Portable Emergency Battery Unit Unveiled that Works with Household Solar Power Systems

Sharp Corp., a major Japanese electronics manufacturer, announced on August 9, 2012, that it would launch sales of a small, lightweight, and portable lithium-ion storage battery unit on wheels in September 2012. The product can be charged directly by a household solar power system or with regular household electricity, and is expected to be useful in a variety of indoor and outdoor situations.

In normal operation, when any electric appliance is plugged into the battery unit, it charges the battery while at the same time providing the electricity supplied by the power company. In the event of a power failure, it automatically switches to the electricity supply mode from its own battery. It does not involve any troublesome wiring, is simple to operate, and allows electrical appliances to keep functioning even when users are away from home if a blackout happens.

Another special feature is that the battery can be charged by a home photovoltaic generation system. By simply inserting the power plug of the battery into the stand-alone outlet to switch the home photovoltaic generation system to stand-alone mode, users can still have electricity at night if a blackout continues.

When the battery is fully charged, it allows an approximately 600-liter refrigerator to be used for about 3.5 hours and an electric blanket for about 5.5 hours. In the case of outdoor operation, it allows a portable TV to be used for about 30 hours and a temporary construction site traffic light for about 7.5 hours.