So why not solar to recharge them?
Solar might work when the grid is down.
Too costly I suppose…
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This ‘inverter revolution’ is now 20 years old.
Solar is indeed costly at present, although the adoption is growing. I have solar panels on my roof. It is on-grid system, meaning, when solar production is ongoing, extra generated power is sent back to the grid and those extra units are adjusted from the bill.
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Our power outage option is a noisy old generator. . 2Kva.
It will drive refrigerators , which is important in our hot climate.
We are thinking about solar… not for return to grid, but for hot water and aircon in the summer. Lithuim batteries worry me. There have been fires.
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Adding solar to a house was my choice–not paying the power company for seven months of the year was my reward. If I were to add a battery backup, it would be a gel-type deep cycle battery, not a lead-acid starting battery from a car. Major difference, lasts much longer. Lifespan of any batter is extended in a home situation: steady temperature, no shocks, no weather problems.
The battery unit from an EV would make a terrific home battery in harness with a solar installation.
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I am told when a electric car is in an accident they dont repair they write it off due to the electrical charge and safety. Perhaps recycling to power homes is the answer
Thanks for the info, thats what interested me.
Dont have the space to store in my apartment and dont think it would be allowed anyway, strict co property rules.
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I don’t think you need that in France or other developed countries unless you live in a rural place.
In my seven years of living in France, I only experienced power outages once, that too for a few minutes.
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We dont get them that often, but one during the night last week only for a moment. Usually EDF sends a message a week before then the day before if they are doing a general cut. Same in our village the cuts are organised and we are informed.
We suffer with water cuts … not the same. But a village which was built 50 years back some of the pipes are original so a burst cuts a big part of the village, they are slowly working to replace and change the flow with smaller sections effected rather that the whole. We have big issues on leaks but slowly it will be sorted.
Which is more important power of water.
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Water every time.
Think of how complicated and expensive it is living with rainwater tanks and dams.
What is the longest water outage you could survive?
We had one power outage many years ago that lasted a week. We survived with a generator. Lots of noisy sleepless nights.
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3 days. Not more.
Assuming the “outage” means no water at all.
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Without doubt, water is necessary to live.
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Its an expensive resource, you pay to get it, you pay to get rid of it so 2 x the price.
What I cannot work out here, they know they are going to cut due to a burst, but instead of putting a tap before the burst so we can get something, they just shut it off.
A few times i have walked to next part of island and asked a friend for a kettle full.
We had a camping car before and a good place to get water for free was always the cemetery as by law the water has to be free and drinkable, strange ideas.
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We are going to run out of water, long before we exhaust fossil fuels or minerals.
Wars will be fought over water rights.
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Silly really when you think of our oceans and seas, desalination needs to be improved or increased but at what cost
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Solar powered desalination. All you need is a large still driven by a solar furnace. Very low cost.
Then you have to pump water uphill to get it to where it is needed… that costs.
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For many of the Mediterranean islands that is the only source of water so it is feasible to do if not cost effective.
Would prefer the electric used for that than charging scooters, bikes and cars
Our major city, Sydney , has a backup desalination system . It is normally turned off.
It uses membrane technology ( I think based on osmosis), and electricity for pumping.
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We are on holiday in grand canaria and for the last 2 days have driven past the desalination plant that offers water to the whole island
I thought it was a cement works but the position was strange.
There are similar in Lanzarote, Tenerife, and Fuerteventura.
The water is safe to drink but some days has a strange smell
" This desalination plant will help to produce the fresh water necessary for the operation of the reversible hydroelectric power plant, which will ensure a greater integration of renewable energy on the island of Gran Canaria, guaranteeing the security and quality of the electricity supply"
So we use electricity to produce fresh water to produce electricity?
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There must be a mistake somewhere in the logic you cannot create both and get positive results that must come at a cost
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The perpetuum mobile 
I understand very few of this, but I can imagine it could work like heatpump.
So I guess:
-salt water has to be split up to 2H2 and O2. That takes electricity. Say that draws 1000W.
2H2 and O2 can be burnt in a hydrogen cell, producing clean (distilled) water, and electricity. Say 700W.
Though the power required by splitting up water is 1000W, to keep the pricess running, we need to supply the 300W only.
The numbers here are fictional, I have no idea about the real numbers.
If the “input electrucity” comes frim solar cells, the whole thing would run for free.
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