Nutrient film technique channels rely on a thin, constant flow of solution over bare roots. Deep water culture relies on air pumps keeping the solution oxygenated. Drip and ebb and flow systems run on timers. Dosing units adjust pH and nutrient strength automatically, and a chiller may hold the reservoir cool in summer. If the pump stops in an NFT channel, the film drains away and roots are exposed. Lettuce and herbs wilt quickly, and stressed roots invite disease even after the flow resumes.
The battery and UPS-mode inverter switch over instantly, so the nutrient pump and dosing controller do not stop or reset. The fuel cell then keeps the battery charged from stored hydrogen, made overnight on off-peak power and held at 30 bar or less for weeks. Hydroponic pumps, air pumps and dosing units are small loads, so stored hydrogen goes a long way on them.
How it works →
The electrolyser needs filtered, de-ionised water, about 9 litres per kg of hydrogen, with most of it returned by the fuel cell. Growers already treating water for their systems are used to that kind of setup. One unit's 15 kW comfortably covers pumps, dosing, a reservoir chiller and lighting in a small packing area. Large operations running many grow lights would need a larger or multi-unit setup sized in the pilot. Round-trip efficiency is 30% or less, so this is about protecting a crop, not lowering costs.
A small number of lights, yes, within 15 kW. Large lit rooms usually draw more than that. Lights are also the load most growers can drop for a few hours in an outage, while pumps cannot, so pumps come first.
No. The switch-over is instant, so the controller sees no interruption and keeps its settings and logs. That saves recalibrating probes after every outage and stops the unit overdosing acid or nutrient when it comes back up confused.
The electrolyser needs filtered, de-ionised water. If your hydroponic water is already treated, a polishing filter may be all that is needed. The pilot would check the supply. About 9 litres go in per kg of hydrogen, and most come back from the fuel cell.
Pilot installs go to people on this list first. Rural homes, farms and remote sites especially. No spam, no payment.