I tested this backup power station during a real blackout - don't make my mistakes

Adrian Kingsley-Huges/ZDNET

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ZDNET's key takeaways

Blackouts strike with zero warning, so plan ahead.

Be aware that heat can throttle your power station.

Think about how to get the power to where you'll need it.

I have 11 kWh of battery power sitting in my house -- enough to run a small home for days. It weighs almost 300 pounds. I call it the Tower of Power (a Bluetti Apex 300 and three expansion batteries). And when a real blackout hit, it still wasn't enough to stop me from wasting power, cooking a battery in the heat, and losing my fridge.

So, what happened?

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It turns out I had three issues working against me, along with the fact that I've not finished my build yet.

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