WEBVTT - Emergency Solar Power Solutions and You

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<v Speaker 1>Al Zone Media.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome to it could happen here. I'm Robert Evans, and

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<v Speaker 2>this is a podcast about things falling apart. This week,

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<v Speaker 2>the thing falling apart was my bedroom. Allow me to

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<v Speaker 2>explain three years or so ago, I was finally able

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<v Speaker 2>to buy a house, or at least you get a mortgage.

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<v Speaker 2>This allowed me to achieve a very stupid lifelong dream,

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<v Speaker 2>which was to finally own a waterbed. I know you're

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<v Speaker 2>wondering what all of this has to do with solar power,

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<v Speaker 2>and I swear there will be an answer to that question.

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<v Speaker 2>I also want to make it clear upfront that this

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<v Speaker 2>is not an ad. Some of the equipment I tested

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<v Speaker 2>was provided for free as review units, some of it

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<v Speaker 2>was purchased with my own money and some with company money.

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<v Speaker 2>I'll try to make it pretty clear at each point,

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<v Speaker 2>but I promise it doesn't matter ari my opinions on

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<v Speaker 2>any specific product. No one paid us in any way

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<v Speaker 2>for their inclusion in this episode. Anyway, back to my

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<v Speaker 2>stupid waterbed. The first thing to know about waterbeds is

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<v Speaker 2>that they are surprisingly cheap. They cost about as much

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<v Speaker 2>as an equivalent sized mattress. Knew, so not cheap, But

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<v Speaker 2>the one I bought cost the same as any delivery

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<v Speaker 2>mattress sold for, and cheaper than some of them. The

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<v Speaker 2>reason that most people can't afford a waterbed isn't the

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<v Speaker 2>actual cost of the bed itself. It's that landlords are

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<v Speaker 2>terrified of the things, and so you can't get one

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<v Speaker 2>if you don't own your own home. In case you're curious,

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<v Speaker 2>my desire to own a waterbed is entirely the result

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<v Speaker 2>of the fact that, as a small child, my aunt

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<v Speaker 2>and uncle fell upon hard times and had to live

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<v Speaker 2>with us for a while. Then for another while they

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<v Speaker 2>lived elsewhere, but their stuff stayed with us. That stuff

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<v Speaker 2>included a waterbed, and for a few glorious months it

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<v Speaker 2>was my waterbed. I have craved the insane high of

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<v Speaker 2>waterbed ownership ever since. For three perfect years. Then I

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<v Speaker 2>slept in wavy comfort until about two days before I

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<v Speaker 2>wrote this episode, my bed sprang a pinhole leak. I

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<v Speaker 2>don't know how you might guess a cat, but the

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<v Speaker 2>actual bladder that contains the water is inside and underneath

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<v Speaker 2>a very thick, padded frame that cat claws can't really puncture.

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<v Speaker 2>I should also know that the bladder sits inside a

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<v Speaker 2>vinyl sort of soft cage, so that when it sprang

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<v Speaker 2>a leak, it got some of my sheets wet, but

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<v Speaker 2>it did not cause damage to my home anyway. Because

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<v Speaker 2>waterbeds are the kind of product that only an insane

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<v Speaker 2>manchild would dare to own, fixing a hole in one

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<v Speaker 2>is not the same as performing maintenance on your regular mattress,

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<v Speaker 2>because the kinds of beds that reasonable people own don't

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<v Speaker 2>spring leaks. To patch the leak, then I had to

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<v Speaker 2>purchase a patch kit. But you can't apply a patch

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<v Speaker 2>kit to what is effectively a soft bladder filled with

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<v Speaker 2>roughly a metric ton of water. I did do the

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<v Speaker 2>bare minimum of research here, and king size waterbeds weigh

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<v Speaker 2>around two thousand pounds. Now that's not all water weight,

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<v Speaker 2>but it is basically all water weight. I bring this

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<v Speaker 2>up because I'm proud of myself for guessing right. So

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<v Speaker 2>to apply the patch we had to first drain the bed,

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<v Speaker 2>which necessitated attaching a hose to one of the spigots

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<v Speaker 2>through which we had originally filled the bed. Because of

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<v Speaker 2>the layout of my home and the ground outside of

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<v Speaker 2>the window where we intended to pour the water, we

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<v Speaker 2>couldn't get the hosts started without assistance. The kind of

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<v Speaker 2>assistance that you would say, need to suck gasoline free

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<v Speaker 2>if a stranger's truck were you hard up for fuel money. Thankfully,

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<v Speaker 2>my roommate had a wetback which we were able to

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<v Speaker 2>hook up to the hose, but how to power the

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<v Speaker 2>wet back well. We could have run an extra long

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<v Speaker 2>extension cord, but mine were all in use for various

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<v Speaker 2>insane projects around the farm, and instead I opted to

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<v Speaker 2>wheel out the solar generator that I had filled with

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<v Speaker 2>the beneficence of the sun God Raw just a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of days earlier. The generator was one of two similar

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<v Speaker 2>products I tested for this episode, a Jackery SG two

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<v Speaker 2>thousand plus, which had been sent to me by the

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<v Speaker 2>good people at Jackery in previous weeks. I'd tested it

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<v Speaker 2>by powering my deep freeze and a refrigerator, and in

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<v Speaker 2>case you're wondering, with the panels outside in the sun,

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<v Speaker 2>I got a little over a day before things ran

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<v Speaker 2>dry on my refrigerator. If I'd had the panels in

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<v Speaker 2>a better position, I could have had longer and the

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<v Speaker 2>deep freeze it would have been able to power essentially indefinitely,

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<v Speaker 2>because deep freezes are actually insanely efficient machines. I also

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<v Speaker 2>used it to run a heat gun for my friend's

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<v Speaker 2>art project, which is about as intense a test of

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<v Speaker 2>output as you can run a battery through short of

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<v Speaker 2>powering your home, and it handles that. In terms of specs,

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<v Speaker 2>this battery is part of a more modular system that

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<v Speaker 2>you could wire into power your home or off grid setup.

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<v Speaker 2>You can actually attach this to your breaker. It has

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<v Speaker 2>a maximum output of six thousand watts in parallel connection

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<v Speaker 2>and one twenty to two forty expandable voltage. For a

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<v Speaker 2>rough idea of what that means, it can power most

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<v Speaker 2>household electronics and even power tools for a while. You'd

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<v Speaker 2>get about one and a half hours of running a

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<v Speaker 2>home AC unit, and more like two two and a half.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, with a portable unit or a window unit.

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<v Speaker 2>You could charge this thing too full in two hours

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<v Speaker 2>with good sunlight if you had six two hundred watt

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<v Speaker 2>panels attached in perfect sunlight, which is another three thousand

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<v Speaker 2>or so dollars in panels. But that's not an insignificant

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<v Speaker 2>thing to be able to do, mind you, that would

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<v Speaker 2>mean just running your race most of the day and

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<v Speaker 2>nothing else. Of these are cheap products in Jackery's case,

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<v Speaker 2>the battery itself runs about two thousand dollars. I understand

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<v Speaker 2>that's out of reach, perhaps wildly so for a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of people. We will be talking about cheaper options at

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<v Speaker 2>the end, but it is an unavoidable fact that unless

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<v Speaker 2>you are a skilled electrician and scavenger, setting up substantial

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<v Speaker 2>solar systems costs money period. Jackery actually represents one of

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<v Speaker 2>the more affordable options for a plug and play home

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<v Speaker 2>backup system that is also portable, i e. Can be

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<v Speaker 2>taken camping or hauled away with your shit during an evacuation.

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<v Speaker 2>I should note that you can connect the Jackery SG

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<v Speaker 2>two thousand plus directly to your breaker, and also connect

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<v Speaker 2>the battery to other similar Jackery battery generators to g

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<v Speaker 2>additional capacity and output from it. I tested another solar

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<v Speaker 2>generator system for this episode, the Genniverse Home Power O two,

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<v Speaker 2>which was provided to me by Genniverse. Both the Genniverse

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<v Speaker 2>and Jackery systems are similar enough that they can use

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<v Speaker 2>each other's solar panels and operate in basically the same manner.

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<v Speaker 2>This product is cheaper. Other reviews I've read suggests the

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<v Speaker 2>Genier system might be more robust, lasting longer, over time.

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<v Speaker 2>It is certainly heavier and thus has a higher capacity

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<v Speaker 2>around twenty four hundred watt hours as opposed to a

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<v Speaker 2>little over two thousand for the Jaggery system. Both of

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<v Speaker 2>these can be the basis of an off grid or

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<v Speaker 2>full backup power system for your home, and we'll be

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<v Speaker 2>talking about home off grid power in future episodes. I

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<v Speaker 2>want to make clear upfront that what I am advising

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<v Speaker 2>you on today is the quality and utility of different

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<v Speaker 2>solar generator battery products for emergency power. So let's talk

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<v Speaker 2>about what emergency means. The primary emergency you might encounter

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<v Speaker 2>that a battery solar setup would help with is a

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<v Speaker 2>power outage at your home. In that case, you have

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<v Speaker 2>a couple of immediate and real needs. I will list

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<v Speaker 2>these from most basic and easy cheapest to fill to

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<v Speaker 2>most expensive and difficult to meet. Number one would be

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<v Speaker 2>to keep your devices and stuff like flashlights that are

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<v Speaker 2>chargeable topped off so you can keep in contact with

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<v Speaker 2>your community and stay aware of breaking news on whatever

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<v Speaker 2>emergency you happen to be in. Being able to entertain

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<v Speaker 2>yourself with books and movies does, in my view, count

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<v Speaker 2>as one purpose for these systems in an emergency because

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<v Speaker 2>morale ain't nothing. Number two is being able to run

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<v Speaker 2>emergency cooling devices, starting with fans and terminating in stuff

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<v Speaker 2>like window AC units or even portable camping AC units.

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<v Speaker 2>Number three is being able to keep a fridge going

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<v Speaker 2>so your food doesn't spoil. If you're prepping for disaster,

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<v Speaker 2>you should have storable food, anything from freeze dried stuff

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<v Speaker 2>to beans and rice, et cetera. But losing all of

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<v Speaker 2>your shit in an outage is expensive and annoying, and

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<v Speaker 2>it's nice to be able to avoid. The most achievable

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<v Speaker 2>of these systems for a person of normal income is

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<v Speaker 2>number one, and if you have disposable income at all,

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<v Speaker 2>you can afford some sort of emergency solar setup to

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<v Speaker 2>keep your phone or laptop and rechargeable lights going. There

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<v Speaker 2>are a wide variety of battery packs that have solar

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<v Speaker 2>panels built into them. I have tried a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>these over the years, and I have never once been

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<v Speaker 2>happy with the quality, either of their ability to charge

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<v Speaker 2>in the sun or to last over time. The system

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<v Speaker 2>that I currently take with me on trips is made

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<v Speaker 2>by a company called Goal zero, who produce a variety

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<v Speaker 2>of solar battery and charger products. I purchase for myself

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<v Speaker 2>a Nomad thirteen solar panel set, which folds into something

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<v Speaker 2>that approximates the size of a trapper keeper set you

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<v Speaker 2>had as a kid in school. I've had this for years.

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<v Speaker 2>I take it with me on every flight as my

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<v Speaker 2>carry on. I have it and two batteries, which are

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<v Speaker 2>different incarnations of Goal zero's Schirpa one hundred on me

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<v Speaker 2>wherever I go. The schrip On one hundred has a

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<v Speaker 2>little three prong outlet you can charge basically any laptop

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<v Speaker 2>on it. You could even do like emergency power for

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<v Speaker 2>a computer. I think with it this and one battery

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<v Speaker 2>would allow me to keep my phone going for emergency

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<v Speaker 2>purposes indefinitely. Two batteries and sharres. I'm able to travel

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<v Speaker 2>with roughly three or four working days of power for

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<v Speaker 2>my laptop and phone wherever I go, and that's without

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<v Speaker 2>me actually trying to recharge them using the panels. You

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<v Speaker 2>can find various years of this battery model on Amazon

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<v Speaker 2>or at other retailers, from two hundred dollars on up.

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<v Speaker 2>The latest model retails for three hundred dollars off Goal

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<v Speaker 2>Zero's website. These batteries are TSA approved, as are the panels.

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<v Speaker 2>I have never had an issue flying with them. Obviously

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<v Speaker 2>in different countries, your experience may vary, but I have

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<v Speaker 2>taken these things to most parts of the world, and

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<v Speaker 2>again I haven't had an issue. They have varying sizes,

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<v Speaker 2>but the Nomad one hundred, which is one hundred watt hours,

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<v Speaker 2>runs about three hundred bucks. So you're looking at five

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<v Speaker 2>or six hundred dollars for this traveling setup, which is

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<v Speaker 2>also great to keep in your home and just have

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<v Speaker 2>less a bit. You know, if you find used versions

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<v Speaker 2>on eBay or wherever, which is often possible, that's not

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<v Speaker 2>an insignificant cost. But if you're building an emergency kit

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<v Speaker 2>over time, most people are capable of bearing that cost. Again,

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<v Speaker 2>over time, you could just start with the battery, which

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<v Speaker 2>is the most initially useful part of the kit, and

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<v Speaker 2>then you could get a panel set six months or

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<v Speaker 2>whatever a year later. And this brings me to what

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<v Speaker 2>I'm talking about quantifiably when I discuss a disaster and

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<v Speaker 2>what you actually need when we're talking about emergency power

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<v Speaker 2>in a disaster. It is uncommon for the average US

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<v Speaker 2>consumer to lose power for more than an hour or

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<v Speaker 2>two at a time. In twenty eighteen, most consumers lost

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<v Speaker 2>less than two hours of power per year without quote

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<v Speaker 2>major events. With major events, that number leaped to six

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<v Speaker 2>hours per person per year on average. In twenty seventeen,

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<v Speaker 2>it was closer to eight. As we deal with more

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<v Speaker 2>climate change, more natural disasters, all of these things are

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<v Speaker 2>going to become inevitably more common. These are also all

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<v Speaker 2>averages of huge numbers of people in huge areas of terrain.

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<v Speaker 2>I will guess that the percentage of people listening to

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<v Speaker 2>this who have as adults lost power for a day

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<v Speaker 2>or more at a time is very close to one

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<v Speaker 2>hundred percent. Now, given the averages, you might consider just

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<v Speaker 2>perching battery power units without solar panels, because in most instances,

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<v Speaker 2>what you're trying to do is ensure that if your

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<v Speaker 2>phone is dead and there's a bad storm and you

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<v Speaker 2>run out of power by the time you get home,

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<v Speaker 2>a two or three hour outage doesn't leave you unable

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<v Speaker 2>to contact your people or emergency services. I have a

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<v Speaker 2>fuckload of different portable batteries because I try to keep

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<v Speaker 2>enough in my work bag wherever I go to function

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<v Speaker 2>in my job for most of a week without power

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<v Speaker 2>when I go on trips. This kind of preparation has

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<v Speaker 2>stood me in good stead in places like Syria, Iraq

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<v Speaker 2>and the desperate wilds of Seattle that one time. But

0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:17.559
<v Speaker 2>if you're not going to such terrifying hellscapes, you can

0:11:17.640 --> 0:11:20.880
<v Speaker 2>probably get a suitable battery that's reasonably tough for under

0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:24.560
<v Speaker 2>one hundred dollars. And we will continue talking about batteries

0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:27.240
<v Speaker 2>and talking about you know, next kind of home solutions

0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:31.040
<v Speaker 2>and eventually cheap solutions. But you know what's not cheap

0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:35.839
<v Speaker 2>is the products and services that support this podcast. Affordable

0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:44.760
<v Speaker 2>but not cheap. Anyway, here's these ads. We're back and

0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:49.120
<v Speaker 2>we're talking about portable batteries, right And my only note

0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:51.320
<v Speaker 2>here is that if you're buying portable batteries, you know,

0:11:51.320 --> 0:11:54.240
<v Speaker 2>stuff not necessarily to run on solar, just to have

0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:56.439
<v Speaker 2>some extra juice with you wherever you'd go to keep

0:11:56.440 --> 0:12:00.800
<v Speaker 2>it home in an emergency. These fluctuate wildly in quality,

0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:03.640
<v Speaker 2>and when it comes to disaster kit, to something that

0:12:03.679 --> 0:12:06.520
<v Speaker 2>you need to work in an emergency, it can be

0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:09.280
<v Speaker 2>worth going with a brand that is a known quantity

0:12:09.360 --> 0:12:12.000
<v Speaker 2>with a long record and a lot of testing done

0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:15.240
<v Speaker 2>on their products, rather than whatever the Amazon algorithm spits

0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:18.360
<v Speaker 2>out when you Google battery. The advantage of a small

0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:20.680
<v Speaker 2>portable folding setup like the one I have from Goal

0:12:20.760 --> 0:12:22.600
<v Speaker 2>zero is that you can take it with you and

0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:24.920
<v Speaker 2>have it on demand if shit happens when you're traveling,

0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:28.200
<v Speaker 2>or if you have to evacuate and it's idiot proof right.

0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:30.959
<v Speaker 2>A good option if you just want something in your

0:12:31.000 --> 0:12:33.240
<v Speaker 2>home to keep your devices topped off is what I'd

0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:37.000
<v Speaker 2>call a large small battery generator. These are a couple

0:12:37.000 --> 0:12:39.720
<v Speaker 2>of steps below products like the Jackery two thousand to

0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:42.560
<v Speaker 2>the Geniverse that I tried, but above the handheld little

0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:46.040
<v Speaker 2>batteries that many of you have already. The two examples

0:12:46.080 --> 0:12:48.240
<v Speaker 2>of this product category that I have and have tested

0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.520
<v Speaker 2>are the Yeti four hundred from Goal zero and the

0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:56.200
<v Speaker 2>anchor a n Ker Solix Solix C eight hundred. The

0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:58.680
<v Speaker 2>Yeti four hundred is the product I purchased with my

0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:01.400
<v Speaker 2>own money and what I've taken with me for years

0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:03.800
<v Speaker 2>into the mountains when I go shooting or hunting, usually

0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:06.600
<v Speaker 2>with a set of folding panels. This ensures that if

0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:08.520
<v Speaker 2>my car dies and I've been dumb enough to let

0:13:08.520 --> 0:13:10.760
<v Speaker 2>my jumper box that I keep with me die, I

0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:12.560
<v Speaker 2>have a backup that I can use to charge my

0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:15.160
<v Speaker 2>jumper box. I also have a convenient way to top

0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.680
<v Speaker 2>off my phone or my E reader or my SAT phone,

0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:21.280
<v Speaker 2>both for normal use and in an emergency. It handles

0:13:21.320 --> 0:13:24.280
<v Speaker 2>extreme cold and extreme heat well, and that's not always

0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:27.679
<v Speaker 2>something you can take for granted with batteries. Again, kind

0:13:27.720 --> 0:13:29.760
<v Speaker 2>of top of the list is that I am an idiot.

0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:33.000
<v Speaker 2>I don't know much about electricity, and these products are

0:13:33.080 --> 0:13:35.400
<v Speaker 2>pretty idiot proof. When it comes to my YETI four

0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:37.719
<v Speaker 2>hundred or the C eight hundred from Anchor, I keep

0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:39.560
<v Speaker 2>them both plugged into the wall at all times that

0:13:39.600 --> 0:13:42.760
<v Speaker 2>I can grab either for an emergency. Now, the Solix

0:13:42.800 --> 0:13:44.480
<v Speaker 2>C eight hundred that I have was sent to me

0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:47.440
<v Speaker 2>as a review unit by Solix, and by necessity I

0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:49.400
<v Speaker 2>have not been able to subject it to the years

0:13:49.400 --> 0:13:52.000
<v Speaker 2>of rigorous real life testing that my Goal zero YETI

0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:55.040
<v Speaker 2>four hundred has endured. I will note that it is

0:13:55.120 --> 0:13:57.640
<v Speaker 2>well reviewed, and from the exploration I have done on it,

0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:00.640
<v Speaker 2>which does not include years of testing but does include

0:14:00.640 --> 0:14:03.439
<v Speaker 2>a decent amount of reading and some testing, I think

0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:06.520
<v Speaker 2>it's better constructed and more conveniently laid out in the

0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:09.040
<v Speaker 2>Goal zero, and it also gets you about twice the

0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:11.640
<v Speaker 2>storage nearly eight hundred watt hours as opposed to a

0:14:11.640 --> 0:14:15.040
<v Speaker 2>bit over four hundred. Both products cost the same price

0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:19.280
<v Speaker 2>around six hundred dollars, although older generations are often available

0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:22.480
<v Speaker 2>cheaper online. New and used. Either is enough to keep

0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:24.840
<v Speaker 2>a family of Force phones charged for a two or

0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:27.560
<v Speaker 2>three day outage without severe rationing. You can get a

0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.520
<v Speaker 2>lot more obviously on the anchor, and you might not

0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:33.040
<v Speaker 2>want to have someone like gaming on an alien Ware

0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:35.360
<v Speaker 2>laptop or whatever with either, but you can charge your

0:14:35.440 --> 0:14:37.360
<v Speaker 2>laptops and the like off of them if you want to,

0:14:37.400 --> 0:14:38.760
<v Speaker 2>like watch a movie at the end of the night,

0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:41.040
<v Speaker 2>you're all huddled together there in the dark. That's not

0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:42.680
<v Speaker 2>going to be something you have to stress out about

0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:45.400
<v Speaker 2>too much. Again, Boncer Solex is going to give you

0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:47.600
<v Speaker 2>a lot more juice to play around with. But either

0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:49.880
<v Speaker 2>should be enough for an average outage if you just

0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:52.240
<v Speaker 2>keep them plugged in. You can also use them to

0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:54.960
<v Speaker 2>power a fan during the day. They will not run

0:14:55.000 --> 0:14:58.800
<v Speaker 2>small AC units. These are worth considering as an intermediate

0:14:58.840 --> 0:15:01.640
<v Speaker 2>option for the more cash prepper. What you're looking for

0:15:01.680 --> 0:15:04.720
<v Speaker 2>here is not a full off rid replacement, but something

0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:07.000
<v Speaker 2>that can provide you with options for more than just

0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:10.920
<v Speaker 2>basic gadget power. With these big, small batteries, you can

0:15:11.000 --> 0:15:13.800
<v Speaker 2>run a fan or fans, maybe not long enough for comfort,

0:15:14.040 --> 0:15:15.880
<v Speaker 2>but in bursts throughout the day to get you through

0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:18.680
<v Speaker 2>the hottest part of the day during a blackout, during

0:15:18.680 --> 0:15:21.760
<v Speaker 2>what we call a wet bulb event, This would be

0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:24.760
<v Speaker 2>the life saving health emergency that a basic solar setup

0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:28.160
<v Speaker 2>would be most useful in saving you from. For context

0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:30.280
<v Speaker 2>in case people aren't up to date, a wet bulb

0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:33.560
<v Speaker 2>event is a weather situation in which the temperature reaches

0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:36.680
<v Speaker 2>a critical level above eighty eight degrees fahrenheit and does

0:15:36.720 --> 0:15:39.760
<v Speaker 2>not drop below that point for an extended period of time.

0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:43.320
<v Speaker 2>If people lack access to effective cooling during heating events

0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:46.200
<v Speaker 2>like this, they will die. We saw one of these

0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:48.840
<v Speaker 2>hit a couple of years ago where I live in Portland, Oregon,

0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:51.360
<v Speaker 2>which has been long famed for its mild temperatures and

0:15:51.400 --> 0:15:54.640
<v Speaker 2>thus most homes lack central air. During a three day

0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:57.160
<v Speaker 2>heat wave, temperatures rose to record highs and did not

0:15:57.280 --> 0:16:00.000
<v Speaker 2>drop low enough at night to allow people any recovery time.

0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:03.640
<v Speaker 2>More than one hundred of them died. This kind of

0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:07.480
<v Speaker 2>thing is possible anywhere if you have central air standard

0:16:07.480 --> 0:16:09.920
<v Speaker 2>where you live, the grid can always go down, as

0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:12.600
<v Speaker 2>we've seen happen in Texas over and over again. For

0:16:12.720 --> 0:16:15.440
<v Speaker 2>someone with money, your best bet might be pairing a

0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:18.880
<v Speaker 2>portable air conditioner like the Idea Duo, which ranges from

0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:21.680
<v Speaker 2>five hundred to six hundred dollars on Amazon, with something

0:16:21.760 --> 0:16:25.080
<v Speaker 2>like the Jackery SG two thousand plus, which with panels

0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:27.440
<v Speaker 2>and a good sunlight, would allow you to run it

0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:30.520
<v Speaker 2>during the day at least in a single room. As

0:16:30.520 --> 0:16:32.760
<v Speaker 2>an aside, this is actually a case in which someone

0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:34.920
<v Speaker 2>with a window unit is at more of an advantage

0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:38.080
<v Speaker 2>than someone with central air. You can connect your jaggery

0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:41.520
<v Speaker 2>directly to the breaker, but without expansion batteries, it's not

0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:43.440
<v Speaker 2>going to run a whole home long, so you'd want

0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:45.920
<v Speaker 2>to unplug everything and turn off the lights, running your

0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:48.920
<v Speaker 2>AC in short bursts, and maintaining discipline with your doors

0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:52.080
<v Speaker 2>at windows, ideally putting up foil or at least cardboard

0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:54.760
<v Speaker 2>over the windows to maximize efficiency. If you're just being

0:16:54.800 --> 0:16:56.680
<v Speaker 2>able to run a fan because you've get a smaller unit,

0:16:56.680 --> 0:16:59.400
<v Speaker 2>you're probably looking at something like, you know, getting towels

0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:01.520
<v Speaker 2>and rags well, but putting them over people's chests and

0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:04.639
<v Speaker 2>faces and kind of getting directly under the fan for

0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:06.480
<v Speaker 2>the periods of time that you can afford to run

0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:09.560
<v Speaker 2>it again. We are not talking about the most ideal

0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:13.359
<v Speaker 2>comfort situations here, we are talking survival. The limitations I

0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:16.359
<v Speaker 2>found for are generally twofold. One is that even with

0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:19.720
<v Speaker 2>good sunlight, folding panels like the ones Jackerie and Jennifer's

0:17:19.720 --> 0:17:23.320
<v Speaker 2>ship Me don't always hit their advertised wattage. This is

0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:25.520
<v Speaker 2>because you've got to deal with a lot of other factors,

0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:28.360
<v Speaker 2>the movement of the sun throughout the day, where shadows

0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:31.080
<v Speaker 2>fall on your home or property, your access to the roof,

0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:34.200
<v Speaker 2>how clean the panels are, and under normal use conditions,

0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:37.240
<v Speaker 2>it is surprisingly easy to get stuff on them. On

0:17:37.320 --> 0:17:39.280
<v Speaker 2>a sunny spring day in Oregon, I found my two

0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:41.520
<v Speaker 2>hundred watt Jackery panels tended to get one hundred and

0:17:41.560 --> 0:17:43.600
<v Speaker 2>twenty two one hundred and fifty watts during the most

0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:46.200
<v Speaker 2>optimal parts of the day. I was able to plug

0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:49.359
<v Speaker 2>the Jackery panels into the Geniverse generator and vice versa,

0:17:49.560 --> 0:17:52.560
<v Speaker 2>and I found that jackerres panels generally performed ten to

0:17:52.560 --> 0:17:56.080
<v Speaker 2>fifteen percent better during real life conditions. I looked it

0:17:56.160 --> 0:17:58.560
<v Speaker 2>up and on paper, the genniverse has a solar cell

0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:02.080
<v Speaker 2>efficiency or EFF of about twenty three point four percent.

0:18:02.680 --> 0:18:05.080
<v Speaker 2>Jackery beats them by one percent with an the FF

0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:07.560
<v Speaker 2>rating of twenty four point three. That is not enough

0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:09.720
<v Speaker 2>of a difference to matter too much, although I should

0:18:09.720 --> 0:18:12.000
<v Speaker 2>know that what I saw in real life use was

0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:16.000
<v Speaker 2>a notable difference. You may experience something different with these panels,

0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:18.199
<v Speaker 2>with any panels that you get. I can't claim to

0:18:18.200 --> 0:18:20.320
<v Speaker 2>have tested anything but the ones that they shipped me.

0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:24.159
<v Speaker 2>The Jackery Explorer two hundred plus is capable of taking

0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:27.520
<v Speaker 2>fourteen hundred bots of input max, which would be seven

0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:30.119
<v Speaker 2>sets of panels, although from what the manual says, it

0:18:30.160 --> 0:18:32.560
<v Speaker 2>can take up to six Solar Saga eighty panels to

0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:35.439
<v Speaker 2>their two hundred wide panels under normal conditions. You can

0:18:35.520 --> 0:18:38.679
<v Speaker 2>expand all this with added Explorer two thousands running in

0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:41.919
<v Speaker 2>tandem and up to twelve Solar Saga eighties on a

0:18:41.960 --> 0:18:45.000
<v Speaker 2>single generator, but doing that requires some wonky shit with cables,

0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:47.120
<v Speaker 2>and at that point we're talking about a system beyond

0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:49.760
<v Speaker 2>what most people are likely to want or need. When

0:18:49.800 --> 0:18:52.120
<v Speaker 2>it comes to durability, I suspect that both the Jackerie

0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:56.240
<v Speaker 2>and Genniverse are probably close in functioning. Online reviews give

0:18:56.280 --> 0:18:59.880
<v Speaker 2>both systems good user reliability ratings. In real world conditions.

0:18:59.880 --> 0:19:02.200
<v Speaker 2>I had the opportunity to do something that you never

0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:03.960
<v Speaker 2>want to do in real life with the device you'd

0:19:03.960 --> 0:19:06.600
<v Speaker 2>paid for, which was work one of these systems to death.

0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:09.920
<v Speaker 2>It shows the genivers and the torture test I used

0:19:09.960 --> 0:19:13.119
<v Speaker 2>basically involved keeping it outside, charging and providing power at

0:19:13.119 --> 0:19:15.920
<v Speaker 2>a fairly low trickle for twelve days of intermittent rain

0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:18.880
<v Speaker 2>and wind in the Pacific Northwest late winter. We got

0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:20.679
<v Speaker 2>about two inches of rain during this time, and that

0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:23.720
<v Speaker 2>was enough to eventually kill the generator, but it took

0:19:23.840 --> 0:19:27.239
<v Speaker 2>close to two weeks of downright irresponsible treatment. We are

0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:29.600
<v Speaker 2>talking the kind of neglect you would not subject a

0:19:29.640 --> 0:19:33.200
<v Speaker 2>product like this too without no other option. And subsequent

0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:35.199
<v Speaker 2>tests with the Jaggery, I have been able to keep

0:19:35.240 --> 0:19:38.679
<v Speaker 2>it operating outdoors in bad weather without damage through taking

0:19:38.720 --> 0:19:41.440
<v Speaker 2>minimal measures to shield the generator. The least I did

0:19:41.520 --> 0:19:44.680
<v Speaker 2>was stick a plastic home depot crate lid above it

0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:46.480
<v Speaker 2>literally set it down on top of the unit to

0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:48.800
<v Speaker 2>stop water from just hitting the ports on the sides

0:19:48.840 --> 0:19:52.280
<v Speaker 2>and back directly. The most elaborate protective set up outdoors

0:19:52.320 --> 0:19:54.359
<v Speaker 2>was a simple tarp cover and making sure it was

0:19:54.400 --> 0:19:57.199
<v Speaker 2>elevated a bit above the ground when it comes to

0:19:57.240 --> 0:19:59.199
<v Speaker 2>which of these systems would be best for you. The

0:19:59.240 --> 0:20:02.000
<v Speaker 2>primary difference between the Giniverse and the Jackery is that

0:20:02.040 --> 0:20:05.240
<v Speaker 2>the Giniverse is higher capacity twenty four hundred and nineteen

0:20:05.280 --> 0:20:07.720
<v Speaker 2>watt hours as opposed to a little over twenty forty

0:20:07.720 --> 0:20:10.560
<v Speaker 2>two for the Jackery. This means that without input, you

0:20:10.600 --> 0:20:12.879
<v Speaker 2>can run a normal fridge off the Giniverse for about

0:20:12.920 --> 0:20:16.240
<v Speaker 2>six hours, and goodsun you can recharge it fully in

0:20:16.359 --> 0:20:19.919
<v Speaker 2>eight hours with two Geniverse solar powered two panels. The

0:20:20.000 --> 0:20:23.320
<v Speaker 2>Jackery system will recharge in a similar timeframe under optimal

0:20:23.320 --> 0:20:26.040
<v Speaker 2>conditions and give you a bit less usable power. It

0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:28.480
<v Speaker 2>has the benefit of being almost twenty pounds lighter and

0:20:28.560 --> 0:20:32.840
<v Speaker 2>significantly friendlier in design. For reasons that elude explanation, the

0:20:32.880 --> 0:20:35.919
<v Speaker 2>Geniverse lacks a telescoping handle or wheels to help you

0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:39.160
<v Speaker 2>maneuver it into or out of position. This sucks because

0:20:39.200 --> 0:20:41.760
<v Speaker 2>it's heavy, and if it's not wired into your breaker

0:20:41.840 --> 0:20:44.359
<v Speaker 2>and you're using this for an emergency, you might need

0:20:44.400 --> 0:20:46.480
<v Speaker 2>to move it around so that you can have the

0:20:46.520 --> 0:20:48.880
<v Speaker 2>panels in different positions to take advantage of the sun.

0:20:49.640 --> 0:20:52.320
<v Speaker 2>This also makes the Giniverse less useful than the Jackery

0:20:52.400 --> 0:20:55.800
<v Speaker 2>in normal daily life. Tasks. I started this episode with

0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:58.719
<v Speaker 2>a rather ridiculous story about my waterbed, but I've actually

0:20:58.760 --> 0:21:01.800
<v Speaker 2>found quite a few tasks which having a weeelable battery

0:21:01.840 --> 0:21:05.080
<v Speaker 2>capable of this kind of output is handy. Basically, any

0:21:05.160 --> 0:21:07.560
<v Speaker 2>power tool that you are likely to own will run

0:21:07.600 --> 0:21:10.400
<v Speaker 2>off of either of these systems, but only the Jaggery

0:21:10.480 --> 0:21:12.720
<v Speaker 2>is friendly enough to want to move around outdoors to

0:21:12.720 --> 0:21:15.720
<v Speaker 2>take advantage of this fact. And this kind of gets

0:21:15.800 --> 0:21:17.639
<v Speaker 2>us to the crux of a question some of you

0:21:17.680 --> 0:21:21.040
<v Speaker 2>have been asking this whole episode, how practical are any

0:21:21.080 --> 0:21:24.520
<v Speaker 2>of these solutions. My answer is complicated, but I think

0:21:24.600 --> 0:21:27.359
<v Speaker 2>fair if you can't or aren't going to expend the

0:21:27.440 --> 0:21:30.040
<v Speaker 2>energy to become competent with solar power to the extent

0:21:30.080 --> 0:21:32.280
<v Speaker 2>that someone living off grid would generally want to be,

0:21:33.000 --> 0:21:37.280
<v Speaker 2>these are exceptional solutions so long as you can afford them.

0:21:37.440 --> 0:21:40.320
<v Speaker 2>In both cases, you're looking at around three thousand dollars

0:21:40.320 --> 0:21:42.600
<v Speaker 2>for a setup that could power anything in your home

0:21:42.720 --> 0:21:45.560
<v Speaker 2>and would handle all necessary tasks for longer than the

0:21:45.640 --> 0:21:49.040
<v Speaker 2>length of an average blackout. The Jacquerie and Jenniver's systems

0:21:49.080 --> 0:21:52.080
<v Speaker 2>are also future capable. You can expand both with added

0:21:52.119 --> 0:21:55.199
<v Speaker 2>batteries over time and add in more panel capacity up

0:21:55.280 --> 0:21:57.439
<v Speaker 2>to a point that makes them quite attractive if you

0:21:57.440 --> 0:22:01.199
<v Speaker 2>can afford them. My personal recommend would be for the

0:22:01.320 --> 0:22:04.520
<v Speaker 2>Jackery over the Genniverse for most people, for a couple

0:22:04.520 --> 0:22:07.560
<v Speaker 2>of reasons. Please note that I received review units from

0:22:07.600 --> 0:22:10.040
<v Speaker 2>both companies and money from neither, so I have no

0:22:10.280 --> 0:22:13.919
<v Speaker 2>vested interest in picking one over the other. One reason

0:22:13.960 --> 0:22:16.560
<v Speaker 2>that I chose the Jackery Explorer two thousand is that

0:22:16.600 --> 0:22:18.920
<v Speaker 2>it is a bit cheaper nineteen hundred for the base

0:22:18.960 --> 0:22:21.480
<v Speaker 2>system and four hundred and seventy nine for each set

0:22:21.480 --> 0:22:24.359
<v Speaker 2>of two hundred watt folding panels. Compare that to the

0:22:24.400 --> 0:22:27.320
<v Speaker 2>Genniverse home Power two Pro, which starts at two two

0:22:27.359 --> 0:22:29.919
<v Speaker 2>hundred and ninety nine dollars and thirty four hundred dollars

0:22:30.080 --> 0:22:33.560
<v Speaker 2>for the generator with two two hundred watt panels. The

0:22:33.680 --> 0:22:37.480
<v Speaker 2>Jackery is also meaningfully easier to use in recreational situations,

0:22:37.520 --> 0:22:39.720
<v Speaker 2>so it is a system that the average person will

0:22:39.720 --> 0:22:42.440
<v Speaker 2>get more use out of. You can take it camping easily,

0:22:42.480 --> 0:22:44.480
<v Speaker 2>you can use it for overlanding, and you can have

0:22:44.520 --> 0:22:46.959
<v Speaker 2>it ready for an emergency. I will note that if

0:22:47.000 --> 0:22:49.359
<v Speaker 2>you have a system like this, you will surprise yourself

0:22:49.359 --> 0:22:52.080
<v Speaker 2>with how often it comes in a handy for simple tasks.

0:22:52.560 --> 0:22:56.040
<v Speaker 2>What I like about both systems is again their future compatible.

0:22:56.160 --> 0:22:58.520
<v Speaker 2>You can start with the base system and then add

0:22:58.520 --> 0:23:00.159
<v Speaker 2>a couple of panels, and as you say, they have

0:23:00.240 --> 0:23:02.960
<v Speaker 2>more money, you can add an additional battery packs and

0:23:03.040 --> 0:23:05.600
<v Speaker 2>panels to give you both more capacity and more input,

0:23:05.880 --> 0:23:08.080
<v Speaker 2>with the goal of eventually storing a day or a

0:23:08.080 --> 0:23:10.560
<v Speaker 2>couple of days of power and being able to run

0:23:10.600 --> 0:23:14.840
<v Speaker 2>your home minimally during extended emergencies. The shortcoming that you'll

0:23:14.880 --> 0:23:16.439
<v Speaker 2>find with either system is that if you have a

0:23:16.480 --> 0:23:18.280
<v Speaker 2>normal home, it will cost as much as a nice

0:23:18.359 --> 0:23:20.040
<v Speaker 2>used car to have a setup that could run your

0:23:20.040 --> 0:23:23.480
<v Speaker 2>house for extended periods of time, let alone indefinitely. A

0:23:23.520 --> 0:23:26.639
<v Speaker 2>typical home AC unit can burn something like fourteen thousand

0:23:26.680 --> 0:23:29.280
<v Speaker 2>kilowatt hours per day, and that's just half of what

0:23:29.359 --> 0:23:32.760
<v Speaker 2>an average home draws. Heating amounts to a comparable draw

0:23:32.840 --> 0:23:36.119
<v Speaker 2>So while these systems can be expanded significantly with additional batteries,

0:23:36.280 --> 0:23:38.840
<v Speaker 2>if you're dealing with an outage that extends past several days,

0:23:38.920 --> 0:23:42.159
<v Speaker 2>you will encounter severe limitations. This brings me to the

0:23:42.200 --> 0:23:44.960
<v Speaker 2>most impressive but least accessible piece of gear that I

0:23:45.000 --> 0:23:48.640
<v Speaker 2>tested for these episodes. The Anchor Solix F thirty eight

0:23:48.720 --> 0:23:52.520
<v Speaker 2>hundred portable power station. This holds about three eight hundred

0:23:52.520 --> 0:23:55.760
<v Speaker 2>and forty watt hours of electricity and can output six

0:23:55.840 --> 0:23:59.400
<v Speaker 2>thousand watts if necessary. You can charge your electric car

0:23:59.560 --> 0:24:02.280
<v Speaker 2>or run a welding rig off of this thing. It

0:24:02.320 --> 0:24:04.679
<v Speaker 2>can be expanded with additional battery storage, and if you

0:24:04.680 --> 0:24:07.119
<v Speaker 2>had thirty or forty grand to spend, you could wire

0:24:07.160 --> 0:24:08.800
<v Speaker 2>this thing up to power your house for close to

0:24:08.840 --> 0:24:12.320
<v Speaker 2>a week without sunlight. The F thirty eight hundred itself

0:24:12.359 --> 0:24:14.720
<v Speaker 2>costs four thousand dollars, and you can run two of

0:24:14.720 --> 0:24:17.200
<v Speaker 2>them in tandem with twelve battery packs each to power

0:24:17.240 --> 0:24:19.399
<v Speaker 2>your home for about two weeks for just the cost

0:24:19.440 --> 0:24:22.760
<v Speaker 2>of at this point a rather nice car that is

0:24:23.080 --> 0:24:25.439
<v Speaker 2>wildly out of reach for most people, but if you

0:24:25.560 --> 0:24:28.240
<v Speaker 2>can afford it, the anchor is a really cool system.

0:24:28.400 --> 0:24:30.840
<v Speaker 2>There's been a tremendous amount of thought put into everything,

0:24:30.920 --> 0:24:33.000
<v Speaker 2>from how the device is constructed and laid out to

0:24:33.000 --> 0:24:35.800
<v Speaker 2>how you carry it. I particularly appreciate the fact that

0:24:35.840 --> 0:24:37.800
<v Speaker 2>you can wheel it like a big suitcase or lay

0:24:37.800 --> 0:24:39.920
<v Speaker 2>it on its side where it has additional pop out

0:24:39.920 --> 0:24:43.120
<v Speaker 2>handles to enable you to carry it in multiple different ways.

0:24:43.640 --> 0:24:46.720
<v Speaker 2>All of Anker's products feel premium, and the metal handles

0:24:46.720 --> 0:24:49.200
<v Speaker 2>that I said pop out are like metal. They're very solid.

0:24:49.520 --> 0:24:51.800
<v Speaker 2>Everything has a clean interface and what I would describe

0:24:51.800 --> 0:24:55.359
<v Speaker 2>as an exceedingly livable industrial design. If you happen to

0:24:55.359 --> 0:24:57.480
<v Speaker 2>be one of the people who can consider putting down

0:24:57.520 --> 0:25:00.760
<v Speaker 2>four thousand dollars for an emergency battery, the Solix F

0:25:00.840 --> 0:25:03.399
<v Speaker 2>thirty eight hundred will see you through ninety nine percent

0:25:03.440 --> 0:25:05.960
<v Speaker 2>of the power loss situations you are likely to encounter,

0:25:06.200 --> 0:25:09.040
<v Speaker 2>and require minimal knowledge to set up and get working.

0:25:09.400 --> 0:25:11.520
<v Speaker 2>It is easy to attach to your home breaker and

0:25:11.640 --> 0:25:15.240
<v Speaker 2>Anchor's instructions for doing so are simple to follow for

0:25:15.280 --> 0:25:17.520
<v Speaker 2>folks who can afford the cost then, and that cost

0:25:17.600 --> 0:25:20.320
<v Speaker 2>is not inconsiderable. It is a great mix of might

0:25:20.400 --> 0:25:23.480
<v Speaker 2>save your life and will definitely come in handy. I

0:25:23.520 --> 0:25:26.359
<v Speaker 2>should also note that the Jaggery system has a better

0:25:26.400 --> 0:25:29.840
<v Speaker 2>pedigree than the Geniverse system in the industry, probably similar

0:25:29.880 --> 0:25:32.359
<v Speaker 2>to Anchor. They've got a long track record and are

0:25:32.400 --> 0:25:35.680
<v Speaker 2>well regarded not as inexpensive solution, but as a reliable

0:25:35.680 --> 0:25:38.280
<v Speaker 2>one with a good warranty and a lot of history

0:25:38.320 --> 0:25:40.919
<v Speaker 2>to back them up. All of these systems are, in

0:25:40.960 --> 0:25:44.399
<v Speaker 2>my experience, reliable and easy to use. All of them

0:25:44.440 --> 0:25:45.960
<v Speaker 2>are and I have to hit on this a few

0:25:45.960 --> 0:25:49.560
<v Speaker 2>times because it matters expensive. That presents a problem if

0:25:49.560 --> 0:25:51.919
<v Speaker 2>you're someone who sees the value and these as potential

0:25:51.960 --> 0:25:55.160
<v Speaker 2>emergency devices but will realistically never be able to throw

0:25:55.200 --> 0:25:59.320
<v Speaker 2>down three thousand dollars for them. It would be irresponsible

0:25:59.359 --> 0:26:01.800
<v Speaker 2>of me to give you some specific technical advice because

0:26:01.840 --> 0:26:04.280
<v Speaker 2>I lack that knowledge. But I have some experience here,

0:26:04.320 --> 0:26:06.640
<v Speaker 2>and we're going to get to that after this next

0:26:06.640 --> 0:26:15.080
<v Speaker 2>set of ads. We're back and we're talking about what

0:26:15.160 --> 0:26:17.240
<v Speaker 2>you can do, at least a little bit of what

0:26:17.280 --> 0:26:19.400
<v Speaker 2>you can do. Again the furthest thing in the world

0:26:19.400 --> 0:26:21.160
<v Speaker 2>from an expert here, but I wanted to at least

0:26:21.160 --> 0:26:23.760
<v Speaker 2>provide some starting points from folks who are never going

0:26:23.800 --> 0:26:26.880
<v Speaker 2>to be able to afford these more formal, easier to use,

0:26:27.000 --> 0:26:30.000
<v Speaker 2>idiot proof kind of situations, because while I'm not an

0:26:30.000 --> 0:26:31.800
<v Speaker 2>expert on this, I have lived off grit a bit,

0:26:31.840 --> 0:26:33.679
<v Speaker 2>and I have known people who have done so in

0:26:33.720 --> 0:26:37.240
<v Speaker 2>a wide variety of weird situations. At one point, my

0:26:37.359 --> 0:26:40.520
<v Speaker 2>partner operated a solar powered shack that they lived out of,

0:26:40.600 --> 0:26:44.040
<v Speaker 2>with batteries so comparatively primitive that she had to regularly

0:26:44.119 --> 0:26:47.000
<v Speaker 2>refill them with water. That kind of maintenance is going

0:26:47.080 --> 0:26:48.880
<v Speaker 2>to be second nature to people who know they're shit

0:26:48.920 --> 0:26:51.360
<v Speaker 2>with solar, and those people have a lot more options

0:26:51.400 --> 0:26:54.800
<v Speaker 2>than the layman. Probably the most impressive and cash neutral

0:26:54.840 --> 0:26:57.240
<v Speaker 2>setup I saw was in a place called East Jesus

0:26:57.359 --> 0:27:00.800
<v Speaker 2>in far southern California. This was It was a totally

0:27:00.880 --> 0:27:03.760
<v Speaker 2>off grid power setup that kept around twelve to eighteen

0:27:03.800 --> 0:27:07.000
<v Speaker 2>people alive year round and often intense temperatures, powering AC

0:27:07.200 --> 0:27:10.439
<v Speaker 2>units and trailers in RVs, fridges, fans, lights at the

0:27:10.520 --> 0:27:14.240
<v Speaker 2>entertainment equipment they used the wakes Now. Their setup was

0:27:14.280 --> 0:27:17.880
<v Speaker 2>all scavenged or bought cheap in auction. The batteries they used,

0:27:17.880 --> 0:27:20.600
<v Speaker 2>which took up an entire shipping container sized space, were

0:27:20.600 --> 0:27:23.480
<v Speaker 2>purchased cheap from a telecom company in the area which

0:27:23.520 --> 0:27:26.679
<v Speaker 2>retired its deep cycle batteries once they hit eighty percent

0:27:26.760 --> 0:27:30.120
<v Speaker 2>of their original functioning capacity or something like that. Panels

0:27:30.119 --> 0:27:33.280
<v Speaker 2>were likewise scavenged or bought cheap and used. Since they

0:27:33.280 --> 0:27:35.680
<v Speaker 2>had a lot of space but little money, wiring a

0:27:35.680 --> 0:27:38.800
<v Speaker 2>shitload of panels a varying efficiency together was a solution

0:27:38.880 --> 0:27:40.880
<v Speaker 2>that they could afford, both in terms of the money

0:27:40.920 --> 0:27:42.560
<v Speaker 2>that it cost and in terms of the space that

0:27:42.680 --> 0:27:45.760
<v Speaker 2>was required. Most people lacked the technical knowledge to set

0:27:45.800 --> 0:27:48.560
<v Speaker 2>something like this up. I sure do, and even more

0:27:48.560 --> 0:27:50.960
<v Speaker 2>of them lacked the space. But it is an example

0:27:50.960 --> 0:27:52.840
<v Speaker 2>of the sort of solutions that people with little to

0:27:52.880 --> 0:27:55.399
<v Speaker 2>no cash can cook up if they're clever and knowledgeable

0:27:55.400 --> 0:27:59.719
<v Speaker 2>about the fundamental technology. It would be extremely irresponsible if

0:27:59.720 --> 0:28:01.840
<v Speaker 2>I did not add here that solar setups are the

0:28:01.880 --> 0:28:04.439
<v Speaker 2>sort of thing where it behooves you to be exceedingly

0:28:04.480 --> 0:28:09.440
<v Speaker 2>fucking careful. The chief benefit of the system's goal zero anchor, Jenniverse,

0:28:09.480 --> 0:28:12.000
<v Speaker 2>and Jacker make is that they are all as close

0:28:12.040 --> 0:28:14.520
<v Speaker 2>to idiot proof as they can be. Part of the

0:28:14.560 --> 0:28:16.720
<v Speaker 2>cost comes from the fact that they use expensive but

0:28:16.800 --> 0:28:21.840
<v Speaker 2>extremely stable lithium iron phosphate batteries. These have long life spans.

0:28:21.960 --> 0:28:24.400
<v Speaker 2>Jackery rates THEIRS at ten years and a cycle life

0:28:24.400 --> 0:28:26.640
<v Speaker 2>of up to two thousand cycles. They have a good

0:28:26.720 --> 0:28:29.680
<v Speaker 2>standby time too. Jackery rates THEIRS at up to fifty

0:28:29.680 --> 0:28:32.840
<v Speaker 2>percent charge after two years in storage. A lot of

0:28:32.840 --> 0:28:36.600
<v Speaker 2>the cheaper or scavenged options you find are lithium polymer batteries.

0:28:36.920 --> 0:28:40.360
<v Speaker 2>These are rather infamous for igniting and burning down people's homes.

0:28:40.720 --> 0:28:43.240
<v Speaker 2>There are solutions you can find online and if you're

0:28:43.240 --> 0:28:46.280
<v Speaker 2>interested in cheaper homebrew solar setups out there, one place

0:28:46.320 --> 0:28:50.880
<v Speaker 2>I suggests starting is diyssolarforum dot com. The people there

0:28:50.920 --> 0:28:54.720
<v Speaker 2>will have suggestions for minimizing risk. Since LiPo is one

0:28:54.720 --> 0:28:57.840
<v Speaker 2>of the most dangerous battery chemistry types out there, some

0:28:57.880 --> 0:29:00.880
<v Speaker 2>people build what are called battery bunkers. One form I've

0:29:00.920 --> 0:29:03.440
<v Speaker 2>seen this tape is basically a cube of bricks around

0:29:03.440 --> 0:29:06.760
<v Speaker 2>and below the batteries with a ceramic flat sheet above them.

0:29:06.920 --> 0:29:09.920
<v Speaker 2>Some people will suggest lacing sandbags above the bunkers that

0:29:09.960 --> 0:29:12.120
<v Speaker 2>if the battery goes into a thermal runway, it will

0:29:12.120 --> 0:29:14.640
<v Speaker 2>melt the sandbag and pour sand into the battery to

0:29:14.680 --> 0:29:18.000
<v Speaker 2>stop the fire. Again, I am not giving advice here,

0:29:18.040 --> 0:29:20.200
<v Speaker 2>just providing you with an example of the kinds of

0:29:20.280 --> 0:29:22.760
<v Speaker 2>concerns that you do have to think about when considering

0:29:22.840 --> 0:29:26.160
<v Speaker 2>building setups like this for your own. It is unfortunate.

0:29:26.280 --> 0:29:28.640
<v Speaker 2>The most financially accessible way to do this is by

0:29:28.680 --> 0:29:30.920
<v Speaker 2>taking the research into your own hands and relying on

0:29:30.960 --> 0:29:33.560
<v Speaker 2>the experience of hobbyists and lifestyle explorers who have been

0:29:33.560 --> 0:29:37.160
<v Speaker 2>there before. But disasters aren't fair, and either is life.

0:29:37.240 --> 0:29:40.680
<v Speaker 2>Another exploratory option I'd suggest is googling questions like how

0:29:40.720 --> 0:29:43.280
<v Speaker 2>to run small room ac off solar or how to

0:29:43.360 --> 0:29:46.480
<v Speaker 2>run to twelve volt fridge indefinitely Comma solar, and then

0:29:46.480 --> 0:29:49.360
<v Speaker 2>add Reddit as a search term. You'll find threads of

0:29:49.400 --> 0:29:52.520
<v Speaker 2>people in off grids, solar or overlanding subreddits who have

0:29:52.520 --> 0:29:55.160
<v Speaker 2>explored these problems for themselves and their journeys can at

0:29:55.200 --> 0:29:58.120
<v Speaker 2>least act as a basis for your own. I'd like

0:29:58.200 --> 0:30:00.560
<v Speaker 2>to thank at the end of this as at Jack

0:30:00.640 --> 0:30:03.479
<v Speaker 2>Reach Universe and anchor who sent products for me to review.

0:30:03.840 --> 0:30:05.920
<v Speaker 2>It was incredibly nice of them all, and from an

0:30:06.040 --> 0:30:07.880
<v Speaker 2>esthetic point of view, they all make great gear that

0:30:08.040 --> 0:30:10.840
<v Speaker 2>is a genuine pleasure to use. Gool Zero didn't send

0:30:10.880 --> 0:30:12.800
<v Speaker 2>me anything, but I've paid for their stuff for years

0:30:12.800 --> 0:30:14.680
<v Speaker 2>and I've never had anything fail in the field, so

0:30:14.880 --> 0:30:16.520
<v Speaker 2>I figure I owe them a shout out here too,

0:30:17.160 --> 0:30:19.200
<v Speaker 2>and it's going to do it for us. It could

0:30:19.240 --> 0:30:21.760
<v Speaker 2>happen here for the day, so you know, check in

0:30:21.920 --> 0:30:24.800
<v Speaker 2>tomorrow or you know Monday, depending on when you hear this.

0:30:24.920 --> 0:30:32.280
<v Speaker 2>Whenever it drops and yeah, goodbye.

0:30:30.120 --> 0:30:32.640
<v Speaker 1>It could happen here. As a production of clue Zone Media.

0:30:32.720 --> 0:30:35.400
<v Speaker 1>For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website.

0:30:35.440 --> 0:30:37.640
<v Speaker 1>Cool zonemedia dot com or check us out on the

0:30:37.680 --> 0:30:41.160
<v Speaker 1>iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts,

0:30:41.520 --> 0:30:43.600
<v Speaker 1>you can find sources for It could happen here, Updated

0:30:43.680 --> 0:30:47.760
<v Speaker 1>monthly at cool zonemedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.