More proof that it doesn’t take fire-breathing high-voltage DC to perform many common household tasks!
I’ve always believed that simple, small-scale low-voltage DC off grid systems could be useful all over the world – further expanding accessibility to solar technology and reducing setup costs. There is no reason off grid solar power has to be tedious, complicated and fiddly, but it seems that is where the status quo has been leading.
To further enhance our DC kitchen setup, I built and installed a 48V DC oven. It’s small enough to just fit under the kitchen cabinets (countertop style oven) but large enough to easily handle cooking for 2 or more people. Best of all, it’s more efficient than a large oven.
So how about a simple, off grid DC power system that doesn’t need DC conversion (MPPT charge controller) and doesn’t need an inverter, and no high-voltage DC? That’s what I built.
The version installed in my home can even operate all day on Direct Photovoltaic power with the battery switched out of circuit (it remains on standby). So during the day, we can literally plug our appliances directly into the solar panels and run them for free. Amazing!
For more details visit my YouTube Channel Solar Power Edge or check out these articles: PV DC Kitchen, PV DC Micro Grid, Residential DC Power, Solar Panels Can Heat Your Home
The kitchen is a perfect place to show what simple off grid solar power can do for the world. It’s often overlooked that cooking food is a mission-critical task worldwide. In some austere locations in the world, I have witnessed people struggling to find food. When they could find food, they could not get it cooked, and thus were forced to let the food spoil. These things should not and do not have to happen!
Several years ago, I set out to prove that low voltage DC can power a lot of different and useful appliances. I consider that mission to be accomplished. Our house has an increasing number of 48-55 volt DC appliances in operation including several electric space heaters. However we didn’t officially have a purpose built DC oven for permanent installation in our kitchen. There are 2x 48v cooktops, a 48V DC kettle. Now that we have an oven, I’m working on adding several more appliances – stay tuned!
Thanks for reading and have a great day! -Dave
Solar Thoughts blog 