03-27-2014, 05:46 AM
A "toy" standalone system (such as those mentioned above) is very "easy", but may not be "practical" if you want to power something bigger than a laptop.
Color-coding wouldn't be enough, either; a truly "user-friendly" kit would have to use different connectors for everything, thereby making it impossible to connect the "wrong" pieces.
I've actually penciled out a standalone kit; the problem is that it just ends up being "too expensive" compared to a gas generator, because most people don't have an extra few thousand dollars, even if it means no recurring fuel costs. Example:
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/big/tls/4381771764.html
With a little conservation, this 450W rig is enough to run a small fridge, one of those 12V water pumps, lights, laptop, etc.
Color-coding wouldn't be enough, either; a truly "user-friendly" kit would have to use different connectors for everything, thereby making it impossible to connect the "wrong" pieces.
I've actually penciled out a standalone kit; the problem is that it just ends up being "too expensive" compared to a gas generator, because most people don't have an extra few thousand dollars, even if it means no recurring fuel costs. Example:
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/big/tls/4381771764.html
With a little conservation, this 450W rig is enough to run a small fridge, one of those 12V water pumps, lights, laptop, etc.