cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/51621587

The European Commission has decided to restrict EU funding, including through the European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund, for solar, wind, and energy storage projects using inverters from so-called high-risk countries, namely China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, citing cybersecurity risks.

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For projects outside the EU and not connected, or planned to be connected, to the EU grid, inverters from high-risk suppliers should be phased out by 15 April 2027. Technologies covered include inverters across all renewable energy applications. The rules also apply globally to companies owned or controlled by those countries.

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According to [EU] documents, the Commission notes “Energy storage systems / Power Conversion Systems (PCS) are explicitly included,” which places EU-backed battery energy storage projects on notice, particularly those relying on integrated PCS supply from Chinese and other suppliers.

In terms of sourcing, many batteries that are supplied from Asian sources include all-in-one options that package the batteries and cells with the PCS. For those projects that are now facing bans on inverters, sourcing lists may be constrained or require changes.

Christoph Podewils, Secretary General of the European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC), confirmed to ESS News that the decision doesn’t have exemptions based on power class.

“It’s really a strict regulation, without many loopholes… It also concerns inverters supplied from entities under control of the high-risk countries, so for instance, a company producing, in Europe, inverters belonging to a Chinese entity.”

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Web Archive link

When you're building the solarpunk future, it's possible you might spend hours in the workshop. If you need a PPE solution for airborne contaminants - consider building your own powered air respirator (PAPRa). You can build this PAPRa for less than $200 in parts. Originally created during the pandemic when supply chain issues made it difficult to acquire these devices. Wearing a PAPRa is more comfortable and safer than wearing an N95.

https://openwrt.org/

Cross posted from https://lemmy.ml/post/46711471

Cross posted from https://lemmy.ml/post/46710548

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/46526992

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2095495622003485

Another banger from the Low Tech Magazine. This time : the trusty handcart.

This thing is fantastic. Entry information about how to work with Docker, backwards compatibility with older versions, clear details about every option. This is what every project should aspire to.

There's a good video that shows it off here.

Also be sure to check out !Reticulum@mander.xyz

EDIT: it seems the main dev stepped back from the project in December, and I'm unsure where the community is continuing its development, or if they are at all. So unfortunately unless someone else steps up the maintain it, it might not be developed any further. In that case, Meshtastic is still likely our best option.

The chobani ad fruit picking machine, for comparison: https://youtu.be/UqJJktxCY9U?t=46

The P280 is a 2,048Wh capacity power station built around an array of 4,000+ recharge cycle, automotive-grade LiFePO4 cells that have a 10-year lifespan and a much better safety record than the older Li-ion cells.

This unit can push out 2,800W continuously (and support peak loads up to 5,600W) through its array of ports. It has five AC outlets, four USB-C ports (two rated for 20W max, the other two for 140W max), two 18W max USB-A ports, a 12V car output port, two 12V/3A DC5521 ports, and a single 12V/25A XT-60 port.

That's a total of 15 ports in all, so all your devices -- from your camping refrigerator and CPAP machine to your earbuds and drones -- can get charged up from the one power station.

The AC output is enough to handle pretty much any mains-powered device you want to throw at it, making it a very versatile backup power solution.

A Nobel laureate’s environmentally friendly invention that provides clean water if central supplies are knocked out by a hurricane or drought, could be a life saver for vulnerable islands, its founder says.

The invention, by the chemist Prof Omar Yaghi, uses a type of science called reticular chemistry to create molecularly engineered materials, which can extract moisture from the air and harvest water even in arid and desert conditions.

Atoco, a technology company that Yaghi founded, said their units, comparable in size to a 20-foot shipping container and powered entirely by ultra-low-grade thermal energy, could be placed in local communities to generate up to 1,000 litres of clean water every day, even if centralised electricity and water sources are interrupted by drought or storm damage.

Yaghi, who won the 2025 Nobel prize award in chemistry, said the invention would change the world and benefit islands in the Caribbean, which are prone to drought. He added that it could be a solution for countries needing to get water to marooned communities after hurricanes such as Beryl and Melissa, which left thousands without water.

https://youtu.be/U4z-p4zrSw4

Can we do a open source version

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/1qzccz9/chinas_airborne_megawatt_class_wind_power_system/

Potentially needing something like this in the future is a bit dystopic, but a more refined version could be quite useful in very hot areas as a method of climate adaption.

The recording of the talk should be available soon.

Great post, IMO: In a world of 'planned obsolescence' where devices are frequently bricked by non-replaceable, unmanaged Li-ion pouches that over-discharge and die, the universal AA(A) standard is bliss.