It is an embarrassingly long time since my last post but a large part of the reason is that I was busy doing other good things, so I don’t feel quite so bad about the gap as I would otherwise have done. My major project was setting up the website for Kittens for the Reef, a cute video which I think everyone should watch:
Kittens for the Reef was launched on May 31 by one of its stars, Dr Charlie Veron (Fluffy couldn’t make it) at Townsville’s Eco-fiesta, an annual event which brings together all sorts of greenies. I attended and enjoyed it, as I have in previous years.
There is usually a new gadget or idea which catches my attention more than the others, and this year it was a cleverly designed and engineered portable solar power system from SolairForce. As their brochure (pdf) says:
The Solairforce PPS is essentially a Solar charged battery system with a pure sine wave inverter which is portable and able to be used in a variety of applications. It is able to be charged via solar or a mains battery charger and has a deep cycle battery storage component. The Solairforce PPS has 12v DC, 240v AC and USB capabilities.
But that sells the engineering short. Everything except the panels sits snugly in a weatherproof, waterproof plastic chest that looks like a heavy-duty Esky, with air vents on each end and a row of weatherproof outlets on the front.
When it comes to applications, the brochure is much better:
The Solairforce PPS has a wide variety of applications which include but are not limited to:
- Off Grid system able to be connected to domestic houses to save buying grid power
- UPS system for computers and servers
- Emergency power (including medical devices)
- Remote area power supply
- Camping, RV’S, Caravans
- Tradesmen and builders on job sites
- Disaster relief?
- Boating
- Mining, underground or confined spaces
- Power supply for transportable buildings
Of these, disaster relief is the stand-out application. MSF, Red Cross, Oxfam, etc, please take note! The developer doesn’t have a full web site devoted to the system but is on Facebook.
Wildlife Queensland had a stall at Eco fiesta as usual – see their report here. http://townsville.wildlife.org.au/2015/06/08/eco-fiesta-2015-winning-hearts-and-minds-for-wildlife/
Hi, The Solairforce PPS now has the website up and running. It is http://www.solairforce.org/ I look forward to any feedback and I am working on bringing my invention to the world. Look out for it being used by the ADF and it is being demonstrated at the Australian and NZ Emergency services convention next week. I am also putting $100 towards every unit sold towards providing PPS units to people who need them the most in particular remote PNG, South Africa and those people who do not have access to electricity. The PPS can run medical appliances, water pumps and run lights and communication equipment.