Best Backup Power Supply for Homes: Introducing the REVOV Star

Loadshedding has been around for 14 years in South Africa and it doesn’t look like ending any time soon. Eskom’s CEO, Andre de Ruyter, has said we could be dealing with rolling blackouts for another five years at least.

Everyone should be considering a backup power supply to keep the lights on during load shedding. The REVOV Star is designed to be an easy-to-use and affordable solution to this problem.

Backup power supply for homes and small offices

Whether it’s for a business or home, battery backups are an easy and affordable way to bridge the inevitable gaps in power. Businesses, in particular, can’t afford to lose hours of productivity when load shedding kicks in.

Homes also suffer when the power is out for long stretches. People have reported attempted break-ins during power outages. Food losses also occur, due to fridges and freezers being off for extended periods.

Currently, load shedding lasts between two and eight hours a day on 40 to 50 days a year. This equates to 400 hours a year.

This figure doesn’t include unplanned outages or the increased power interruptions that rural areas experience.

What is the REVOV Star?

The REVOV Star is a self-contained battery backup power supply for the home or office. The unit can be connected to the grid or a solar system to charge.

When the power goes off, the system automatically kicks in to supply backup power.

The REVOV Star is a cost-effective option that offers:

• seamless change-over to backup power
• simple, all-in-one design
• LCD display with battery charge information
• unobtrusive and safe for children and pets
• remote monitoring via web interface and app
• upgradable and adaptable to solar.

How does the REVOV Star differ from buying a simple backup battery for home use?

The REVOV Star is designed to be a plug-and-play (easy install) system. It doesn’t require complicated installations or in-depth knowledge of battery backup systems.

Any household or office can put one in the garage or a cupboard and get instant backup power.

Unlike many inverter-based backup systems, the REVOV Star offers a truly seamless transition to backup power when there’s a blackout. This means you won’t even notice load shedding. The system will automatically take over.

What can you run using the REVOV Star and for how long?

The REVOV Star is a 10 kWh battery backup system, so it can run typical household appliances or a small office of equipment for about eight to 10 hours.

This depends on the energy usage of your appliances and how many there are. Appliances with a higher draw, such as electric ovens, kettles and heaters, can greatly reduce this time. Where possible, it’s a good idea to reduce power usage to maximise the duration for which backup power remains available.

To get an idea of what household appliances or office equipment you can use and for how long, a 10 kWh battery will power:

• a 300 W television for 33 hours
• a 200 W fridge for 50 hours
• a 25 W phone charger for 400 hours
• five 20 W lightbulbs for 100 hours
• a 6 W Wi-Fi router for 1,600 hours.

If you keep the essentials running – fridge, laptops, Wi-Fi, phone chargers and a few lights – a 10 kWh battery will keep your home powered for roughly 15 hours.

Comparison to other home backup power alternatives

There are other power backup options that vary in price and output.

Some of these, such as a UPS, are designed to keep fewer and smaller items, such as desktop computers, routers and automatic gates, going for a few hours. They aren’t suited to households or a full office.

There’s also the option of a generator.

On the plus side, a generator keeps going as long as it has fuel.

Less appealing is the noise, smell and risk of complaints from neighbours. Generators that can power a large office block are very expensive and usually require a third-party service provider to install and run.

Large battery backup systems that link multiple batteries to the grid or a solar system require a hefty initial investment and a fairly in-depth knowledge of how these systems work.

By contrast, a plug-and-play (easy install) system such as the REVOV Star is designed to be user-friendly.

Can I use the REVOV Star to go completely off grid?

It’s possible to combine up to six REVOV Star’s to create a larger battery bank for your home or office. This will give you a much larger capacity and you will still have all the benefits of a plug-and-play system.

That said, the REVOV Star is designed with backup power in mind. It isn’t designed to be an off-grid alternative. REVOV offers other battery options that are better suited – and ultimately more cost-effective – if you want to go off grid.

Backup power supply price

Each REVOV Star unit is custom assembled to suit each client’s individual power backup needs. This will affect the final price. There’s the option of installing LiFe or 2nd LiFe batteries in the unit.

LiFe batteries are brand-new, high-quality lithium-iron batteries that offer a service lifespan of 15 to 25 years depending on their application. They’re the more expensive option but they last longer.

2nd LiFe batteries come from electric vehicles. Electric vehicles can only use these batteries for the first 1,800 cycles or so before they need to be replaced. This doesn’t mean they’re no longer useable. 2nd LiFe batteries still have a lifespan of 10+ years, depending on how they’re used.

REVOV also offers finance options. You can have a REVOV Star installed in your home and pay it off in monthly instalments. Freedom from power dependence is a phone call away.

Get the best backup power supply with REVOV

The REVOV Star is one of our best batteries for backup power supply for your home.

At REVOV, we offer high-quality LiFe and 2ndLiFe lithium-iron batteries for solar energy storage in residential, commercial and industrial settings. Contact us for a quote or to discuss your needs.