioritize food safety, medical needs, temperature risk, generator safety, communications, and backup-power decisions during an outage.
Communications Backup
Remote-Work Backup
Estimate how long router, modem, laptop, hotspot, UPS, power bank, or portable power station resources can support essential work and communications.