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As technology improves, more and more people who enjoy the outdoors are using portable power stations. Some people are wondering if you can use one to power a TV. Well, the answer is yes! But you have to look at several factors, such as the battery capacity and the power of the portable power station.
Here's the deal: On average, a TV uses about 58.6 watt-hours when it's on and just 0.5 watt-hours when it's on standby per hour. It also draws around 0.49 amps. This means it might cost you about $2.52 a month to run your TV using regular electricity.
But, if you use portable power stations, you can save money on your electric bill and help the environment by lowering your carbon footprint.
In this article, we'll chat about whether it's doable to use a portable power station to run your TV.
How Much Electricity Does A TV Use?
It can be a bit tricky to figure out if your TV will work well with a portable power station because there are so many different types out there. To answer this, you need to know a few things like how much power your TV uses, what type of TV it is (like LCD or Plasma), and if it's energy-efficient.
Generally, TVs use anywhere from 80 to 350 watts of power. It depends on things like the brand and size. You can usually find all this info in the TV's user manual. But for a rough estimate, most modern TVs use around 100 watts. If you watch a 100W TV for about 21 hours a week, you'd use around 2,100Wh or 2.1 kilowatt-hours of electricity(100W * 21 hours=2,100Wh).
Now, the big thing to remember is how long you watch your TV. In recent years, people in the US have been watching TV for about 3 hours a day on average. TVs come in all shapes and sizes, and they have different features. The following information shows you how much power TVs of different sizes typically use:
-
Small TVs (20-30 inches): About 50-100 watts
-
Medium TVs (30-50 inches): Around 100-200 watts
-
Large TVs (50-70 inches): Somewhere between 200-400 watts
So, it depends on your TV and how much you use it. The table below displays the wattage for typical TV sizes:
|
LCD TV |
Watts Per Hour |
LED TV |
Watts Per Hour |
|
32 Inch |
24W-72W |
32 Inch |
20W-60W |
|
42 Inch |
72W |
42 Inch |
60W |
|
46 Inch |
72W-84W |
46 Inch |
60W-70W |
|
50 Inch |
102W |
50 Inch |
85W |
|
65 Inch |
146W-156W |
65 Inch |
120W-130W |
|
82 Inch |
276W-360W |
82 Inch |
230W-300W |
Can Portable Power Stations Run A TV?
Yes, you can!
Portable power stations are awesome for off-grid living, RV trips, or smaller homes with TVs. You can use them to keep a big TV running when the power goes out or take them camping to operate a small TV.
POWEREPUBLIC has different portable power stations to pick from, depending on how much power you need and how many gadgets you want to run. Here's a table that shows you how many hours POWEREPUBLIC portable power stations can keep your TV going:
|
Model |
Wattage/ Capacity |
Watts |
Running Time |
|
POWEREPUBLIC |
300W/296Wh Surge 600W |
32 Inch: 20W-60W 42 Inch: 60W 46 Inch: 60W-70W 50 Inch: 85W 65 Inch: 120W-130W 82 Inch: 230W-300W |
32 Inch: 4h to 12h 42 Inch: 4h 46 Inch: 3.5h to 4h 50 Inch: 3h 65 Inch: 2h 82 Inch: 0.8h - 1h |
|
POWEREPUBLIC |
1200W/1110Wh Surge 2600W |
32 Inch: 20W-60W 42 Inch: 60W 46 Inch: 60W-70W 50 Inch: 85W 65 Inch: 120W-130W 82 Inch: 230W-300W |
32 Inch: 15h to 47h 42 Inch: 15.5h 46 Inch: 13h to 15.5h 50 Inch: 11h 65 Inch: 7h to 8h 82 Inch: 3h to 4h |
|
POWEREPUBLIC |
2200W/2240Wh Surge 4500W |
32 Inch: 20W-60W 42 Inch: 60W 46 Inch: 60W-70W 50 Inch: 85W 65 Inch: 120W-130W 82 Inch: 230W-300W |
32 Inch: 31h to 95h 42 Inch: 31h 46 Inch: 27h to 31h 50 Inch: 22.5h 65 Inch: 14h to 15h 82 Inch: 6h to 8h |
|
POWEREPUBLIC |
3000W/3200Wh Surge 6000W |
32 Inch: 20W-60W 42 Inch: 60W 46 Inch: 60W-70W 50 Inch: 85W 65 Inch: 120W-130W 82 Inch: 230W-300W |
32 Inch: 45h to 136h 42 Inch: 45h 46 Inch: 38h to 45h 50 Inch: 32h 65 Inch: 20h to 22h 82 Inch: 9h to 12h |
You can use the formula below to estimate the running time:
Running Time(Hrs)= Capacity of The Portable Power Station(Wh) * 0.85(Conversion Rate) / Total Power Of Your Devices(Watts).
Let's take POWEREPUBLIC T1200 and a 42-inch TV(60W) as an example, the running time would be:
1110Wh*0.85/60W=15.7 hrs
Thus, the T1200 power source can roughly power a 42-inch TV for around 15 hours. Keep in mind that the actual time may vary depending on how energy-efficient your TV is, and whether you are powering other devices at the same time. But this gives you a general idea of what to expect. You can also use this formula to estimate the running time for other devices and appliances.
What's More?
We have collaborated with Matt, a passionate outdoor enthusiast, who has successfully used our T306 and T1200 to power his TVs:
-
T306 - power a 65 - 70W TV outdoor
Besides that, you can also use our T1200 portable power station to:
Conclusion
To keep it simple, whether a portable power station can run your TV depends on a few things: how much power your TV uses, how much juice the portable power station can hold, and how long you want to watch TV.
Portable power stations are made to run devices like TVs, laptops, and phones. Some of the bigger ones can even handle heavy-duty tools and home appliances. So, before you buy one, make sure to check its info and figure out how much power your devices need. This way, you'll know if it can keep your TV going when you need it, like during emergencies or when you're off the grid. Planning is key!
Explore POWEREPUBLIC Portable Power Stations and Solar Generators.
