Internet giant and increasingly active clean-tech player, Google, is offering a US$1 million prize for a proposal to shrink the “humble” solar inverter to the size of a laptop.
In conjunction with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Google is now inviting applications for its ‘Little Box’ challenge, which it claims could “revolutionise” the provision of electricity.
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The challenge set by Google is to shrink the size of a kilowatt-size DC-AC inverter – “roughly the size of a picnic cooler” – to something with a volume of a small laptop computer, around one-tenth its current size.
A specification document published by Google and IEEE sets out detailed criteria the proposed inverter must meet. These include a conversion efficiency of at least 95% and the ability to maintain a temperature of no more than 60 degrees C so that all parts of the box are touchable. Overall, the inverter must not exceed more than 40 cubic inches.
In a blog post to launch the competition, Google said the challenge would present numerous engineering hurdles.
“But whoever gets it done will help change the future of electricity. A smaller inverter could help create low-cost micro-grids in remote parts of the world. Or allow you to keep the lights on during a blackout via your electric car’s battery. Or enable advances we haven’t even thought of yet,” the post said.
The first application deadline is 22 July 2015.
