The Joulebox
A reader asked my opinion on the Joulebox for operation in Chile and Latin America. I had never heard of this, but here is a video on the product, along with some observations.
Regardless of where it’s deployed, the claims made about the product are largely ridiculous and/or fraudulent, mixed with a certain element of truth. That, btw, is critical; it’s the way all disinformation works; if it’s all patently garbage, it has no credibility.
That is nowhere near a 2 KW solar PV array. (It will be more efficient than a fixed panel, given its incredibly expensive two-axis solar tracking device; that is true, though this technology is completely inappropriate for a small system.)
Assessing the power output of the wind turbine isn’t as straightforward, as it’s a function of the wind velocity, but here is what you should know. The power derived from wind turbine is as follows:
P (Power output in kilowatts) = Cp (Maximum power coefficient, theoretical max. is 0.59) * ρ (Greek letter rho, air density, lb/ft3) * A (Rotor swept area, π r^2) * v^3 (wind velocity cubed) * k (0.000133 a constant to yield power in kilowatts).
Assuming the blades are 2 feet, which looks about right, and solving for v, we need a wind speed of 45 MPH. If there are places on Earth that feature that wind speed, which I doubt, no one wants to live there, because that’s defined as a “gale,” and means twigs and small branches are broken from trees, walking is difficult, and damage is done to houses, e.g., some shingles are blown off roofs.
The system stores energy by electrolyzing water and storing the hydrogen, to go through a fuel cell to be converted into electricity. This is fabulously expensive and inefficient.
The system also has batteries???
This is a product designed for and sold to idiots. Don’t be one of them. Happy Thanksgiving!! 🙂
Hi Craig,
A quick google would have told you this product has been around for some years.
The JouleBox is marketed by an outfit called ECO-GEN Energy Inc from Van Nuys California, and welcomes all visitors to its facility in Van Nuys, California and manufacturing plant in Paramount, CA.
Since that video was made, Eco-Gen has become a far more sophisticated operation with a far more professionally designed product (in appearance anyway).
The last I heard of them, they were claiming:
After three years of prototyping, planning and certifying, ECO-GEN Energy is proud to announce that it is going live to demonstrate V.1 of its revolutionary JouleBox® Hybrid Generator Energy Solution that is stackable and expandable from 60 kW up to utility scale 50 MW projects,” announced Raoul Hamilton, President of ECO-GEN Energy of Van Nuys, California.
“After three years of prototyping, planning and certifying, ECO-GEN Energy is proud to announce that it is going live to demonstrate V.1 of its revolutionary JouleBox® Hybrid Generator Energy Solution that is stackable and expandable from 60 kW up to utility scale 50 MW projects”
“We are very proud that the Underwriter’s Laboratory has certified our system and the United States Export-Import Bank has issued three Letters of Interest for ECO-GEN; 20 MW in Saudi Arabia, a 40 MW power plant in Hong Kong and another 40 MW power plant in Israel. These three countries have shown their commitment to install base load, 365 day generation capability with renewable energy distributed generation systems. The JouleBox represents the best hope in the fight against climate change because it uses no carbon fuels, it has zero emissions and the smallest footprint of any electrical generating system,”
The JouleBox® Hybrid Generator delivers clean, green electricity 24/7/365 without any carbon based fuel sources. A 20 MW facility uses less than 55,000 sq. ft. versus a comparable solar farm for the same kWh would use more than 600 acres. By installing next to the sub-station there is more stability and security for the grid in addition to cost savings by avoiding high voltage.
What surprises me is the resilience of this bizarre product and the determination of the promoters. The product has attracted quite a number of adherents and funding, mostly I suspect through selling “exclusive” dealerships.
Like all such products, it’s hard to tell whether it’s a deliberate scam, or another case of group self-delusion.
In your last sentence you refer to a scam or a group self-delusion. Does this mean that there is not a positive track for this product?
Correct. Please see: http://www.2greenenergy.com/2018/12/06/joulebox-silly-scam/.