[HN Gopher] Off-Grid Solar's Killer App
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       Off-Grid Solar's Killer App
        
       Author : tmfi
       Score  : 34 points
       Date   : 2021-05-27 10:34 UTC (12 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (spectrum.ieee.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (spectrum.ieee.org)
        
       | viciousvoxel wrote:
       | This is awesome. I actually just set up a rain collection/solar
       | irrigation system for my house and we are anything but off-grid.
       | It all runs off of a 12v battery and a small solar panel. I think
       | a similar program could be great for encouraging urban
       | agriculture as well, while reducing water waste and energy
       | consumption.
        
       | ncmncm wrote:
       | We can just hope the places where these systems are used are
       | still inhabitable in ten years. As temperatures rise, the ability
       | to sweat off enough heat declines, even when there is enough
       | extra water to drink.
       | 
       | It is worst where humidity is also high, which anyway the desert
       | areas of east central Africa do not suffer from, but Africa has
       | plenty of high-heat/high-humidity habitat. If it becomes too hard
       | for humans, I wonder what other animals will be able to do. What
       | happens when chimpanzees can no longer live in the few remaining
       | places they can now?
        
       | ed25519FUUU wrote:
       | It's good to see more companies investing in DC well and water
       | pumps. DC pumps are an absolute _must_ for off grid irrigation.
       | 
       | Nearly all current well pumps are impossible to use off grid with
       | solar panels without a HUGE battery and inverter because they're
       | high voltage (or worse 3 phase) and use an ENORMOUS amount of
       | amps when the pump first starts up.
       | 
       | To give you an idea, a wimpy 1 HP 220v well pump can draw 35 amps
       | for the first 5 or 10 seconds when it starts up. That would
       | require TWO Tesla power walls to support.
        
       | kumarvvr wrote:
       | This is a fantastic application for micro scale solar systems.
       | 
       | The interesting part is for such very low powered apps, the
       | pumped water itself is a battery, in the sense that the
       | functional requirement can be fulfilled inspite of intermittent
       | power is to pump water to the surface and use it when required.
        
       | tw04 wrote:
       | I wonder if they are tracking the underground aquifers? If he's
       | extending his growing season and increasing his crop size without
       | regard for the new found water source it just feels like there
       | will be an even greater crisis down the road when the source
       | eventually runs out.
        
         | ncmncm wrote:
         | The article does touch on aquifer drawdown. It is a problem
         | that needs continuous attention. Drip-feed irrigation helps,
         | which uses less water but more power, and needs sensor networks
         | and active electronic control, thus power again and
         | sophistication, and tuning to local needs, thus more
         | sophistication.
        
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       (page generated 2021-05-27 23:02 UTC)