Sometimes the sun is not enough

摘要

Off-grid industrial devices and substations powered with solar panels have speckled the countryside for years. Solar, after all, is more cost-effective than running power lines at up to $100,000 per mile. But what about the weather? Snow can cover photovoltaic cells, which lets batteries run dry, and that may take critical equipment offline. In the energy industry, for example, the failure of a solar-powered monitoring station can have serious consequences. "Without continuous remote data, safety requirements might call for energy producers to shut down production," says Tony Kaspari, an electrical engineer who works with industrial companies. "An unplanned outage can cost tens of thousands of dollars."