Emergency Power Supply
Power cuts are becoming increasingly likely, especially in winter. Light rainfall keeps the hydro lakes at low levels and energy companies fight for resource consents to build new dams and power stations. This project is about self-reliance. A small, portable emergency 240 Volt power supply with solar recharging. The battery and inverter are built into a cheap portable plastic toolcase (above left). A solar panel outside keeps the battery fully charged. The block diagram of the power supply with associated metering circuitry and a 12 Volt charger for AAA/AA/C/D cells, is shown below.
Full circuit details are provided on the link here (22-page PDF) (1.3 MB - userid: open; password: sesame). I haven't yet had a power cut which has caused me to resort to using the EPS, but at least it is here ready! There has been interest in the design from Ethiopia!
© In the Light, 18 March, 2011 , Disclaimer, Son of Suckerfish drop-downs from HTML dog