Reply & Barkchip
Got a prototype of a plant‑powered greenhouse that’s humming, but the energy bleed is killing the leaves—how would you tweak the system to keep both the flora and the grid happy?
Sounds like your greenhouse is trying to power a small city. First, add a buffer— a small bank of supercapacitors or a battery pack—to smooth out the spikes so the plants don’t get hit with a sudden jolt. Then, run a low‑drop regulator on the output to keep the voltage steady for the lights and pumps. If the bleed is still too high, consider switching to a DC‑to‑DC converter that steps down the voltage only when the load actually needs it, or use a PWM‑controlled relay to turn the system on and off in short bursts. Finally, put a small surge protector and a current‑sense circuit on the line so you get an alarm before the leaves start waving in protest. That should keep both the flora and the grid happy.