How to Handle Frequent Power Outages in Panama

Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by Retire in Panama

One of the trade-offs of living in our new paradise is the power infrastructure is not as good as most of us had back home. This varies throughout the country, with the rural areas seeing the most power outages.

However, there are solutions to ease the frustration. Watching the people post on Facebook was funny; all upset that they do not have power. Those of you new here, or considering Boquete, we have been telling you of the power outage problems in Panama on our Q & A’s and our blogs; for those that live here, it’s evident after you have been here a few months.

First, here are some simple tips before we talk about backup systems.

Coffee is essential for your morning, but do you go without it without power?  Buy yourself a $15 French press, boil some water, and have a fantastic coffee. No biggie, just an extra 5 minutes making a better coffee. Most stoves are gas in Panama, but if you have an electric stove, invest in a portable gas burner, which will cost you about $30. Your morning is complete; the microwave is not the only appliance that can make breakfast :)

Place some solar motion lights outside, so if you come home at night during an outage, you can see and let your dog out at night with some light. Throughout the house, strategically place some battery lights or candles. Do-it-Center has a great selection of rechargeable LED indoor lights that come on when the power goes out.

How often does the power go out?

It is different in different areas. But typically, you can expect outages 2 – 4 times a week, with half of them only a few minutes, to extreme cases, like last Saturday, just a few times a year. I can see why people get frustrated, as those 2-minute outages are a pain if you are working online or just watching a movie; when it comes back on, it takes 5 minutes for everything to reset so you can get back to what you are doing.

One solution people use is generators or whole home battery systems, which are both a bit costly and if you are a renter, then you don’t really have that option. I’m not too fond of generators, as the power still goes out. Then, in one minute, your generator starts up, and the power is back, so things like your internet still have to reset. And with half of the power outages being just a minute or two, generators can be a pain.

It is a pain to be watching a movie or being on a Zoom conference, lose power, and have to reconnect in five minutes when everything is back again. A good solution for homeowners is a full-house battery system. You won’t even know the power is out, as everything runs off the batteries. When the power returns, your batteries are topped off with the charger. Or you can add solar for even more independence. This is an expensive option, but good.

Reasonably Priced Solutions.

I moved here 12 years ago and worked online, and within three months, I knew I needed a solution. I got the idea from my boating years. Batteries, inverter, and charger, and I designed a system for $500 that has given me uninterrupted power for internet/Wifi, entertainment system, computers, printers, and some strategically placed lighting. Power outages do not bother me one bit. I have a better solution if you can live without your microwave, laundry, or dishwasher during a power outage. The cost of this system today is around $600.00

Batteries: Two six-volt deep cycle batteries. I purchased these from PriceMart, the Eveready brand, for $139 each. My last set lasted me five years.

1500 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter: This item turns battery power into 110-volt clean electricity that I run to my Internet connection, TV, office, and floor lamps nearby. There are cheap inverters sold in Panama, but I bought a good one from Amazon as I want it to last. The cost was $160 plus $20 shipping here.

Deep Cycle Battery Charger. Again, you may find a good one here, but you want something that will extend the life of your batteries, so don’t cheap out: The cost was $115.

The picture of my setup is below; mine is in my laundry/storage room, so I have it open, which is not pretty. However, this could easily be put in a living room or office cabinet, totally hidden; remove the back of the cabinet for ventilation. So, all the items mentioned above, which I do not want to be interrupted by power outages, are connected directly to this system, so they are not affected at all when the power goes out.

 

My system will maintain power for Internet/Wifi, TV, computer, monitors, and several lamps for 12 hours. For you online workers, when the power goes off, the internet does not. Tigo and +Movil, as well as the internet through radio suppliers or Starlink, all have battery backup. During a power outage, you will have internet access if you can power your modem.

Power boxes are readily available for small users wanting to power their internet and TV, a lamp, or internet and computer. I saw one at PriceSmart for $500. On Amazon, the Jackery series is the best. With these power boxes, you plug the devices into them that you do not want to be affected by power outages. I recommend 500 watts hours at maximum, which will give you 3 – 4 hours of use.

With both my system and power boxes, these will not run your fridge, microwave, coffee maker, or other high-power devices. You must look at generators or whole home battery systems if you can only live with those devices for a few hours.

Update 07-15-23: Casa de Baterías in Boquete is now selling these power boxes. They sell the EcoFlo River brand, which is good and has a good warranty, in 250 watts, 500 watts, and 1000 watts.

I hope this article helps you better understand the imminent power outages in Boquete and what you can do to improve your life. I have seen online workers leave Boquete because of the power situation when, for a $500 – $700 investment, all their problems could have been solved.

Feel free to leave a comment with any questions about my backup system.

 

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