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Hokitika, West Coast. Keep the house, the pump and the freezer running when the lines go down.
Rural West Coast runs on long lines through hills and farmland. When a storm brings one down, homes at the end of it are often the last to come back on, and a generator means fuel runs and noise.
Cheap power splits water into hydrogen. The hydrogen waits in a tank. When the lines go down around Hokitika, a fuel cell turns it back into electricity and water, and the water goes round again.
How it works →Yes. A home in or around Hokitika charges the unit on cheap night-rate power, or from wind or micro-hydro off the grid, and runs on stored hydrogen through outages. 15 kW continuous covers an average home.
The battery takes over instantly so nothing resets, then the fuel cell runs the house on stored hydrogen for days rather than hours. When the lines come back, it refills itself on off-peak power.
It is in early development. Pilot installs go to people on the pilot list first, starting with rural properties in places like Hokitika.
Pilot installs go to people on this list first. Rural homes, farms and remote sites especially. No spam, no payment.