231–240 of 492 posts
They look cool, but it would need to be a bit bigger I think to realistically power an appliance like a refrigerator. And also, can you boil a kettle with it?
Judging by the negativity here you're going to be a massive success -- search up the dropbox, airbnb, coinbase and ethereum launch threads if you want to feel good about where you're at. :) That said, I like this idea -- a modern coordinated UPS. I live in an area where people have 3-10 days a year of no power; being able to pick and choose what power they'd use during an outage would be a significant benefit to them…
Thanks so much! We'll address as much feedback as we can of course, but I hear you :D
Love this! I am tentatively interested. I might put down a deposit after a bit more research.
So it's just a smarter UPS, (that can integrate with solar panels) but you only compare it to a standby generator. Seems like you need to compare it to a UPS too, because that's what it really, really is.
Right. There are dozens of those things on Amazon, usually called a "power station". 1.1KWh costs about US$700. 2KWh costs about US$1000. This thing is 1.2KWh for $1000. "Reserve now ... Orders are expected start shipping by the end of 2025." Can't get funding? Or just testing demand without a real product? Nobody does Kickstarters for a me-too product. It has an "app" user interface, requiring both a cellular connec…
That is the true purpose of the entire operation - all other functionality is a distraction (and can be taken away at any time by a software update despite any promises).
As per their FAQ (https://pilaenergy.com/tech-specs#faq):
> As balcony solar and plug-and-power products gain momentum, we welcome collaboration with AHJs and utilities to help responsibly shape the future of home energy. If you're interested in partnering with Pila, reach out!
The plan is to find enough people to buy these so they have enough aggregate storage capacity to solicit "collaboration" and "partnerships" (https://pilaenergy.com/press) with utilities and make profit (I'm fairly confident the device is currently sold at a loss), with the buyers getting scraps in the best case scenario, and nothing in the worst/expected case.
I guess the buyers of the batteries will at least be satisfied with the knowledge that they have paid to "responsibly shape the future of home energy".
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Great points! This is meant as whole room backup - so it’ll keep your fridge (and a few other small devices like wifi, etc) running for 2-3 days - a pretty long outage. It’s basically a huge, 21st century UPS. It can also do arbitrage and charge when it’s cheap and deploy the power when it’s expensive. The main problem with a powerwall is it doesn’t work for renters, and costs 20,000+ (and permits, etc) if you do own…
Bullshit on the fridge. A modern day french door uses almost 2 kWh per day at the mid range model level (which really isn't that different from older top freezers). Higher end fridges use even more. The 1.6 kWh capacity isn't enough for 2-3 days.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A suitable UPS for that application costs less than $100.
Do you have any examples? I haven't seen what you're describing despite shopping UPSes, but something less than $100 that could last 10+ hours would be amazing. My $200 1500VA/1000W CyperPower UPS could handle a short one or two hour storm, but storms can last for 10+ hours here during the wet season. One long power outage could cost me a lot more than $1000 in basement damages (my basement is finished). A comparable…
Pila means cock (as in dick) in Portuguese and this whole post and website are hilarious. Dick energy. I'm holding off tears. Definitely wouldn't recommend plugging in your pila into any outlet.
It also means battery in Spanish.
> The foreign equivalent of a merely descriptive English word is no more registrable than the English word itself. "[A] word taken from a well-known foreign modern language, which is, itself, descriptive of a product, will be so considered when it is attempted to be registered as a trade-mark in the United States for the same product."
Worse yet, it might happen that the USPTO does mistakenly approve the trademark, but then revokes it when it's challenged.
Because Spanish is the second most spoken language in every US state, I'm pretty sure that in any city in the US there is a store where you can walk in today, ask for a "pila", and walk out with a battery. At least here in Argentina that's the term we normally use for single-cell batteries like a AA, while a car battery is a "batería".
So it's just a smarter UPS, (that can integrate with solar panels) but you only compare it to a standby generator. Seems like you need to compare it to a UPS too, because that's what it really, really is.
Right. There are dozens of those things on Amazon, usually called a "power station". 1.1KWh costs about US$700. 2KWh costs about US$1000. This thing is 1.2KWh for $1000. "Reserve now ... Orders are expected start shipping by the end of 2025." Can't get funding? Or just testing demand without a real product? Nobody does Kickstarters for a me-too product. It has an "app" user interface, requiring both a cellular connec…
Do not be so dismissive so fast without reading. The FAQs and the website says that they have a local interface and requires no internet for controlling it. E.g from https://pilaenergy.com/tech-specs
"While we think you’ll love the Pila App, you’re welcome to connect your own monitoring platform with our free local APIs. We embrace and actively support open standards like Home Assistant, Matter, and Thread for local data streaming from Pila Batteries — Because your data should always stay yours. Local API documentation coming soon. "
"Pila does not require internet to provide backup power, monitoring, or smart energy management features. The Pila Battery Mesh Network keeps all batteries working together, even when your home Internet goes out. The Pila App includes a Local Connection Mode for reliable battery control and monitoring without internet.
For reliable Remote Monitoring, all Pila batteries are equipped with a cellular 4G LTE radio for backup communication when home Wi-Fi fails.
However, we highly recommend keeping Pila batteries connected to Wi-Fi to receive the latest software updates and unlock new features, enhancements, and performance improvements—ensuring your system gets smarter and more capable over time."
> ... connect your own monitoring platform with our free local APIs. We embrace and actively support open standards like Home Assistant, Matter, and Thread for local data streaming from Pila Batteries Love this! I am tentatively interested. I might put down a deposit after a bit more research.
My personal goal is that the software outlives the hardware (and the batteries, inverter should last around 10 years with normal use).
We have no ecosystem or cloud to lock you into yet, because we're new :D