One Colorado renter raised a practical question about blackout preparedness, asking the internet: if you do not own a house, could a salt battery keep essentials running with solar?
Here's what to know
In a discussion on Reddit's r/TwoXPreppers community, the renter was referring to sodium-ion, sometimes casually called salt batteries, because "The lithium batteries scare me a bit with the fire risks and a propane generator is great except if there isn't available propane."
Portability and solar recharging were central to the original poster's question, since any backup setup would need to work in Colorado's sunny climate without being tied permanently to the home.
They described the basic goal, adding, "I'm really just wanting something that I can hook up to keep my fridge, freezer, a few outlets and ceiling fans working during power outages."
The most detailed objections were technical rather than ideological. One commenter who said they had "way too many years of researching solar equipment" wrote, "Sodium-ion batteries seem pretty neat but they're not quite mature enough yet in my opinion," and pointed to voltage sag, inverter compatibility issues, lower cycle counts, and lower energy density as the main drawbacks.
Another commenter said sodium batteries have "some real advantages" in recycling and certain use cases, but added that "the round trip efficiency is poor compared to LiFePO4." In practical terms, that can mean more bulk for the same usable power and a greater need to carefully match the battery with other equipment.
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A second user similarly plugged lithium-iron phosphate batteries, writing, "Honestly, LiFePO4 (lithium-iron phosphate) batteries are currently the way to go… The super neat part about LiFePO4 batteries is that they cannot thermally run away. Meaning, they physically cannot get so hot that they catch on fire."
More background
For renters, this is a backup challenge tied directly to not owning the home. A rooftop solar-plus-battery setup can be difficult or impossible when you do not own the property, which makes portable systems especially important.
A movable battery that can keep a fridge and freezer cold during an outage can help prevent food waste, ease stress, and provide resilience without requiring a permanent installation.
Where can I learn more?
These stories dig into the battery technologies and backup systems behind the renter's question.
• In China, the world's largest sodium battery now powers up to 12,000 homes each day.
• At Osaka Metropolitan University, scientists developed an easier production process for solid-state sodium batteries.
• In Germany, researchers identified a highly promising material for future sodium-ion energy storage solutions.
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