Solar PCU

PCU = Power Conditioning Unit?

As we use the term in the US, a PCU can run from an inductive filter, to resonant transformer, to variable tap transformer, to electronics+battery bank+charger. This last one we typically call a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).

And UPS units can have a mix and match of different items above (filters, variable tap transformers, AC Inverter-Charger+Battery bank).

Each has its reason for existing--But an Off Grid Power system is typically a UPS like system + Generator Backup (for more than 30 minutes of off grid power).

When we design/build off grid power systems, we are essentially building a UPS system using "components" (solar panels, AC genset, Solar charge controller, AC inverter, AC backup charger, transfer switches, external battery bank).

-Bill

Unless somebody is trying for 100% solar. My suggestion for backup power is pretty much a fuel driven genset (natural gas, stored fuel of some sort, etc.). The "UPS" has a battery bank only large enough to keep the loads "happy" for 30 minutes--The time it takes to get a genset started and warmed up to take the load.

Computers--They are real killers if you are looking at lots of processing power+memory. In general it seems, the "farms" are keeping the kWatts per rack roughly equivalent, and the next gen hardware consumes about the same amount of power with more MFlOPS of processing and TBytes of memory+storage.

Have not seen anyone trying a "server farm" with Ipads or Android tablets yet (low power usage and limited processing power).

-Bill