Small power plants of the newest generation are amazing. Goal Zero, Bluetti, and Ecoflow. In other words, modern glamping. These are adaptable, attractive machines that are wonderful to have on hand for emergencies or while exploring the great outdoors but still wishing to run your espresso machine and a tiny AC. I possess one, adore it, and wholeheartedly endorse it. I don’t use it, though. In other words, rarely. Let’s face it, nobody really uses these, and of course the box in the garage corner is there for peace of mind in the event of TEOTWAWKI and for the half a dozen adventurous trips we had planned for last year but only achieved one. Grid power is simply more practical. However, a powerhub is useful when there is a power outage, which only happens occasionally in the United States (a few hours here and there over the course of a year).
If there is any grid at all, most of Africa experiences multiple power outages lasting a few hours every single day. Here, solar-powered power plants are not a luxury but a need. Sadly, solar-powered power banks are rarely employed in countries like Nigeria. Fuel generators are more prevalent. I’m sure you can guess why. Poverty. While my solar-charged power bank with its glitzy OLED display costs more like $1200 (plus another $200 for a 300W panel to charge it), a cheap gasoline generator costs only $200. The absence of productive power prevents people from being able to purchase productive power, which is a classic debt trap. This is why UN Sustainable Development Goal #7 aims to ensure that everyone has access to modern, affordable power. If you want to sound like you have this sort of thing down, call it SDG7.
But it’s not just about the expensive up-front expense. Running hordes of little fuel generators has clear negative environmental effects, plus fuel is expensive and increasing more so. If you quickly calculate the fuel expenses to operate 1 kW of power (inefficiently with these cheap gensets) for a few hours each day for a year, you will find that you have spent around the same amount as if you had purchased the cool solar device. However, not many people are actually taking advantage. If one looks closer, it is clear why. Due to the fact that they were never intended for use in most African contexts, the systems that are currently in use don’t quite function there. What’s wrong, then?
One explanation is regular use. 80 hours at most will be spent using my system during its five-year lifespan. In two weeks, a struggling businessman running his operation using one of these goods will use more of her system. Although lithium-ion batteries are excellent for their low cost and high energy density, when pressured, they degrade quickly. You know how you shouldn’t let your phone go completely dead every day, and if you do, it will essentially stop holding a charge after a year? the same. Expect it to pass away soon.
Another factor is dirt and dust. Most inverters and charging circuits use fans to move air over the internal power boards since they generate a lot of heat. That rapidly translates to dirty PCBs in the most of the locations I’m describing, which is hazardous especially if the dust attracts moisture and the clay is alkaline or salty, the box becomes wet, etc. After all, these are high-voltage circuits. If you want to understand what I mean, spray some water into your laptop’s side vents. People who utilize power banks at Burning Man are seeing conditions that are similar to those in Africa, where I have seen numerous inverter systems collapse. just two weeks afterwards.
The heat is also excessive. All reputable manufacturers of these systems (all of the ones I described) stop charging when interior temperatures get above 45C because Li-ion batteries wear out more quickly when operated hot, but more importantly because it is extremely unsafe to charge them above 50C. Just type “battery fire” into Google and count the results. When operating at full capacity, 45C can be easily reached while the surrounding temperature is 38C and 500W of continuous power is being driven by circuits inside a plastic box. I did state that Africa was the target market. Be ready for some downtime.
and insufficient power. You need constant power throughput if your objective is to provide them with a gadget that can take the place of a generator. My system’s inverter can provide 1500W. (1300W after a few minutes). However, it can only charge at 300W using solar power. The maximum throughput power is 300W. Which is perfect for my needs. When I need a long weekend away from everything, I can leave my portable fridge, laptop, satellite wifi, and other devices fully charged from the outlet before I leave. However, the smallest generators can continually produce 800W, thus 300W is actually quite meager. Be prepared to be disappointed.
In conclusion, a system that can run continuously at full power for more than two years without overheating, shorting its circuits, or draining its batteries is what the African market really needs.
Therefore, LiFePO4 batteries should be used. LiFePO4 batteries have a 5 and 10-fold increase in cycle life over standard Li-ion (cobalt) batteries, despite being heavier and more expensive. Additionally, LiFePO4 batteries tend not to break explosively, an usual fallback for Li-ion, and are safer to operate at higher temperatures. Since the enclosure must be sealed, passive external cooling is required. In other words, get rid of the plastic and wear an absurdly large heat-sink. Like this tank more:
Additionally, the PV side should be able to manage as much input power as the inverter can generate. As long as you can afford to provide ample warranty support or don’t intend to, you don’t need to build systems in this manner. Consider some rewards.
However, a power infrastructure constructed in this manner may replace a large portion of the more than 200 million gensets already in use in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is urgently required.
Customers are quite creative. This is undesirable while selling a product. With handmade wiring, several short circuits and polarity reversals are to be expected. This is an illustration of a plugstrip:
Use of these hazardous items is widespread.
Regarding the author: The tech genius behind some of the most well-known off-grid and outdoor devices, including TEG-based stoves, UVC and electro-chlorinator water treatment systems, and LED lighting, is serial entrepreneur and co-CEO of Amped Innovation Kurt Kuhlmann. Kurt established the technological non-profit D.Rev to develop affordable healthcare goods for developing nations. He is easily distracted by almost anything technological, is somewhat anxious about CO2, and is especially interested in technology that is relevant to the underprivileged.
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