Do you have a "Electrical Budget"?

Have you ever sat down and figured out how much power you would need
over a 3 day period if the grid went down? If you did, have you ever
tested that budget?

I recall a story of a group that had only one days worth of oil to
light the temple, but due to divine intervention it lasted 7 days.

Here is a paragraph from a Solar Power Project Paper (available for
free at www.freeradiobook.org ) that explains the concept from the
solar power design ideals end of the spectrum. It can easily be
applied to our power needs as well.

Matching Solar Modules With Your Needs
Many boat owners are disappointed when they learn the real-life energy
economics; the size of the panels needed, the effect of partial
shading, temperature, and the hours of available sunlight. Our
Technical Sales staff are often asked to help size a solar system,
and they find that boaters usually overestimate what solar panels can
produce and underestimate their electrical needs. Make a list of the
appliances on your boat, get the amperage (Amps = Watts ÷ Voltage) and
estimate the operating hours to get weekly amp hours for each device.
You can then create an estimate of your “electrical budget” and size
your system correctly.
Do you have a power budget, and can you stick to it?