The Ark
Please be aware that the Ark is built to order and lead times vary. Due to high demand the current lead time is 3 months.
The Ark by Disconnected Energy is a personal energy generator designed to offer off-grid power to everyone, all you need is a place to site the included solar panels and the rest is plug and play, no need for electrical knowledge just follow the guide included and you'll have mains power generated by the sun all year round, specifically built for the UK climate.
Testing was based on an 8 hour a day, 5 days a week, with the occasional weekend thrown in too. It’s recommended that most things are turned off at night and that the average power usage is kept under 2kWh per day towards the end of autumn and during winter. The other seasons are far more relaxed as sunshine becomes more frequent.
The Ark can typically run:
- Modern PC/Laptop with a couple of monitors attached
- Ethernet switch/router/Wi-fi hotspot
- Printer
- Capsule coffee machine/kettle (<2kW depending on other loads)
- Fridge
- Music
- Lighting
- Shredder
- Phone and USB charging
- Hades diesel heater
- Fan
- Air con (800W unit on a sunny summers day only! See "Additional information")
This Ark can also power a home workshop or garage. Whilst it's probably not a regularly used room, the mains power available is suitable for domestic power tools.
The comes complete with everything you need to get started.
- The Ark
- 4x 470W solar panels
- 4x felt roof mounts with adhesive
- 10m of solar cabling plus connectors
- Basic low voltage lighting set which includes 4x spot lights, light switch and 20m of cabling
- Hole saw set for routing solar cabling
- Easy installation guide
- Quick start guide
- The full manual is available as a PDF download from this site
- Battery capacity: 7kWh
- Battery chemistry: LiFePO4 280Ah cells, nominal 24V system.
- Solar: 2.88kWW (4x 470W panels)
- Solar dimensions: 8m²
- Solar mount: Felt roof, ground mount and tile options
- Mains power output: 3kW with peak handling of 6kW
- Low voltage: Fridge, heating, inside lights, outside lights, PIR lights and lighting accessories
- Protection: Primary and secondary protection for battery over charge and over discharge. An internal heat mat boosts cold weather charging efficiency.
- Noise: The Ark does have fans but these have been chosen with low volume in mind. You can expect the occasional quiet woosh.
- GUI: Intelligent, simple to use touch interface, Battery Optimiser Board (BOB)
- Mains charging: 16A charger available
- Furniture dimensions: 58cm x 38cm x 63cm
- Weight of the Ark: 65Kg
- Professional installation: Not required
- Life expectancy: 10 years minimum, estimated 25+ years in reality
- The Ark is made to order and there is an associated lead time. We will be in touch regarding delivery times.
- The solar panels have been chosen to run the Ark all year round so in the summer they will probably generate more energy than you need. This means long term loads such as air conditioning becomes a possibility during the day.
- Running from your own power source means you will never lose work on you PC due to a power cut. The Ark functions as a high capacity UPS.
- The cost of connecting to the grid by a professional can be considerable for a summer house or outbuilding. The Ark eliminates the need for that installation.
- Long spells of thick winter cloud may require some energy conservation on the users part. Bob will guide you through this.