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Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
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Author:  Old Prospector [ Sep 30th, '16, 17:39 ]
Post subject:  Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
http://solpad.com/

Code:
SolPad
, the world’s first and only truly integrated solar panel, marks a quantum leap in personal power and aims to gamify sustainable energy use for the masses.

The SolPad’s integrated solar panel combines multiple patented technologies into a single beautiful device, including breakthrough battery storage, an innovative inverter system and intelligent software that engages and interacts with the user, giving them an unparalleled personal energy experience that gamifies energy distribution, delivery and usage.

SolPad is truly the world’s first fully integrated solar energy solution created for the modern smart home and sustainably minded global citizen.

Visit http://www.solpad.com to learn more about SolPad and SolPad Home.

“SolPad revolutionizes personal energy by bringing together the sustainable smart home, solar and energy storage into a simple, gorgeous and integrated device,” said Christopher Estes, SolPad’s CEO and Chief Product Architect. “SolPad also makes solar even more accessible for the majority of the global population and its growing energy needs, without the cost of building expensive grid infrastructure. With our groundbreaking component miniaturization and integration, we’ve transformed solar—much like the smartphone revolutionized the personal computer sector— combining numerous components into a single device that’s significantly less expensive, more powerful, and easier to use than conventional systems.”
Author:  earthbound [ Oct 1st, '16, 05:40 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
Interesting link OP...

They are big on adjectives but light on information.

Quote:
The SolPad’s integrated solar panel combines multiple patented technologies into a single beautiful device, including breakthrough battery storage, an innovative inverter system and intelligent software that engages and interacts with the user, giving them an unparalleled personal energy experience that gamifies energy distribution, delivery and usage.


As someone who's lived almost entirely on solar power for nearly 2 years now, I'm very interested in solar, but to me these are a gimmick. I think explaining it as "unparalleled personal energy experience that gamifies energy distribution, delivery and usage." sort of sums it up, it's a novelty. But hard to tell much without facts n figures, solid state storage in each panel. How much storage? Inverter incorporated in each panel. How big, what's it's capacity?

With storage in each panel, inverter in each panel, internet hotspot in each panel, etc. Surely in a domestic multi-panel set up then you start to double up on things. Sometimes you're better off having components which are good at just one thing, and most of the time your better off using something designed for the purpose you need. Having a "one size fits all" product which is good for people camping, humanitarian purposes, normal western house grid connected domestic situations? Well, it's a bit like saying there's one car which is the car that's the answer for every person in every situation..

I can see that it could be a game winner for AP backup situations though having solar, inverter, battery storage and grid power fail sensing all in one..
Author:  Gunagulla [ Oct 1st, '16, 07:07 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
The OP's post looks rather like spam to me...

As EB says above, it all sounds a bit too much of an all-in-one solution for a household system, but maybe it would be ok for a small camping setup, assuming the battery actually has enough capacity to be useful. Clearly you can't run a coffee machine from a single ~100W PV panel, as shown in the video, for very long! Nor could you operate a circular saw for very long, which is also shown. Also, the tiny inverter is unlikely to be large enough to supply high power.
I see they also have the plug of death- a live male 3pin plug to plug into a wall outpet, which is certainly illegal in Australia, and potentially extremely dangerous.

Until they come out with some real specifications, I agree with EB- it remains a novelty item. I've lived off-grid since 1991, and reckon I have a fair idea of what such a small panel can and can't do.
Author:  grunter [ Oct 1st, '16, 08:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
Maybe not for everyone but great for some.

It was musician friends who introduced him to an island in the Caribbean, where he met residents that pay hundreds or even a thousand dollars per month for electricity from the local utility. Island utilities commonly make energy by burning diesel fuel, which has to be shipped in and is both expensive and dirty.

When Estes looked into how residents could buy solar panels instead, he says the options were far too complicated and expensive. So he decided to build his own.

http://fortune.com/2016/09/22/solpad-so ... batteries/
Author:  Gunagulla [ Oct 1st, '16, 08:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
>> While the company hasn’t disclosed pricing yet, Estes says an individual SolPad Mobile will probably cost between $1,000 and $2,000

Ouch. That's an awfully expensive small solar panel, battery and inverter.

Subjecting batteries and electronics to 75C on the roof doesn't sound like a way to make them last long either, even though they claim they can handle high temps.
Author:  grunter [ Oct 1st, '16, 08:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
That seems a bit selective. If you are happy to accept the price suggested, why not accept the 20 year life of the batteries. I see people justify spending $1,000 on a phone and it won't save them a cent on calls.
Author:  Gunagulla [ Oct 1st, '16, 08:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
He said the price, the battery life is not much more than speculation, as they have not been around that long, and certainly not in a high temperture on-roof environment.

You wont see me spending that sort of money on a phone! People can spend money on whatever they like on whatever they like, it's their choice, but I don't think, from what little has been revealed, that Solpad represents good value for money, and some scenes in the video are clearly misleading.
Author:  earthbound [ Oct 1st, '16, 08:49 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
Hmmm, and aspects like...

Quote:
A method of tapping on the surface of the panel can prompt a voice response and information about how the panel is charging and how much battery energy it has left. Estes has written a “personality engine” that encourages the panel to deliver all sorts of sassy voice responses, like chiding you if you knock the panel over.

or
Quote:
Few solar panel makers are really thinking differently about the aesthetics of panels


:?

The fog of marketing spin is far to thick to see anything... :geek:
Author:  chris81 [ Oct 3rd, '16, 07:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
new guy here, Where does one begin to look to basicly understand and maybe build a solar panel?
Author:  SeanD [ Oct 3rd, '16, 07:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
Not many people build the panels at home. Wikipedia is a good place to learn about the technology.

Every time you come across something on Wikipedia tha you don't understand look it up (on Wikipedia) it's like disappearing down a rabbit hole and a good way to waste a day
Author:  dlf_perth [ Oct 3rd, '16, 07:39 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
Quote:
new guy here, Where does one begin to look to basicly understand and maybe build a solar panel?

you wouldn't necessarily build your own solar panel any more because the massive efficiencies of modern manufacturing and materials means anything home made would be way behind. In terms of the basics a number of the off-the-grid sustainable living type web pages / magazines / books tend to devote time to them as they are primary features. The main bonus with these is they tend to focus on practicalities and steps to assembling systems rather than pure electronics.

Of course many electronics references etc cover them at all sorts of levels.

Depending on your background and level of interest there are text books that are used in both TAFE level and University courses (sustainability science etc). If you hunt around there are a few open-source on-line courses these days which tend to be structured and cover the electrical basics - but content will vary.

as you are in the US of A - then I guess the preppers may have this one covered as well......


** TAFE is basically a vocational education college in Australia, not sure what you would call it in US.
Where apprentices etc go to get their theory.
Author:  Yavimaya [ Oct 3rd, '16, 08:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
earthbound wrote:
Hmmm, and aspects like...

Quote:
A method of tapping on the surface of the panel can prompt a voice response and information about how the panel is charging and how much battery energy it has left. Estes has written a “personality engine” that encourages the panel to deliver all sorts of sassy voice responses, like chiding you if you knock the panel over.



LOL

its the "smart phone" of the solar panel world.
Author:  earthbound [ Oct 3rd, '16, 12:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
Yavimaya wrote:

LOL

its the "smart phone" of the solar panel world.


Yeah, they've already claimed that, along with a lot of other stuff.. :)

Quote:
With our groundbreaking component miniaturization and integration, we’ve transformed solar—much like the smartphone revolutionized the personal computer sector— combining numerous components into a single device that’s significantly less expensive, more powerful, and easier to use than conventional systems.


I think it might be a bit more like a blackberry... :shifty: Apologies to any blackberry owners.. :lol:
Author:  Yavimaya [ Oct 3rd, '16, 13:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
im not a phone fan.

i personally see "smart" phones as a ridiculous concept, kind of like trying to add 100 gadgets to a solar panel.

just stick to one thing and make it better, when are they going to add a clock radio into that solar panel? :lol:
Author:  nosliwmas [ Oct 4th, '16, 03:00 ]
Post subject:  Re: Future of Sustainable Personalized Energy Has Arrived
Yavimaya wrote:
im not a phone fan.
i personally see "smart" phones as a ridiculous concept, kind of like trying to add 100 gadgets to a solar panel.
just stick to one thing and make it better, when are they going to add a clock radio into that solar panel? :lol:

That's pretty much the consensus about SolPads on some Solar forums I read. High priced. Gimmicky. Bad idea. Many of the same points brought up in this thread (like batteries on a hot roof!) are the same ones the solar community brings up. Whereas the Microinverter technology where each panel has its own inverter, seems like it might stick this time due to the well-funded company Enphase and a much lower price-point than earlier attempts managed.

--
Sam
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