Minimalist Backup Power System

Sat Dec 02

Written by: Casey O.

Todd Parker posted a video on YouTube where he presents an interesting argument for a ‘micro power system’. Instead of buying an expensive EcoFlow or other portable power station, for most people, and especially for charging electronics, it makes more sense to buy a smaller power pack, portable solar panel, and high wattage USB charger. I like this argument.

He inspired me to buy the 40W solar panel he recommends, and I’d like to propose a setup that is even cheaper and more simple:

• A small, portable 40W solar panel
• A power brick you already have
• Batteries you already have, including your devices’
• USB cables you already have

The one problem with this setup is that most devices, and the solar panel have no way of displaying the amount of power being generated. The solution is a USB-C cable with a display that shows how many watts devices are charging at. These are cheaper than dedicated power meters, and you also get a cable. Not strictly necessary, but useful for debugging panel placement.