Answers to your Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How much water will the system produce each day?
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​Answer: The atmospheric water generator yield is a function of temperature and humidity. It works best in warm humid locations, with production falling off in cooler and dryer environments. The BluOasis units will produce approximately 10 gallons (44 liters) of water over a 24 hour period from 80 deg F (27 deg C) air at 60% relative humidity. Note that the atmospheric water generator consumes 12kW over the course of the day so it needs to be coupled with a sufficiently sized array (around 3,000W) or tied to a grid/generator power source to achieve its maximum yield. The system can generate smaller amounts of daily water with smaller arrays. Through the remote monitoring application, you can set water or power priority mode so that the system optimizes generation by mode.
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Question: Will the system work at night or on a cloudy day?
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Answer: All BluOasis and BluPower units are an integrated power system with a long-life high-cycle battery that provides power to your home or connected equipment. Depending on the load each unit can operate for days or even weeks without recharging. The units can be configured to recharge the batteries from solar panels or a generator. Future models can also be connected to grid power.
Question: How does the weather impact my power generation?
Answer: The solar panels produce peak power on clear days and good sun angles (direct sunlight on the panels). Clouds will reduce power generation, but still provide some power. The BluOasis and BluPower web interfaces provide local forecasts and estimate projected power based on your units location so that you can optimize your power use and/or water generation.
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Question: What appliances can I run with the BluOasis unit?
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Answer: The BluOasis and BluPower units output 110/120VAC or 220/240 VAC up to 30 amps. This is sufficient to run most household appliances, including power tools and washer and dryers. While operating high load systems it is important to monitor energy draw and battery capacity, as excessive use could rapidly drain the battery system.
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Question: Can I run my entire home or cabin off of a BluOasis unit? How do I wire my home to do that?
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Answer: Yes, each BluOasis or BluPower unit is capable of running your entire home with 6kW or 12kW of output power. The home, or facility, gets wired just like a standard grid-connected building. Instead of a utility drop, the electric panel gets wired directly to a BluOasis or BluPower unit with single phase 220/240VAC. You can then connect a generator to the unit as backup power without having to re-wire the building. Future units will support connecting to grid power.
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Question: Can I install additional solar panels later?
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Answer: Yes, depending on the model BluOasis and BluPower unit can handle up to six strings of arrays with a maximum of 4500W or eight strings with a maximum of 6000W depending on the model. All strings must be matched to have the same input voltage, with a minimum of 60VDC and a maximum of 90VDC.
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Question: How long does it take to recharge the battery bank?
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The system charge rate is a function of solar array area. To determine the recharge time, divide the utilized battery capacity (in kWhr) by the daily solar harvest (in kWhr/day). For instance, our BluOasis 1506 has a 15kWhr battery. If we assume it begins the day with 20% of its capacity, meaning 3kWhrs, it would required 12kWhr of sun harvest to fully charge. This would take approximately 4-6 hours with a 3kW array.
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Question: What's the difference between lead and lithium batteries?
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Answer: Lead based batteries degrade as a function of depth of discharge, while the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) units will not. In addition, lithium iron batteries have higher energy density, meaning more battery capacity per unit volume. Lead batteries support 2000 cycles at 50% depth of discharge (DOD) and 1000 cycles at 80% DOD. Lithium batteries support >3000 cycles at 100% DOD. For these reasons our high performance and high cycle units use lithium iron phosphate batteries. Lead batteries provide a cost effective solution for vacation cabins where there are not a lot of cycles.
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Question: Why do you use lithium iron batteries versus lithium ion batteries?
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Answer: Lithium Ion batteries are unstable when overcharged and can catch fire if the battery management system fails. Lithium Iron batteries, while slightly heavier, are a more stable chemistry and do not have this failure mode.
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Question: Can I upgrade or add additional batteries?
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Answer: Yes. You can replace a lead battery with a lithium iron phosphate battery. In addition, the BluPower 1506 unit can be ordered with an empty battery slot to support an additional battery to increase capacity at a later date.
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Question: What maintenance does the system require?
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Answer: The BluOasis water generator has a filter that should be changed once or twice a year depending on the unit's operating location. Dust will impair air ingestion and thus water making performance. Dustier climates should change the filter more frequently. The unit comes with two spare filters. The batteries do not require maintenance.
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Question: Do you ship internationally?
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Answer: Yes, we ship across the United States and Internationally. Please contact us to inquire about shipping systems to your location.
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Question: I have additional questions, how do I get them answered?
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Answer: No problem! We are here for you. Please fill out the contact form and we will get right back to you with an answer.