Gridless Kits
Hardware
portable solar power kit
SHOW HN2017
How HN took it
6 positive, 34 neutral or asking, 3 mixed, 13 critical, out of 56 comments about the project. Thread score -0.08.
Idea: 5 for, 3 againstExecution: 1 for, 6 againstPricing: 0 for, 2 againstDesign: 0 for, 1 againstPerformance: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Practical, turnkey off-grid solution for camping.
From 3 comments
Refreshingly practical site. This is exactly why I think solar will beat nuclear hands-down. Solar enables gradual adoption, unlike nuclear's power-plant sized step function.…
crwalker on HNWe have that battery in our camping gear for my wife's CPAP machine. It weighs 23 pounds. It's not hatefully heavy to deal with. We started camping w/ a battery this summer and…
EvanAnderson on HNSo for $200 you can keep your devices churning while not connected to grid? That sounds pretty nice if you like longer road trips and mainly visit places with a lot of Sun light.
nextlevelwizard on HN
Useful as a generator alternative for hurricane zones.
From 1 comment
This would be a really great small-generator alternative for hurricane zones
josephpmay on HN
Objections
Battery is heavy and the 420Ah spec was wrong; the BOM lists 35Ah.
From 2 comments
The "BOM" lists a 35 Ah / 12 V battery, which is reasonable. A 420 Ah battery is (a) a boutique item (b) should weight around 120-140 kg (c) does not fit into a toolbox (d) costs…
dom0 on HNThe kit consists of a 100W Pmax solar panel and a 420Wh [edited: this falsley said 420Ah before] deep cycle lead acid battery. The battery is pretty heavy and in the picture the…
donquichotte on HN
Lacks fuses or breakers and battery protection.
From 2 comments
This got mentioned under another comment but it is worth stating at the top level: always use fuses or breakers in any kind of system, that battery is a fire/bomb waiting to…
okreallywtf on HNIs it safe? Is the battery protected against going under or over capacity?
kawsper on HN
Panel's manufacturing and battery footprint undercut the green claim.
From 2 comments
This is described as "green" but as a portable the panel will never produce as much energy as it took to manufacture it. Taking this deficit into account plus the energy and…
thinkcontext on HNI am skeptical of this claim. Maybe standard rooftop solar panels lifetime is too short as they are exposed to the elements all the time. But as a general rule? Seems wrong.…
outworlder on HN
Closed toolbox box may overheat electronics in the sun.
From 1 comment
The "BOM" lists a 35 Ah / 12 V battery, which is reasonable. A 420 Ah battery is (a) a boutique item (b) should weight around 120-140 kg (c) does not fit into a toolbox (d) costs…
dom0 on HN
Requests
Cheaper or smaller versions, possibly sourced from AliExpress.
From 2 comments
What if I source the parts from AliExpress instead of Amazon? Should be quite a bit cheaper, right?
Tepix on HN.. I'm guessing I'm not the only one who would be quite happy if someone would do a smaller, lighter, cheaper version of this: http://smartflowersolar.com Perhaps DIY is the way…
mmjaa on HN
Questions
Is the system safe and does the battery have over/under-capacity protection?
From 2 comments
Is it safe? Is the battery protected against going under or over capacity?
kawsper on HNThis got mentioned under another comment but it is worth stating at the top level: always use fuses or breakers in any kind of system, that battery is a fire/bomb waiting to…
okreallywtf on HN
How long until the kit pays back its cost in electricity?
From 1 comment
How many months / years would it take for this to generate $200 worth of electricity at some normal price for electricity in the US?
izzydata on HN
Alternatives named
Anker PowerHouse with a foldable 80W solar panel and a pre-built evaporative cooler.
From 1 comment
Here is the much more portable and expensive version of this kit. Anker PowerHouse to store the energy. 400 WH which is about the same capacity as the deep cycle battery listed,…
charlesju on HN
Xantrex XPower Powerpack 1500 integrated solar kit.
From 1 comment
This is a teeny setup, but it is also easy to scale up. This setup gives you everything you need to get started and you can add or replace parts to get more capacity and current.…
peterwwillis on HN
Smart Flower solar unit.
From 1 comment
.. I'm guessing I'm not the only one who would be quite happy if someone would do a smaller, lighter, cheaper version of this: http://smartflowersolar.com Perhaps DIY is the way…
mmjaa on HN