EcoFlow's $200 PowerStream | Hacker News Reader

EcoFlow's $200 PowerStream

theverge.com

As a renter in the US, I really want something like this. I don’t really care about the electricity billed saved but want some small backup during black outs (which this product isn’t intended for). I rather they force us to shut the breaker on the line we’re powering so everyone is safe, the house, the people living there and the utility company.

I'm really surprised by the other comments saying that they are renters and they interested in this. It seems like a lot of work, cost and space required for very little payoff. 800 watts of panels gives you ~4 kWh a day, which is about $2.50 at current northern california electricity prices. But I suspect you're not going to have a continuous load like a fridge or air conditioner on this because of its small size, so you'll probably actually use less of that energy. What am I missing?

I recently purchased two third party solar panels for around $150 to feed a small Ecoflow battery. I specifically did not purchase Ecoflow panels because like their batteries everything is boutique priced. Based on energy costs, the panels will take years to break even but that's not the point: being able to run a few small appliances - most notably my CPAP machine and a fan - the next time power fails is the point. Plus charging my phone and having somewhere to plug in a light is worth the $300 for a small Ecoflow battery (prime day price.)

A modern fridge is ~300 watts/hr, and a small inverter air conditioner can be 300-500 watts. So 800 watts of solar panels won't outstrip your usage and charge the battery while you power those appliances but it's close.

Perhaps with judicious use of the battery during the day you can stretch out use overnight? The article cited a 3.6KWh Delta Pro, which is capable of running a small window unit overnight for several hours. Sure, it's nice to run your fridge 24/7, but cooling it down for a couple hours every day and minimizing round trips should be enough to prevent spoilage.

To answer your question I think it's the only practical way for an apartment owner to have any backup at all since most likely an actual generator is right out. I can't imagine many apartments being ok with a generator on your balcony merrily generating noise and carbon monoxide along with electricity. Most generator manufacturers recommend 20+ feet from the nearest window! No one has that kind of space on a balcony and I'd argue the balcony door counts as a window.

I really want to do one of these systems in the US, but I am a renter and don’t want to make it a whole thing with an inverter panel.

I know they claim to synchronize with the power grid, but I am super suspect, cause I grew up with stories of incorrectly installed house generators hurting linemen in Florida after hurricanes during outages

Are these truly safe? Do they really require no modifications? Are there any that are plug and play wind and solar?

I would expect they work on the same principles as a grid-tie inverter.

I can't help but wonder -- what if there are TWO of them in your house? could one generate enough power to make the other one think the grid is active, and vice versa?

(in Europe)

What could go wrong?

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