In today’s world, frequent power outages have become a common reality for many, leaving people without electricity for hours.
This can severely impact work, especially for those who rely on computers and the Internet for their jobs. Without power, laptops can quickly run out of battery, and losing access to the Internet can bring work to a grinding halt. While some may turn to generators or expensive power stations, these aren’t the only solutions. There are more practical, efficient, and cost-effective ways to stay productive during rolling blackouts or emergency power outages. In this article, we will explore how to organize your work setup during power outages without resorting to noisy generators or costly charging stations.
Maximizing Laptop Battery Life
Laptops are excellent for working during a power outage because they come with built-in batteries that offer mobility and autonomy. Many modern laptops provide up to seven or more hours of screen time on a single charge. This amount of time is typically enough to cover most of a working day or study sessions. However, it’s important to note that the manufacturer’s claimed battery life is not always realistic in practical use. The actual battery life of your laptop depends on several factors, and with a bit of optimization, you can extend its runtime.
The battery consumption of a laptop is influenced by various factors, such as the applications running, screen brightness, and even features like keyboard backlighting. For instance, resource-intensive activities like gaming or video rendering will drain the battery much faster than tasks like coding or writing in a text editor. To maximize battery life, make sure to adjust the brightness of your screen to a comfortable but lower level, disable any unnecessary features such as keyboard lighting, and close background applications that may consume extra power. Additionally, enabling power-saving modes on your laptop will help conserve energy and extend the battery's life.
Using Power Banks for Extended Battery Life
Even the most durable laptop batteries can wear down over time and hold less charge, which means finding an alternative solution becomes necessary, especially during frequent outages. While backup generators are an option, not everyone has the space or funds for one. In these cases, power banks can be a lifesaver. They are portable, versatile, and relatively affordable compared to larger power stations or generators.
When choosing a power bank for your laptop, the most critical factor isn’t just the capacity (although that's important), but the output power. Most power banks provide around 18-20 watts of output, which is sufficient for smartphones and smaller devices. However, for a laptop, you’ll need a much more powerful option. Thankfully, there are power banks available with an output of 65 watts or even 100 watts. These higher-output models can extend your laptop's battery life and, in some cases, charge it directly.
The key to making sure your power bank can charge your laptop is compatibility with the Power Delivery (PD) protocol. Power Delivery is a technology that allows devices to charge quickly and efficiently by adjusting the power output according to the needs of the device. With Power Delivery, a power bank can provide up to 100 watts through a USB-C port, which is enough to charge most modern laptops. Keep in mind that specific charging conditions might vary based on your laptop model. If your laptop requires more power than the power bank can provide, the battery might not charge while you use it, but it will drain more slowly, allowing for a longer working session.
Charging Laptops Through Proprietary Ports
Some laptops use proprietary charging connectors instead of standard USB-C ports. In these cases, using a power bank to charge your laptop requires a bit more attention to detail. You'll need to check the current and voltage requirements of your laptop’s charger and make sure the power bank can deliver the necessary power output. In addition, you might need to buy an adapter to connect the power bank to your laptop. Although this method requires more effort than simply plugging into a USB-C port, it’s still a viable solution to extend your laptop's battery life during a blackout.
Staying Connected to the Internet
One of the biggest challenges during power outages is the loss of Internet access. Even if your laptop is running on battery, if your Wi-Fi router loses power, you’ll be cut off from the online world. There are a couple of ways to stay connected during these situations.
The most reliable solution is to have a fiber-optic Internet connection running directly to your home. In many high-rise buildings, the Internet is distributed via twisted pair cables from a central router located in a basement or attic. Unfortunately, when the power goes out, so does the equipment that powers these connections.
