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I hate 60Hz thread. | by myke | 2002-03-26 22:40:34 |
| DC power IS viable...here's some more info |
by captaintylor |
2002-04-09 10:24:19 |
Check the back issues of Home Power magazine: http://www.homepower.com/. I remember several articles about solar/wind-powered homes that had DC light fixtures and DC appliances.
There is a company called Sun Frost that makes a DC-powered refrigerator...and I'm pretty sure that appliances made for RVs are going to be DC. There are -48VDC power supplies for various computer equipment designed for telco use (some nice ones show up on eBay from time to time, and they're never as expensive as the AC versions).
All solar power is DC when it's collected, so some totally off-grid people use DC appliances to avoid the expense and inefficiency of an AC inverter, or to allow them to get a smaller inverter to run only the few AC devices. I could type for hours about this, but you get the picture. DC is a viable way to power a home - you can eliminate the buzz, save energy costs, and preserve the environment, all at the same time. Many places in the US are even doing what's called "net metering"...if you're connected to the utility grid, and you generate more power than you use, the electric company runs your meter BACKWARDS, and sends you a check instead of a bill. No idea if this is available in Ontario or not.
Did I mention that by using a solar/wind system with a battery bank, you essentially have a whole-house UPS? :) |
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[ Reply ] |
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True, but... | by myke | 2002-04-09 17:42:38 |
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