The Power-M model on display at Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town, November 2022. Photo: The Citizen/Cheryl Kahla
Huawei on Thursday showcased an advanced and space-efficient load shedding solution which is suitable for every household – Power-M, a digital backup power solution.
The Power-M presentation coincided with the launch of the Mate50 Pro, the FreeBuds 5i, and MatePad SE at the SunBet Arena at Times Square in Pretoria.
As South Africans, we currently have a lot on our collective plate.
Soaring fuel prices, a decades-long load shedding problem, and an unstable grid with a dark stage 8 cloud looming ever-present.
And 2022 has without a doubt been the worst year to date – 208 days of load shedding, compared to 97 days in 2015, 75 days in 2021, and 54 days in 2020.
We’ve been dealing with this since 2008, and it’s safe to say load shedding isn’t going away. Even the president said load shedding is here to stay.
In addition, outgoing Eskom CEO, André de Ruyter, warned that higher stages of load shedding throughout 2023 should be expected.
Meanwhile, the need for low-carbon energy solutions remains ever-present, and the search for a reliable energy solution in South Africa is now more pertinent than ever.
Nick Lusson, VP of Huawei Digital Power Eastern Africa Region (who has been in the solar industry for 17 years), walked us through a thought experiment on Thursday:
“I’d like you all to imagine a scenario with me. It’s a Sunday evening, it’s been a beautiful day.
“You finally get home and relax with your family. Suddenly, hundreds of kilometres away there’s a breakdown at a power station but everyone in this neighbourhood has no idea.”
Sounds like bliss. Lusson then introduced Power-M, a digital solution to rising energy costs and persistent rolling blackouts.
The Power-M model is “designed for the real world” – it can power up anything from a small apartment to a luxury villa, dependent on the type of Energy Storage Module.
According to Lusson, the Power-M is Huawei’s answer to helping South Africans “say goodbye to load shedding”.
It’s an all-in-one solution (so you won’t need any other devices), and is strong enough “for even the worst grid conditions”, Lusson said.
Furthermore, all cables are hidden, so it’s safe even when children or pets are around.
ALSO READ: Legal action against government to stop load shedding
The unit can be expanded on as your needs change.
Each battery has a capacity of 5kWh, but Lusson said the “design allows the system to be configured with up to six batteries, giving a maximum capacity of 45kWh”.
If you have a 5kW system, you’d be able to power a TV, laptops and a refrigerator. With a 10kW system, you’d be able to add an aircon and geyser to the mix.
And with a 15kW system, you can power a TV, laptops, refrigerator, aircon, geyser, stove and pool pump.
Each 5kW battery takes only 2.5 hours to charge.
The Power-M module also integrates with the grid and diesel generators and is compatible with solar. Simply use the device as a power backup (without solar panels) and upgrade to solar when you’re ready.
“The Power-M can be installed as a power backup without solar panels, which can be added whenever needed. It also has the flexibility to add new batteries without sacrificing performance.”
When the grid wobbles, as it so often does, you won’t even notice because the switch-over happens in 0.01 seconds.
“The switchover happens in less than 10 milliseconds,” Lusson said. “So, if the grid is working and then there’s a blackout, you won’t even notice and nothing will go off”.
“Your lights won’t even blink.”
And since there are no moving parts (not even a fan), the device operates silently. Lusson said it won’t wake a sleeping baby, and you could even have it running in a library without being asked to leave.
The entire installation can be done in under two hours, and the plug-and-play setup means there isn’t really room for error.
“It’s easy to use, it’s all in one and modular. Even your grandmother can understand it”.
The free SolarFusion app has also been updated to include remote control access. It now allows you to control the performance of the Power-M device from anywhere in the world.
Some of the features include seeing current performance stats and historical performance, as well as the current state of the battery.
“Your installer will help you to input the actual grid prices and your app will calculate how much you’ve saved; it will even calculate how much carbon emission you’ve saved,” Lusson told The Citizen.
You can even switch your diesel generator on or off through the app, from anywhere in the world.
Lastly, you’ll get a 10-year warranty which includes remote diagnostic via the app. And the best part is you won’t have to uninstall it or get technicians out to your house if something goes wrong.
Lusson said, “There are no repairs and no spare parts; you’ll be getting a replacement unit”.
“That’s a very strong warranty and the remote diagnosis makes it so easy to do. And 10 years is a long time”.
Huawei does not sell directly to the public but have partnered with local operators, such as ACDC Solar, Mustek and Kathea Energy.
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