Page 15 - Blue Valley Issue 4_2022

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Photo by Vije Vijendranath on Unsplash

Photo by Jackery Power Station Photo by Andrea Davis

Small UPS units, made exclusively to power For around R3 000 (Takealot), you can get a enough power to charge your smartphone,
internet connections, range in price from TG 1500 W sine wave inverter, which can be tablet, computer and small appliances. And
around R700 to R2 000, depending on their charged via mains or solar panels and will power there’s no installation of any kind needed
capacity. And they’re available from most tech bigger appliances. because all the power points you need are on
specialist retailers. board. You can pick one up at a camping store
4. Got gas? for between R6 000 and R7 000.
3. Small-scale solar Gas appliances are relatively affordable and
A solar-powered geyser is a great start. Getting come in many shapes and sizes. You can pick up LED lanterns, also available at most reputable
one installed will probably cost you between a two-plate gas burner stove for under R400 at camping shops, are excellent light sources
R15 000 and R20 000. But you don’t need to go most major retailers for basic cooking purposes. powered by lithium batteries. Certain brands
quite so large to take advantage of solar power. Gas lighting is also affordable and easy to set up. also come with built-in USB ports, which are
You can do it in smaller ways. You’ll find loads of options online or in camping handy for charging your cell phone. And most
shops. LED lights are easy to charge via USB or (in
Start with the outdoors. Solar lights that soak up some cases) they come with optional solar
the sun in your garden are affordable and readily If you want to take it one step further, consult attachments.
available at garden centres and DIY retailers. You an expert to see which of your appliances
can also use a touch of solar power to keep your can be converted to gas. Certain fridges and Let the light shine
TV, computer, cell phone and a light or two on geysers, for example, can run on gas. It might Other than our load-shedding-driven
using a small UPS. be worthwhile to take stock of everything you discontent, we South Africans are also known
need to power and consider a combination of for our resilience and resourcefulness. With
These vary in size and cost. For a small, solar- gas and solar energy if you’re on a budget. those attributes driving us to find simple
powered 84W/h kit from Ellies (found on loot. solutions to complicated problems, we can
co.za), you’re in for around R1 300. This type of 5. Go camping equip ourselves to set aside the annoyance
unit is good enough for light but won’t power Even if roughing it isn’t really for you, camping and take back the power (no, that’s not a
major appliances. Around R700 - R800 more gear can be pretty helpful during power metaphor)!
will get you a similar unit with enough juice to outages. Portable power stations – like the
charge your laptop. Jackery Explorer 250, for example – carry It’s the little things that count.

BLUE VALLEY NEWS • Issue 4 2022• 13