Why an electric vehicle? Environmentalism and the techno-nerd factor are part of it, but it’s mostly economics. I paid $95k (after taxes, registration, etc.) for my Model S, far more than the @$45k I would typically shell out for a car. The federal government nicely handed $7,500 in tax credits and California chipped in $2,500 reducing my Model S cost to $85k. I also have solar on my roof with extra charging capacity that I sell back to the utility so I have credits to cover charging. When I received an appointment at NASA HQ in December of 2016, my wife and I drove the Model S across country to DC and back for free using Tesla’s extensive supercharger network. (Note: “Environmental” NASA had no electric vehicle charging!) No gas bills for 50k miles driven has saved me $5,000 (assume 30mpg and $3/gal). Model S cost down to $80k. Current Tesla buyers aren’t grandfathered into free supercharging and some don’t have solar but it’s still way cheaper than gas. Analysis estimates charging costs at $4.40 per 100 miles, yielding 68mpg equivalency. So, the gas savings for most folks is more like $2,800.

We plan to add application centric products that addresses a specific application and help the user to perform necessary measurement at ease.

TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, announces the new SOLARLOK… Read More

WA’s regional utility Western Power has moved forward with off or edge-of-grid solar and storage deployment in WA.

Because DC systems today don’t allow batteries to charge from the grid, AC-coupled systems will be the default choice of architecture in systems where batteries are installed primarily for grid-support applications.

The report includes an in-depth analysis of the industrial value chain, which provides a detailed view of the Battery Charger IC Market. The Porter’s Five Forces model for the market has also been studied, in order to help understand the competitive scenario in the market. The study includes market attractiveness analysis, wherein the end-users are standardized, on the basis of the market size, overall attractiveness, and growth rate.

Most solar inverters used in the U.S. are made by foreign or foreign-owned companies, including China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., the world’s largest inverter manufacturer. China supplies 47 percent of the solar inverter market.

GM, he said, should have spent more to promote the car. "I’ve been really surprised at the lack of marketing," he said. "I would not have an electric car if I did not have that gas engine."

“We’ve had dozens of other clubs approach us about working with them in the same way,” Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Octopus Energy’s director of product and marketing, tells Inverse.

“The microgrid is already generating value for STCH by providing resilient, renewable power for part of our campus,” La Follett said. “And by exporting power to the local grid, we are generating economic benefit. But more importantly, this environment gives us the opportunity to test different ideas and strategies as we work to understand the operational envelope of these different components. One of the things that makes this microgrid unique is the diversity of the components that are involved. We wanted the flexibility to test numerous combinations of distributed energy resources.”

A safety cone-orange Mitsubishi 4×4 camper van would typically be showstopper enough for any motorhome expo booth, but Campers Scotland came out blazing from both hands at this month’s Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show, where it also debuted the Eco Explorer. Less rugged but still a 4×4, the hybrid Eco Explorer offers low fuel consumption and a self-charging battery system to keep the lights on and cooktop firing. An LPG option gives it three drive-power sources and up to 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of range per fill-up, while a deconstructed kitchen and sliding rear bench make it a capable everyday driver.

With a maximum energy storage capacity ranging from 5 to 80 kWh, this lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery is designed for residential and business use, storing electricity and optimizing the energy efficiency of the installation, thanks to the stabilization of the power supplied.