Thanks to a hefty $178,000 grant and software support from the Idaho National Laboratory, Eastern Idaho-based Inergy Solar has been given the green light to produce a compact, portable solar energy system that can power an entire home. Joining the effort is the University of Idaho, whose researchers are lending their technological know-how to bring the project to life.
The one-year grant comes from the Idaho Higher Education Research Council’s Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) program. Inergy Solar is tackling the project with the UI College of Engineering to sdesign a 5-kilowatt generator that weighs less than 100 pounds and can power anything from lights to major appliances.
The foray into solar power is nothing new for Inergy Solar. The company already specializes in generator solutions for camping and off-the-grid applications, or as backup emergency power. According to CEO Sean Luangrath, customers have requested a whole-home system that maintains the unit's small size and portability.
According to a press release from UI, the size and weight of the unit's power inverter is critical. It converts DC power into AC power -- the kind home appliances require.
Tapped for his expertise on generators is Dr. Herbert Hess, a UI professor of electrical engineering. Last year, Hess became a partner on a $1.6 million grant from the Office of Naval Research to develop a 250 kilowatt inverter, which is enough to power a small town. On a much smaller scale, these same materials can be applied to the Inergy Solar project.
“I actually took a flight the following week out to Moscow to go visit them because I was so excited," noted Luangrath. "Professor Hess’ program is the exact expertise and resources we’d been looking for.”
Hess will lead the IGEM grant along with Brian K. Johnson, a professor of electrical engineering.
“This university was founded on the basis of putting advanced technology into the hands of Idaho citizens and business owners,” Hess said. “This project takes the advanced technology we develop on a routine basis for the military, and now we’re able to put it into an Idaho company to supply homeowners, campers and businesses worldwide.”
Source: University of Idaho Communications