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Time Business News
30-05-2025
- Time Business News
Mastering Off-Grid Living: The Ultimate Guide to Off-Grid Essential Tech in 2025
In an era where self-sufficiency and sustainability are more than just buzzwords, off-grid living has emerged as a viable lifestyle choice for many. Whether you're seeking independence from traditional utilities, preparing for emergencies, or simply yearning for a closer connection to nature, embracing off-grid living requires the right tools and technologies. This comprehensive guide delves into the off-grid essential tech that can empower you to live comfortably and sustainably, even in the most remote locations. Solar energy stands as the cornerstone of off-grid power solutions. Modern solar panels and generators offer efficient, reliable, and eco-friendly energy sources. Brands like Jackery and Anker have developed portable solar generators that cater to various energy needs, from charging small devices to powering entire cabins. These systems often come with expandable battery storage, ensuring you have power even during cloudy days or nighttime. For those seeking a more integrated solution, BioLite's SolarHome 620 system provides lighting, charging, and radio functionalities, all powered by a compact solar panel. Reliable communication is crucial, especially when living off the grid. Satellite internet solutions like Starlink Mini have revolutionized connectivity in remote areas, offering high-speed internet that's essential for work, emergency communication, and staying informed. Additionally, devices like the Garmin inReach Mini 2 provide satellite messaging and SOS capabilities, ensuring you're never truly isolated. Access to clean water is non-negotiable. Off-grid essential tech in this domain includes advanced water filtration systems that remove contaminants from natural water sources. Gravity-fed filters, UV purifiers, and ceramic filters are among the popular choices. These systems are portable, require no electricity, and are capable of producing safe drinking water from rivers, lakes, or rainwater. Cooking off-grid doesn't mean compromising on quality or convenience. BioLite's CampStove 2+ is a prime example of off-grid essential tech, allowing users to cook meals using twigs and other biomass while simultaneously charging devices via its thermoelectric generator. Such innovations not only reduce reliance on fossil fuels but also minimize the need to carry heavy fuel supplies. Energy storage is vital to ensure a consistent power supply. Modern lithium-ion battery systems offer high-capacity storage with impressive longevity. These batteries can store energy generated from solar panels, wind turbines, or hydroelectric systems, providing power during periods without generation. Some systems are modular, allowing users to expand storage capacity as needed. Proper lighting enhances safety and comfort. LED technology has led to the development of energy-efficient lighting solutions suitable for off-grid living. Solar-powered lanterns, motion-sensor lights, and rechargeable headlamps are among the tools that ensure visibility without draining power reserves. BioLite's range of lighting products, for instance, combines functionality with sustainability. Maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature is essential. Wood-burning stoves remain a popular heating solution, offering warmth and the ability to cook. For cooling, passive designs, ventilation systems, and solar-powered fans can help regulate temperatures. Innovations like the HR Bank, a human-powered power bank, also provide alternative energy sources for climate control devices. Effective waste management is crucial for health and environmental reasons. Composting toilets, for example, offer a waterless solution for human waste, turning it into usable compost over time. For greywater, filtration systems can treat water from sinks and showers, allowing it to be reused for irrigation. These systems reduce environmental impact and promote sustainability. Mobility is often overlooked in off-grid planning. Electric bikes, solar-powered vehicles, and even traditional bicycles can serve as reliable transportation methods. For longer distances, vehicles equipped with solar charging capabilities ensure you remain mobile without frequent trips to fuel stations. Security is paramount, especially in isolated areas. Modern off-grid security systems include motion detectors, surveillance cameras, and alarm systems powered by solar energy. These tools help monitor your property, deter potential intruders, and provide peace of mind. Transitioning to an off-grid lifestyle is a significant decision that requires careful planning and the right tools. By investing in off-grid essential tech, you equip yourself with the means to live sustainably, comfortably, and independently. As technology continues to advance, the possibilities for off-grid living expand, making it more accessible and appealing than ever before. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Malaysian Reserve
22-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
USAID's demise threatens vital health, climate solution in Africa
A funding stoppage hurts efforts to phase out polluting home cookstoves and replace them with cleaner alternatives CLEAN cooking campaigns have been largely successful in Asia and Latin America, but efforts in Africa have been unable to outpace population growth. Today, one billion Africans rely on highly polluting fuels to cook their meals. The continent would need an investment of US$4 billion (RM17.31 billion) annually to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). For small African companies that sell clean cooking fuels and devices, US Agency for International Development (USAID) grants were often an essential first step toward scaling up production and eventually accessing funds from other development agencies and the private sector. Without them, entrepreneurs are scrambling. A spokesperson for the State Department said clean cooking programmes do not fit within the standards for foreign assistance laid out by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which call for making the US stronger, safer or more prosperous. The department, which oversees USAID, will continue to adjust the mix of its programmes, the spokesperson said. USAID officials stopped answering emails from their work accounts in March, according to grantees interviewed for this story, following a chaotic six-week review of all projects run by what was the world's largest aid agency. 'We were told overnight to stop what we were doing,' said Ohlson. 'It was very abrupt.' The radical cuts to US foreign aid by President Donald Trump and his efficiency czar Elon Musk prompted a flurry of lawsuits and a public outcry over the end of programmes targeting HIV and AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, maternal health and child malnutrition. The impact on clean cooking won't cost lives in the short term, but a slower deployment will limit the benefits longer-term, company leaders said. Ohlson's Emerging Cooking Solutions running a project with waste biomass pellets for cooking under Alternatives to Charcoal, a US$25 million project managed by Tetra Tech Inc and funded by USAID. Although work was almost finished and most money had been spent, some funding was still frozen, Ohlson said. If completed, the project was estimated to cut charcoal consumption in Zambia by a quarter and reduce deforestation attributed to charcoal production by 6.7%. Tetra Tech did not reply to a request for comment. For BioLite, a solar and clean cooking provider with presence in 20 countries in Africa, the withdrawal of USAID was a big setback. The Nairobi-based company had been awarded US$1.5 million to deploy just under half a million clean stoves in three years. 'We have not been able to replace the funding, so it has meant downscaling the size of investment in markets where we had planned to scale up,' said Ethan Kay, BioLite's MD of emerging markets. 'We'll still be able to do it, but at a slower pace.' Raising funding from the private sector remains a challenge on the continent. Some companies are turning to carbon markets for financing, after countries agreed on rules for a global carbon market mechanism at the the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan last November. The deal, which establishes how countries should trade carbon credits and sets the framework for bilateral trades, includes clean cooking programmes as well as more conventional initiatives like tree-planting. BioLite has made progress raising funds that will cover the initial costs of making its products eligible for the carbon market, which will help subsidise the price of cook-stoves and make them cheaper for the final consumer, Kay said. But the company doesn't have the same amount of funds that USAID would have ensured. A number of carbon offsets programmes traded in voluntary markets have been found to be ineffective or to exaggerate their climate benefits, and clean cooking credits are no exception. Last March, the non-profit Integ- rity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market concluded that four different methodologies to measure the effectiveness of clean cooking programmes lacked best practices to demonstrate efficacy in reducing emissions. (The Integrity Council is funded in part by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the philanthropic organisation of Michael Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP.) A recent report commissioned by a South Korean non-profit analysed a sample of clean cooking projects and found they were likely generating 18 times more credits than they should. Getting funding from the regulated carbon markets won't happen overnight, said Madrin Maina, country director for Kenya at The company, which operates in Latin America, Africa and Asia, offers farmers a device called a biodigester that collects organic waste from animals and transforms it into renewable biogas that can be used to fuel farming machinery, fertilise fields or cook. Like many other clean cooking businesses, got off the ground partly thanks to USAID funds. Although the company didn't have USAID support at the time of the agency's demise, it has noticed a tightening of other funding streams too, as some governments have narrowed their funding guarantees from about seven years to five or fewer, according to Maina. 'USAID has withdrawn and governments are focusing more their budgets on defense and other strategies,' she said. 'Unfortunately, the impact will be far and wide.' was already trading carbon credits on unregulated carbon markets and is now transitioning into carbon markets under United Nations (UN) rules. But for these markets to work, African countries need to sign bilateral agreements with developed nations that would buy the credits. It's a slow process and the company is actively lobbying the Kenyan government and others in the continent to try to speed it up. 'It's not automatic,' Maina said. 'But it's a pivot and we have to start somewhere.' — Bloomberg This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
CNET
17-05-2025
- CNET
All the Camping Gear I'm Taking With Me on My Spring Adventures
Whether I'm out with family and friends or taking a solo journey, one of my favorite things to do is camping. I bet you're also thinking about camping a lot more, now that Memorial Day is approaching and -- although the nights are still cool -- it's about to be perfect camping weather. What my campsite looks like has changed over the years. From primitive camping in my younger days to pulling a self-built camper trailer now, the ethos remains to relax and enjoy the outdoors. I've been fortunate to test out a lot of great gear over the years. Some tools have become a staple in my setup, while others haven't. Here are the five pieces of camping gear that have made it into my 2025 loadout, some important for survival and others for added convenience. When your camping days are coming up, keep my favorites in mind. 1. A power source The Anker Solix C800 Plus is the perfect power station for camping thanks to its power potential and collection of lighting options. Chris Wedel/CNET For my non-primitive camping, a power source, or more appropriately power sources, are vital. If I were only tent camping, I'd probably only bring a battery pack for my phone, like the Anker PowerCore III 10K or the BioLite Solar Panel 10+, since it is a solar panel with a 3,200m-Ah battery charger built-in. But for longer camps or ones where I'm not 'roughing' it, I like to bring along a portable power station. I really like the Anker Solix C800 Plus for its compact size, good power options and the two camping lights that are stored in the lid. If I think I'll need even more power than the 1,200 watts available in the C800 Plus, then I'll take my Bluetti AC240P for the 3,600 watts of output. Plus, it is IP65 dust- and water-resistant. The EcoFlow Power Kit allows campers and off-grid homes to have access to have battery power in a conventional way. Chris Wedel/CNET I haul batteries to use around the campsite and also to power my camper. My current setup uses the EcoFlow PowerKit with 15kWh power. Aside from the massive amount of available power, this system's overall capabilities are truly impressive. Everything in the system runs through a central hub that connects to a smart breaker panel, along with the available AC and DC circuits in the Smart Panel. I have about 900 watts of solar panels on top of my camper to keep my system charged, but it can handle up to 4,800 watts from the sun, 1,000 watts from your vehicle's alternator and 3,000 watts of shore power. With this system, I can run my air conditioner, refrigerator, lights, TV, microwave, coffee pot or whatever else I may need. 2. A place to relax The GCI Freestyle Camping Chair is as comfortable as it is durable, making it ideal for sitting around the campfire or at a sporting event. Chris Wedel/CNET After I get to the campsite and set up the necessities, it's time to relax. When it comes to sitting around the campfire or sitting at all, I pull up my GCI Freestyle Rocker Chair. While the chair is quite a bit more expensive at $70 than your typical bag chair, it will last much longer. Aside from being durable, it is very comfortable, and the rocking feature is excellent for relaxation. When I really want to relax or sleep under the stars, I'll quickly set up the Anymaka Portable Hammock. When I say quickly, I mean I can go from storage bag to sleeping in under three minutes. It has a very sturdy stand and supports up to 550 pounds. Accessories include a cup holder, a canopy for shade and a mosquito net for those stargazing evenings. 3. A prep station GCI's Slim Fold Table is perfect for camping and outdoor use thanks to its solid build and lightweight. Chris Wedel/CNET If you are lucky enough to find a camping spot with a picnic table, you're good to go for a spot to prep meals and put your stuff on. But if you're like me and prefer to camp where it's a bit farther from civilization, you'll likely not have a table to use. This is why a table is a must-have in my camping gear loadout. My table of choice is from the same company that makes my preferred chair -- the GCI Slim Fold Table. While there are many options for camping tables, I love this one because it is lightweight at only 26 pounds and sturdy, with the ability to support up to 125 pounds. The table folds up nice and flat to a relatively compact 3.5 by 24.2 by 27.2 inches, so it doesn't take up much space, and the slatted design makes for easy cleanup. 4. Ambiance and cooking source The BioLite FirePit+ is great for cooking on and the ambiance fire brings. Plus, the battery-powered fan make starting a fire a breeze. Chris Wedel/CNET If there is one thing that is truly iconic of camping, it's fire. It's important to use something to contain your fire when camping to avoid embers accidentally igniting nature. While there are some great fire pits made for camping, such as the Solo Stove Mesa, they are more for warmth and ambiance and less for cooking. For a more compact option, you could go with a handy portable grill like the Burch Barrel Flat Packer. However, I've been going with something that lets me have a place to cook and get ambiance: the BioLite FirePit Plus. What has made this become my go-to camping stove is the versatility in what it can do and the fuel. It can be used with either charcoal or firewood. There is a sliding grill grate for cooking on, and the mesh sides allow for excellent airflow for the fire. But if the mesh sides aren't enough, then the battery pack on the end can power a fan to force air through tubes with holes to help fuel the fire. 5. Something to light the way BioLite When you are out in nature, it can get pretty dark out at night even with a full moon. This is why it's important to have good light sources available. While I have light sources available in the Anker Solix C800 Plus, I always remember to keep some alternatives accessible. There are some great flashlights options out there, and it's important to find one that serves your specific needs. I really like the Olight Baton3 Pro for the variety of light options, the 1,500 lumens of brightness, durability and the magnetic end. That end is great for attaching to objects to hold it in place, but when there's nothing magnetic around the extra-long clip is great to have. I also try to have some sort of area light in my loadout. Lately, I've been taking the BioLite Alpenglow Lantern for this purpose. While it does have RGB lights and offers some fun effects, I like the long battery life with 200 hours of runtime on low and the dimmable and tunable white light. It's great to have sitting on the table when eating or just providing some ambient light around the campsite. It also has a hook on the end to hang it up with. Many of CNET's top-rated pieces of hiking gear are just as applicable to camping, so be sure to check out this list of the top hiking gadgets for 2025, as well as the top security gadgets for living that van life and the best camping essentials no matter where your travels take you this spring and summer.
Indianapolis Star
24-04-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Flash sale: BioLite is offering 20% off best-selling grills and portable batteries today
AI-assisted summary BioLite is having a 24-hour, 20% off sitewide sale called "Better with Friends." The sale includes popular items like the CampStove 2+ and Solar Panel 5+. BioLite products include smokeless fire pits, portable power stations, and inflatable lanterns. Temperatures are heating up and so are deals on some of BioLite's hottest outdoor essentials. Today only, the famed outdoor brand is offering 20% off sitewide through its Better with Friends sale, including rare markdowns on best-sellers like the CampStove 2+ and Solar Panel 5+. BioLite is known as a one-stop shop for sourcing the market's most innovative outdoor products —like smokeless fire pits, portable power stations and even inflatable lanterns that are designed to withstand all types of climates. The retailer also rarely hosts sales, which makes these limited-time BioLite deals all the more unmissable. Whether you're preparing for a camping trip or simply want a restock on your favorite adventure gear ahead of your next lake day, shop the top BioLite sale deals below—good for 24 hours only. Be sure to use the code FRIENDS2025 at checkout to apply the 20% off discount. Shop the best BioLite deals BioLite HeadLamp 325 No flashlight, no problem. This lightweight headlamp has a comfortable design and attached light that can illuminate your surroundings. Save 20% at BioLite Don't miss out! Get weekly deals, trends and product recommendations from USA TODAY Shopping delivered straight to your inbox. Which BioLite product is the most popular? BioLite's best-selling products vary, but the BioLite CampStove 2+ is definitely among the brand's most popular. The smokeless camp stove offers an easy way to cook foods while you're on the go, with a compact design that can be transported anywhere. BioLite shoppers love that the portable cooker can whip up foods with the same fire-cooked flavor, but without the hassle (or mess) of cooking a meal over a proper campfire. Does BioLite offer a warranty on their products? Yes! BioLite offers a limited-time warranty on all of its products. The brand has a designated page where you can register BioLite products for warranty, as well as more details on what exactly the warranty covers.
Vox
22-04-2025
- Business
- Vox
A battery-powered house? You can make that a reality.
Growing up in rural Tennessee, power outages were frequent and sometimes fun. With no TV or lights, we played boardgames by candlelight or played outside if the storm stopped. But because my family also ran a restaurant out of our house, sometimes the food in the fridges spoiled, leading to thousands of dollars worth of lost groceries. It never occurred to me so many years ago that a big battery could one day solve this problem. As extreme weather worsens due to climate change, leading millions more to experience debilitating blackouts, the home battery industry is booming. Home batteries are not like the AAA batteries that go in your TV remote control. They're big, high-capacity lithium-ion workhorses designed to power multiple devices and appliances in the event of a power outage. The amount of energy that can be stored in residential batteries, which is measured in gigawatt hours (GWh), grew by a record 54 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to a new report on energy storage in the United States. It's now enough to power up to 1 million homes. Growth is even bigger in Europe. Many home batteries are being used to store energy from solar panels, but there's a burgeoning market for backup batteries that can keep essential appliances, like refrigerators, running during a power outage. Some of these batteries are also smart enough to charge up when energy is cheap and then discharge when it's expensive to save on utility bills. We're also starting to see appliances with built-in batteries that make them more efficient and effective. Solving the lost groceries problem is only the beginning. As more people add battery capacity to their homes, the power grid can become more resilient to spikes in energy usage and bring down costs for everyone. While the number of battery-powered houses still make up a minority of all the homes in the US, home batteries are becoming more affordable and accessible, giving the average American household the chance to take advantage of what an electrified future has to offer. One of the more interesting home batteries I've come across is made by BioLite, a Brooklyn, New York-based company that got its start building camp stoves that can charge your phone. Backup by BioLite is a home battery specifically designed for the dead fridge problem, or any other dead appliances. The primary unit is a slim battery pack that can fit behind your refrigerator or sit on top of it. It plugs into a standard wall outlet and doesn't require a contractor or any rewiring to install. Just plug your fridge and any other devices into the Backup's power strip, and it's ready to take over in the event of an outage. One $2,000 Backup battery gets you 15 to 30 hours of power, and if you daisy-chain several batteries together, you can get a few days worth of power. 'This is not meant to be a niche product for the bleeding-edge solar battery storage expert,' Erica Rosen, BioLite's vice president of marketing told me when I visited BioLite's headquarters in March. 'This is for folks who are, like, 'I just threw out $400 worth of groceries. I can never do this again.'' That example hit home for me. But it's not actually what I think is most useful about the capabilities of home batteries. For people who pay attention to their power bills, Backup and other home batteries make it easier to take advantage of the time-of-use pricing some utilities offer, which makes electricity cheaper during low demand hours and higher when demand is high. Backup, for example, works with an app that lets you schedule the battery to kick in during high demand hours; BioLite is planning to eventually update the app so that this feature works automatically. Plugging solar panels into these batteries gives you even more autonomy over your energy sources. Once you're actually generating electricity, you can fill up your home batteries without drawing from the grid at all. If there's an outage, the panels can keep those batteries charged when the sun's out. If your utility offers it, you can also take advantage of something called net metering, which enables you to sell some of that stored energy back to the grid during peak demand. If battery-powered living sounds appealing to you, there are now even more creative ways to ease into it. A company called Copper started selling its battery-equipped stoves this year. The $6,000 Copper Charlie is an electric induction range with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery inside that's programmed to charge when electricity is cheapest. The range plugs into a regular wall outlet — other inductions require a 240-volt outlet that not all homes have — and the battery supplies enough power for everyday cooking. It also kicks in during power outages so that you can keep cooking if the lights go out. The battery also gives the oven a boost, so that preheating is faster. There is, nevertheless, something unstoppable about the home battery revolution. This is just the first of many battery-assisted appliances that Copper plans to make, according to Weldon Kennedy, the company's co-founder and chief marketing officer. It's not hard to imagine how the same basic backup features of the Charlie stove could work in a hot water heater or a washer-dryer. These kinds of appliances require a large amount of energy all at once and then sit idle for hours at a time. It makes great sense to charge them up when energy is cheap and then discharge that stored energy later. 'Because you don't have these giant spikes in energy use across the electrical grid at, say, six o'clock when everyone turns on their electric stove,' Kennedy told me. 'It just makes the whole system better.' None of this comes cheap. The Copper Charlie range and Backup by BioLite are four-figure investments. There are other companies in the space, too, but they're just as expensive. Impulse makes a battery-equipped stovetop that also costs $6,000, and Jackery sells a home backup battery for $3,500 and up. You can find even more expensive and extensive home battery systems from companies like Tesla, Anker, and Bluetti. There are some government subsidy programs available to offset those high costs, but on a federal level at least, it's not clear if the Trump administration will keep them in place. There is, nevertheless, something unstoppable about the home battery revolution. As certain solutions get cheaper and easier to use, like Biolite's Backup, other options are becoming more appealing. Electric vehicles, after all, are basically big batteries on wheels, and a growing number of automakers are enabling bidirectional charging, which lets your vehicle power your home or send power back to the grid. GM is even working with some utility companies to help its car owners buy the equipment necessary to turn their EVs into home batteries. Still, with the Trump administration downright hostile to clean energy, the US is lagging behind Europe and China in adopting more battery power. But the cost of battery production is falling fast, and we should expect to see batteries show up in more home appliances in the near future. After all, just one big battery could save you a fridge-full of groceries in the next power outage, and that outage is definitely coming. Climate change is making weather more extreme and unpredictable, which means it's more essential than ever to be prepared for anything. A version of this story was also published in the User Friendly newsletter. Sign up here so you don't miss the next one!
