Rechargeable backup electric heating system for power outages

A rechargeable backup electric heating system for use in a heated space during a power outage, comprising:

• a rechargeable portable electric heater, having two or more resistive heating elements and powered by one or more rechargeable batteries, wherein the two or more resistive heating elements are arranged in parallel, and wherein one or more switches are controlled by a microprocessor to regulate energization of one or more of the resistive heating elements based on temperature data from a temperature sensor, which monitors a room temperature in the heated space, and wherein the microprocessor is programmed to increase a number of the resistive heating elements that are energized and constitute parallel energized heating elements in response to the temperature data from the temperature sensor indicating the room temperature which is a defined decrement below a selected temperature set point, and wherein the microprocessor is programmed to decrease the number of resistive heating elements that are energized and constitute parallel energized heating elements in response to the temperature data from the temperature sensor indicating the room temperature which is a defined increment above the selected temperature set point;
• a variable speed fan, which operates at a fan speed proportional to a fan voltage drop across the variable speed fan, and wherein the parallel energized heating elements have a combined resistance that varies inversely to the number of parallel energized heating elements, and wherein the variable speed fan is in series with the combined resistance of the parallel energized heating elements, such that the fan voltage drop and the fan speed increase as the number of parallel energized heating elements increases, and such that the fan voltage drop and the fan speed decrease as the number of parallel energized heating elements decreases;
• one or more rapid recharging circuits, each of which is electrically connectible to one or more of the rechargeable batteries so as to provide a rapid recharging electrical current to each of the rechargeable batteries;
• and
• one or more rechargeable storage batteries, each of which is electrically connectible to one or more of the recharging circuits so as to provide a rapid recharging electrical current to each of the recharging circuits.