IntelligentPowerConditioner
Latest
Sharp's Intelligent Power Conditioner works with EVs to make your house a lean, mean, solar-powered machine
So, you've got your government-issued solar panels and you bought a plug-in EV, but being both a budget-minded and green-conscious geek, you're concerned that your home's power generation and consumption isn't exactly optimal. Put your worries aside, because Sharp has created the Intelligent Power Conditioner (IPC) to max out the electrical efficiency of your abode while working in conjunction with public utilities. It operates by temporarily storing the unused solar-generated juice from the daytime -- using both the system's batteries and the cells in your shiny new EV -- to deliver a steady stream of electrons at night. In tests with a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the system was able to use the EV to supply 8kW of power to a home, and doled out enough electricity (4kWh) to recharge the car in a scant 30 minutes. The IPC is still in the development phase, but Sharp is looking to make it commercially available "in the near future" -- which means the finishing touches on your ultimate eco-house will have to wait.
