District of Columbia power outages: what size power station you need (DC)
In 2025, the average District of Columbia electricity customer lost power for 0.8 hours, across 0.32 outages (EIA). To keep a fridge, router and lights running through one average outage you need about 324 Wh.
One average District of Columbia (DC) outage lasted 2.6 hours (50.3 SAIDI minutes divided by 0.32 SAIFI interruptions). Covering District of Columbia's full 0.8-hour annual outage total without recharging requires 105 Wh. Excluding major storm events, District of Columbia customers averaged 0.6 hours (33.9 minutes) across 0.31 non-storm interruptions, ranking #51 of 51 states for total outage duration (compared with 0.5 hours in 2024).
Three lowest $/Wh stations covering an average District of Columbia outage (324 Wh)
| $/Wh | Price | Capacity (Wh) | Output (W) | Chemistry | Product | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.08 | $149 | 1,920 Wh | 2,500 W | LiFePO4 | ALLPOWERS R2500 V2 + SE160 160W Solar Panel Solar Generator Kit | Buy at ALLPOWERS Store for $149 |
| $0.29 | $899 | 3,072 Wh | 3,600 W | LiFePO4 | Pecron F3000LFP Portable Power Station 3600W 3072Wh | Buy at Pecron Store for $899 |
| $0.31 | $629 | 2,048 Wh | 2,400 W | LiFePO4 | FOSSiBOT F2400 Portable Power Station | Buy at FOSSiBOT Store for $629 |
District of Columbia residential electricity price and 1,000 Wh grid recharge cost
District of Columbia residential electricity averaged 25.98 cents per kWh in August 2026 (EIA), ranking #9 of 51 US jurisdictions (compared with 23.18 cents per kWh in August 2025). At District of Columbia's 25.98 ¢/kWh tariff and 85% AC charging efficiency (30.56 ¢ per stored kWh), fully recharging a 1,000 Wh power station from a District of Columbia wall outlet costs $0.31.
Solar panel output near Washington, DC and 200 W recharge time
1 kW of fixed panels near Washington makes about 2.86 kWh per day in December and 4.83 in June (NREL PVWatts). Recharging a depleted 1,000 Wh power station from a 200 W solar panel near Washington, DC (38.91°N, -77.04°W) at 90% MPPT charge efficiency takes 1.9 days in December (515 Wh/day net solar harvest, ranking #22 of 51 for winter sun) and 1.2 days in June (869 Wh/day net solar harvest).
Monthly solar yield near Washington, DC (1 kW DC array)
| Month | Washington 1 kW monthly (kWh) | Washington 1 kW daily (kWh/day) | 200 W panel net harvest (Wh/day) | Days to refill 1,000 Wh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January (Washington, DC) | 95.5 kWh | 3.08 kWh/day | 555 Wh | 1.8 d |
| February (Washington, DC) | 101.6 kWh | 3.63 kWh/day | 653 Wh | 1.5 d |
| March (Washington, DC) | 128.1 kWh | 4.13 kWh/day | 744 Wh | 1.3 d |
| April (Washington, DC) | 134.9 kWh | 4.50 kWh/day | 810 Wh | 1.2 d |
| May (Washington, DC) | 139.7 kWh | 4.51 kWh/day | 811 Wh | 1.2 d |
| June (Washington, DC) | 144.9 kWh | 4.83 kWh/day | 869 Wh | 1.2 d |
| July (Washington, DC) | 147.5 kWh | 4.76 kWh/day | 856 Wh | 1.2 d |
| August (Washington, DC) | 141.1 kWh | 4.55 kWh/day | 819 Wh | 1.2 d |
| September (Washington, DC) | 129.3 kWh | 4.31 kWh/day | 776 Wh | 1.3 d |
| October (Washington, DC) | 121.4 kWh | 3.92 kWh/day | 705 Wh | 1.4 d |
| November (Washington, DC) | 103.0 kWh | 3.43 kWh/day | 618 Wh | 1.6 d |
| December (Washington, DC) | 88.6 kWh | 2.86 kWh/day | 515 Wh | 1.9 d |
Data sources and verification dates for District of Columbia
- District of Columbia outage duration and frequency: EIA Electric Power Annual, Table 11.3 (2025 and 2024) (District of Columbia SAIDI with major events: 50.3 minutes; SAIFI with major events: 0.32 interruptions; 98.7% of District of Columbia customers reported; fetched 2026-11-06).
- District of Columbia residential electricity price: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (August 2026) (District of Columbia residential retail rate: 25.98 cents per kWh in August 2026; fetched 2026-11-06).
- Washington, District of Columbia solar irradiance and DC yield: NREL PVWatts V8 (NREL PVWatts V8 / NASA POWER Tilted Irradiance Climatology (1 kW DC, tilt=lat, losses=14%)) (reference city: Washington, DC at 38.9072°N, -77.0369°W; fetched 2026-11-06).
Compare District of Columbia against all 50 US states and DC on the state outage and solar hub.