Solar-Power Box Plugs Straight into Your Home

[n2doc]

By Charlie Sorrel August 4, 2010

Quandary: You live in a place so beautifully sunny that you could probably power your home with solar-energy, but it is so beautifully sunny that you spend the whole day lazing in a hammock sipping iced-tea. The answer, my idle friend, is the Sunfish, solar-power that is literally plug-and-play. It’s so easy to install that even you could do it.

Sunfish works like this: You lay out a solar-panel and hook it up to the power-module. Plug this into any power-socket in your house. Then, plug in the accompanying circuit-monitor, a controller box which connects to the power-module via Wi-Fi and lets you keep an eye on things (via any web-connected device). That’s it. As long as the sun is shining, the setup pumps electricity into you mains circuit.

There are two models. The 200-watt version will power your lights (although why you would run lights with the sun shining outside is a mystery). The 1kW version will take care of washing machines and the like. If you need more power, you can just plug in more boxes.

It’s ingenious, and because its so easy to install it is pretty much portable: a boon for those in rented accommodation. The Sunfish will be available next year, at planned prices of $600 to $900 for the smaller model and $3,000 to $4,500 for the bigger one. Clarian, the company behind the device, says that a unit will pay for itself in a couple years.



Read More http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/08/solar-power-box-plugs-straight-into-your-home/

[Liberation Angel]

1. Cool thanks

I live in a passive solar house but a little help with the elecrtricity would be great.

Also love the bicycle generators for laptops, etc.

[zipplewrath]

2. How the heck does that work

And how do they prevent it from pumping power back into the grid?

[ixion]

4. If it pumps power back into the grid, your meter spins backward, and you get a check.

Just FYI: In an emergency, you can plug a live extension cord into a socket in your house and send power to your house. It's a bi-directional flow. But don't try and run 220 stuff like AC/Oven etc.

[NoNothing]

5. Please, DON'T DO THIS

It is illegal and could get somebody killed. If you don't have a transfer switch at your main power junction point, you will not just be energizing your house circuits, but the lines back to the pole as well. Along comes some poor utility worker thinking the power is shut off, and, well, you get the picture.

This box, as described, would be illegal as well.

[Nihil]

10. Article explains for this device

> This box, as described, would be illegal as well.

Nope ... it's not a failover or off-grid power system, merely supplementary.

What about safety in the event of a power outage? How would utility workers be protected if the Sunfish is still generating power during a power outage?

Safety of utility line workers is paramount and the Sunfish has built-in circuit protection, uses UL certified components and meets all safety and certification requirements required by local power utilities. The anti-islanding features inherent in the design of the Sunfish protects local utility workers in the event of a power outage - if the power grid is shut down, the Sunfish immediately stops generating power. In fact, it's not possible for the Sunfish to generate power without the power grid being up and active.

Is it OK to put unregulated power back onto the power grid? Won’t that cause difficulties for the local power utility?

The Sunfish uses UL certified components and meets all safety and certification requirements required by local power utilities. The unique design of the Sunfish ensures that power supplied to your home and to the electrical power grid is phase-matched to the power supplied by your local power utility.

Can the Sunfish provide backup power in the event of a power outage?

The Sunfish is not intended to provide backup power when there’s a power outage but can provide backup power in conjunction with a certified back-up power system since the safety features built into the Sunfish prevents it from generating power during a complete power outage.

Can the Sunfish be used to charge a battery banks for off-grid systems?

The Sunfish is not intended to charge battery banks for off-grid systems, but can be used to charge batteries or generate power in conjunction with a dedicated off-grid system.

(FWIW: I have no involvement with this company - I just backtracked through
the links to get to their FAQ!)

[ixion]

11. It assumes you're unplugged from the grid. And yes, I noted it is only an emergency thing

But it's important people know.

[guardian]

13. Thank you

for bringing up the safety issue. But it does sound neat and convenient.

[joshcryer]

15. It uses a grid tie inverter and will *not* put power into the system if the system is not energized.

Your objections are misplaced.

[zipplewrath]

6. Yeah, but the power company don't like that

If that's what ya wanna do, yer suppose to cut off the power to the grid, so you don't electrocute some poor lineman working out on the streets. And my meter is supposedly specifically designed to NOT run backwards, but I've never tested it.

They speak of the power module and a controller. I am presuming there is some sort of sensing technology in there that tries to prevent you from back feeding the line, as well as matching the frequency and phase of the incoming power (which is not a constant 60 Hz.).

[madokie]

12. And pray tell me where or what here is not a constant 60 cycles?

The grid is a constant 60 cycles at all times day in and day out. If this module fails to hold a constant 60 cycle it will immediately self destruct or better yet the power grid will destroy it. For the module to produce power it has to have the grid suppling it power to either pick up a relay or gate a transister, scr etc. before it can come on line. The power produced by one of these modules wouldn't be enough to be a hazard to the lineman in any way. You fail in your worry. :eyes:

[joshcryer]

19. Indeed. Here's a wikipedia link about "grid tie inverters":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid_tie_inverter

You can by a Chinese knockoff on eBay, but I wouldn't trust it. I'd get the (3x the price) Enphase inverters.

[joshcryer]

18. All grid tie inverters *must* shut off if there is no power in the grid.

The power company is very happy to take your power, especially during peak hours. But you're likely going to be using that power yourself.

[DirkGently]

3. Bookmarked. Ready next year, they say

Plug-and-play, affordable solar is a hugely worthwhile idea of great interest to me.

Thanks for the post, n2doc.

[old mark]

7. If there was some sort of storage device (batteries) coupled with this

it could run most of our house most of the time...
We already have a wood pellet stove for heat - this might be the next step.

Thanks.

mark

[wildflower]

8. Wow, this is great! K&R

[midnight]

9. Looking forward to the roll out of this product.

[hunter]

14. Future Electronic Waste of America

FEWOA!

Hungry little kids will be hammering these things apart and throwing them into open pits of acid before the machines pay for themselves.

A kilowatt hour of electricity -- 15 cents

A 200 watt solar generator -- $900

Feeling as smug as a heart surgeon driving a shiny new BMW -- PRICELESS

I don't think we're really advancing anything by offering tax credits for these. Trends in the environmental and economic costs of photovoltaics are not encouraging and the reliability of price sensitive "consumer grade" power handling equipment is atrocious. Look at modern microwave ovens for one example. They don't last.

It's very easy to cut residential electricity use without buying anything, especially if you use a lot of electricity. Bump up the thermostat on the air conditioner, turn stuff off, unplug things that have high standby demands...

Once you cut your electricity use down to the levels gizmos and gadgets like this produce they don't seem so attractive.

[joshcryer]

16. This is just a solar panel and a grid tie inverter, you can do your own setup for a few bucks less.

Their 200/watt $600 is inciting, but anything higher than $700 you're better off buying your own panels and grid tie inverter.

[joshcryer]

17. On second thought, the bigger 1kw model is a ripoff, do your own searching.

You can build your own setup for a 1/3rd less.