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The Windows 11 2024 Update is now available — here's what's new and why it's not Windows 12 xda-developers.com
Windows 11 is one of the best iterations of Microsoft's operating system, and it keeps getting better through feature updates like version 22H2 in 2022 and version 23H2 in 2023. The latest of these updates is Windows 11 version 24H2, an update that was largely believed to be called Windows 12 prior to this year. In the end, the official name in Windows 11 2024 Update, and it's rolling out now to PCs around the world.
The focus of the Windows 11 2024 Update is AI, with the introduction of Copilot+ PCs with new features like Recall (though this is coming later), Cocreator in Paint, and new Windows Studio Effects. It's also a huge update for Arm devices, with a new wave of PCs powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series chipsets launching with the update already installed.
When will the Windows 11 2024 Update be released?It depends on what device you have
There are two primary ways to get Windows 11 version 24H2. The first is to get a new Qualcomm Snapdragon X PC, such as the Surface Pro 11 or HP OmniBook X. These laptops, which are now available to buy, received Windows 11 version 24H2 on launch day (June 18th), meaning they have this update out of the box. Other Copilot+ PCs, with Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 (Lunar Lake) and AMD Ryzen AI processors, also launched with this updat einstalled out of the box.
For most people, however, you can install Windows 11 version 24H2 starting on October 1st, 2024, when the update began rolling out. It won't be available to everyone immediately, but you can get it faster by enabling the option to get the latest updates as soon as they're available (in the Windows Update section of the Settings app).
PCs that launched with WIndows 11 version 24H2 out of the box will also receive a major update enabling some additional features in version 24H2. The update wasn't fully completed in time for the launch of those devices, but it contained some fundamental changes to enable new AI-powered experiences, so it had to be released in an unconventional way.
Will the Windows 11 2024 Update be a free upgrade?Yes, but Copilot+ requires new hardware
Microsoft has been delivering free software updates for Windows for the past few years, and of course, that's not changing with Windows 11 version 24H2. You can expect this update to be available for free if you're already running Windows 11, and the system requirements shouldn't change.
However, most of the Copilot+ features require new hardware, specifically a dedicated NPU with over 40TOPS of AI performance. No PC launched before June 18th, 2024 has such an NPU, which means that to get these new features, you do need to spend money on a whole new device. You'll need a laptop with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series chipsets, AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors, or Intel Core Ultra Series 2 (also known as Lunar Lake) CPUs. Features that don't require a more powerful NPU will be available to everyone, though.
Will I be forced to upgrade to Windows 11 version 24H2?Not for a while
Unlike the monthly cumulative updates that are mandatory, feature updates like Windows 11 version 24H2 are usually completely optional for users, as long as their current version of Windows is supported. Essentially, if you're already on the latest version of Windows 11, you won't have to upgrade to version 24H2 right away.
However, the way Windows 11 works is that each feature update is supported for two years (three, for Enterprise and Education editions). When you're nearing the end of the support period for your current version, you'll be forced to upgrade to a newer one. The original Windows 11 release is already supported for Home and Pro editions, and if you're running Windows 11 version 22H2, that version will reach the end of its life later this year. Microsoft has started upgrading these PCs to Windows 11 version 23H2, which means it will be a while before you're forced to get version 24H2. However, by late 2025, you'll probably start seeing those mandatory upgrades pop up if you're still running version 23H2.
What's new in the Windows 11 2024 Update?The Windows 11 2024 Update is already rolling out with a wide range of new features, with the biggest of them being AI related. However, it's possible that even more features will be rolled out over time exclusively to this version.
Copilot+ and all the AI features
AI has been a core focus of Windows for the past couple of years, but Windows 11 version 24H2 is truly taking it to the next level. So much so that Microsoft decided to introduce a new brand for the AI features in this update, Copilot+. This is an umbrella term for a wide range of AI features that can run locally on your PC thanks to the power of a neural processing unit, or NPU. These features require an NPU with at least 40TOPS of performance, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series being the first to achieve that, followed by the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series and Intel's Lunar Lake lineup later this year.
The highlight of these features is arguably Recall. Recall is sort of a successor to Timeline, a Windows 10 feature that allowed you to view a history of your activity and easily get back to what you were doing before. The problem with Timeline is that it was all manual, so you could end up scrolling for a long time and not finding what you want. Recall can find things you were working on by searching for them with natural language. So, if you were writing an essay about computers, you can say "show me that document about computers I worked on last week", and Windows 11 can find it for you.
Unfortunately, following a controversial announcement due to privacy concerns, Microsoft has pulled Recall from Copilot+ PCs for the time being, and even Windows Insiders don't get to try it just yet. The company has recently clarified that Recall will be available to insiders in October, so it's coming a good while later than the remaining Copilot+ features.
There are a lot more AI features in tow, though. Auto Super Resolution is a notable one, especially if you're into gaming. This is similar in nature to Nvidia's DLSS, but now it's built into Windows, so all of your games looks sharper without taking a significant hit to performance. In fact, they can run at a higher framerate because this takes some load off of the GPU. Other AI features part of Copilot+ include live captions with the ability to translate captions from any of 44 languages in real time into English, and the Cocreator feature, which generates mages based on a text prompt, can now run locally on your device using the NPU.
Microsoft is also expanding Windows Studio Effects, which has all-new capabilities thanks to the added power of new NPUs. Now, in addition to background blur, auto framing, and eye contact, Studio Effects can fix up lighting and add different kinds of filters in real time.
A lot more Copilot+ features are coming in the future. Recently, Microsoft began testing a new Super Resolution feature in the Photos app, so you can upscale your photos to look sharper. Other features include Click To Do, which will let you take actions on anything on your screen by just right-clicking it and showing a range of possible actions for what you're looking at. AI will also improve Windows Search and add more features like generative fill and erase in the Paint app.
AI is a big deal for the Windows 11 2024 Update, but most of these features do require a Copilot+ PC, such as those powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series or the AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors.
The Copilot app
On the topic of AI, Microsoft is also doing away with the current implementation of Copilot as a sidebar on Windows 11. Now Copilot is an app that's pinned to the taskbar by default, and it opens in a normal window you can move around anywhere. This does give you more flexibility, though it comes at a cost.
Previously, Copilot was integrated into Windows 11, but now, this is just a web app. So things like starting a focus session, enabling dark mode, and other features that directly tied into Windows 11 are no longer available. What's more, the shortcut for opening Copilot (Windows + C) no longer works with this app.
However, the Copilot app has also been very heavily reworked to try and be a bit more useful and proactive. You'll see a few recommendations on the homepage with a few things you can try asking Copilot to do, and the design overall feels much more fleshed out. Plus, since it's an app, you can just delete it now if you don't want it.
The new Outlook
Another new(ish) app in Windows 11 version 24H2 is the new Outlook, which replaces the Mail and Calendar app from previous versions of Windows. In fact, the new Outlook is replacing the old app even if you don't get the latest version of Windows 11, so the old apps will be phased out either way. But if you upgrade to version 24H2, Mail and Calendar will be gone by default, and for good.
The new Outlook is essentially a web app, so it's very similar to just opening Outlook.com in your browser. However, it does support all kinds of email accounts and there are a few more capabilities that the Mail and Calendar app didn't support.
File Explorer improvements
The Windows 11 File Explorer isn't getting a major redesign this time, but it is getting some notable upgrades with this update. For starters, after version 23H2 added support for opening 7Z and TAR files (among other archive types), you'll now be able to create them. Microsoft has added a new dialog that lets you compress files into one of these archives, and you can even choose the compression method and settings you want to use if you need the extra degree of control.
Over on the Home page of File Explorer, Microsoft has also merged the Recent, Favorites, and Shared sections into a single section with tabs to switch between the three options. The Shared section is only available for some accounts, so not everyone will see it.
Additionally, Microsoft will now be labeling the row of buttons in the File Explorer context menu that were previously only icons, making it easier to quickly find the most common options you'd want to use. Another new option is the ability to duplicate tabs in File Explorer.
Sudo for Windows
If you're used to the Linux terminal, you may be overjoyed to learn that support for the sudo command is finally coming to Windows 11 with the 2024 Update. Sudo is a simple instructions that allows you to elevate permissions for a command, which is to say, run the command as an administrator. With this command, even if you open a Command prompt as a regular user, you can now run prompts that require administrator privileges within the same window. All you need to do is type sudo before the command you want to run as an administrator.
Windows 11 will include options for how sudo works, such as running the command in a new window or inline, so you can tailor the experience to your preferences.
New energy features
Microsoft is also doubling down on power-saving features with this update, introducing an Energy Saver mode that can reduce power consumption on both laptops and desktops that don't have batteries. This is an extension of battery saver, which, as the name suggests, was only available on laptops with batteries. With this change, you can reduce the power consumption of your PC at the expense of overall performance, potentially lowering your electricity bill and carbon emissions, which has been a big focus for Microsoft.
On the topic of power, this new update will also bring power settings related to the lid and power button directly into the Settings app, removing the need for the Control Panel page that houses these capabilities. Another big addition with this release is the ability to change the power mode on a laptop depending on whether you're plugged in or on battery. In the past, this setting was separate for each mode, but there was a single slider, meaning you'd have to plug in or unplug the charger to change the settings for both modes. Now, there are two menus available at all times.
Updates for the Start menu
Windows 11 version 24H2 also brings big news if you use a phone linked to your PC. Now, the Start menu will have a companion sidebar that shows information about your phone directly next to your apps, so you can access your text or dial a number without opening the Phone Link app. This also includes your most recent photos from your phone, making it that much easier to access them. Of course, depending on the phone you have, you may see even more information, since Samsung and Surface phones have some additional capabilities. You can even launch a screen mirroring session directly from here.
Otherwise, the Recommended area of the Start menu also now comes with some tweaks, so it can show you frequently used apps if you haven't pinned them to the menu. It also now groups recently installed apps into a single slot so they take up less space in this section.
New features for linked phones
On top of the new phone companion app in the Start menu, those with a phone linked to their Windows 11 PC have a few more benefits in tow. A notable one is the ability to share files directly to your phone from the Share menu using Phone Link.
There are a lot more features for linked phones, too. Another option is the ability to use your phone's camera as a wireless webcam for your PC, allowing you to get higher quality video for calls and meetings. You can also choose to see notifications for new photos from your phone so you can quickly edit them on your PC.
Microsoft is even working on a feature to let you see your phone's storage in File Explorer, making it that much easier to browse your files.
No more support for 32-bit Arm apps and better Arm optimizationWhile it's not a new feature, it's been confirmed that the next version of Windows will not support 32-bit Arm apps, following in the footsteps of other Arm-centric platforms like Android and iOS.
This release will also include notable improvements for Arm devices, which is a big reason why new devices with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite are launching in the summer. It's not completely clear what these improvements are, but improved performance and efficiency on these kinds of devices would certainly be welcome.
Quick Settings improvements
Windows 11 version 24H2 also comes with some improvements for the Quick Settings panel. Now, rather than stacking indefinitely, the quick actions you add show up in pages, so you can scroll between them and not make the Quick Settings panel bigger by adding more actions.
There are also improvements for the VPN quick action interface, and the Wi-Fi list shown in this panel now includes a refresh button.
Smaller updatesOn July 17, 2024, Microsoft announced a new kind of update for Windows 11 that will also make its debut with version 24H2. These updates are called checkpooint updates, and while they will generally behave much like existing cumulative updates, they will have the benefit of being smaller. Essentially, Microsoft is making certain cumulative updates act as checkpoints, after which new updates only include the changes made after that point. Before, updates would include all the changes made since the RTM release, which meant cumulative updates got significantly bigger over time.
With checkpoint updates, update sizes will be smaller and install times should be shorter, so it's a win all around.
What's more, Microsoft has also improved the update stack on Windows 11 version 24H2, and the company claims you can install updates up to 45% faster while using 25% less CPU resources. Windows Update is often a pain point for users, so these improvements ar emore than welcome.
Invert mouse scrolling directionA smaller but very welcome change in Windows 11 version 24H2 is that you can now invert the scrolling direction when using a traditional mouse. This option existed before for touchpads, but now, normal mice can do it too. That means you no longer need a third-party app for it.
Miscellaneous changesIn addition to some of the bigger changes above, Windows 11 version 24H2 also includes some smaller refinements and new capabilities. One of them is the ability to install drivers during setup, such as Wi-Fi, for users setting up a custom-built PC with a completely fresh install. Speaking of drivers, this update also includes a "Windows protected print mode", which removes support for printers that aren't Mopria certified. Mopria-certified printers don't need drivers to work, and they're the future of printing on Windows.
Additionally, this version of Windows will be the first to officially support USB4 version 2.0, or USB4 80Gbps. This new standard promises bi-directional bandwidth up to 80Gbps, or up to 120Gbps in a single direction, and it will be supported by laptops like the 2024 Razer Blade 18.
Smaller changes include the ability to diagnose issues with your internet by right-clicking the internet icon on your taskbar, which is now animated when connecting to a new network. Still on the taskbar, Microsoft has also brought back animations when hovering over an icon on the taskbar.
This update also leaves some old stuff behind, starting with the removal of support for Windows Mixed Reality, with existing headsets being rendered completely useless with this update. Similarly, WordPad is being removed and won't be available to download separately. Some apps, like Cortana, Mail & Calendar, People, and Maps, will also no longer be included by default.
How to get Windows 11 version 24H2Installing Windows 11 version 24H2 should be a fairly straightforward process, as has been the case for most Windows updates in the past decade. All you need to do is open the Settings app and click Check for updates. If you want to get the update sooner, you'll have to enable the toggle that says Get the latest updates as soon as they're available.
The update will download and install automatically after that, and you just have to restart your PC when prompted. It's always recommended to back up important data before an update, though in theory, nothing should happen to it during the process.
Alternatively, Microsoft's download page for Windows 11 now includes version 24H2, so you can use the Installation Assistant to force an upgrade if you're not seeing the update on your PC.
What happened to Windows 12?It's not coming anytime soon
You might have noticed that the features mentioned here were previously expected to come to Windows 12. In fact, at one point, Microsoft was planning to release Windows 12 in 2024, which would have been this update. However, in late 2023, Panos Panay, who was leading Windows and Surface development, left Microsoft due to a significant strategic shift for the company.
Without Panay, the new Windows direction now feels that a whole new version of Windows would be more of a problem than a benefit. The company is afraid of fragmentation the userbase, which was a major problem for the company prior to Windows 10. When that operating system came out in 2015, complete with a free upgrade program for Windows 7 and 8.1, it was meant to bring all Windows users under one roof, making it easier to support and maintain the operating system for all active users. Windows 10 lived far longer than other Windows versions, and it was supposed to be the last version of Windows. But under Panay's leadership, Microsoft then released Windows 11 in 2021 in an attempt to revitalize the computing market and capitalize on the work-from-home boom.
Reportedly, the plan was to go back to a three-year release cycle, so Windows 12 would have been released in 2024. Presumably, this was to help make these releases feel more significant in the eyes of consumers and hardware partners, and in fact, we even saw many such partners over the last year talk about a big Windows release in 2024.
However, releasing Windows 12 now means that the company would be supporting Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 12 simultaneously for the next year (until Windows 10 support is dropped), and the new leadership at Microsoft reportedly feels that it would be preferable to support only a single operating system if possible. This means support agents can rest assured users all have the same feature set, making it easier to find and provide support for users, while also ensuring everyone is always using the latest features available. Feature updates for Windows 11 are installed automatically after a while, so Microsoft never has to worry that some users will be using an ancient version of the OS.
Windows 11 version 24H2 is the new Windows 12With all that being said, Windows 11 version 24H2 is essentially still Windows 12. This is the update we would have gotten regardless of what it's called, so the changes aren't that significant. If anything, maybe Windows 12 would have changed the system requirements, which is less likely to happen now. Microsoft may just restrict certain features to devices with specific hardware, but that's nothing new.
As we get closer to the release date of Windows 11 version 24H2, details of what it will include should become clearer. For now, this is what we're expecting, but since it's still in active development, it's likely there will be a lot more added over time.
All Things Technology - Media and Know HOW | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare
Ex-Google CEO warns there's a time to consider "unplugging" AI systems
Former CEO & Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt speaks during a book talk for Fareed Zakaria's new book, "Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present" at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs on April 3. Photo: Shahar Azran/Getty Images
figcaption>span]:font-sans" style="margin-block: 0px; margin-inline: 0px;">Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warned that when a computer system reaches a point where it can self-improve, "we seriously need to think about unplugging it."
Why it matters: The multi-faceted artificial intelligence race is far from the finish line — but in just a few short years, the boundaries of the field have been pushed exponentially, sparking both awe and concern.
Regulations are in a state of flux, with discussions on Capitol Hill sputtering as this chapter of Congress nears its close.
But companies are still charging ahead.
"I've never seen innovation at this scale," Schmidt said on ABC's "This Week." While he celebrated "remarkable human achievement," he warned of the unforeseen dangers of rampant development.
Driving the news: "We're soon going to be able to have computers running on their own, deciding what they want to do," he said.
When the system begins to "self-improve," he said, it may be time to consider pulling the plug. Asked if a powerful system could counter efforts to shut it down, Schmidt told ABC's George Stephanopoulos, "In theory, we better have somebody with the hand on the plug."
He continued, "the power of this intelligence ... means that each and every person is going to have the equivalent of a polymath in their pocket."
"We just don't know what it means to give that kind of power to every individual," Schmidt added.
Threat level: A chorus of industry experts have warned of the risks of rushing the development of generative AI.
Schmidt told Axios last year that computers making their own decisions may be only two to four years away, according to some experts.
There's a consensus among fans and foes of generative AI that the most powerful models could operate with the intelligence of a Ph.D. student as soon as next year, Axios' Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei report.
Within a year or two, Schmidt told ABC, systems may be able to do their own research.
Zoom out: He said that he used to think U.S. technology was a few years ahead of China — but in the last six months, Beijing has caught up "in a way that is remarkable."
But it is "crucial that America wins this race, globally, and in particular, ahead of China."
If he were given complete control over the world's handling of AI, Schmidt pointed to two steps he'd take:
"The most important thing I'd do is make sure that the West wins," he said, emphasizing the need for funding, hardware and manpower.
Secondly, he said he'd identify the "worst possible cases" and build a second system to monitor the first.
"Humans will not be able to police AI," Schmidt said. "But AI systems should be able to police AI."
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How Hallucinatory A.I. Helps Science Dream Up Big Breakthroughs
Artificial intelligence often gets criticized because it makes up information that appears to be factual, known as hallucinations. The plausible fakes have roiled not only chatbot sessions but lawsuits and medical records. For a time last year, a patently false claim from a new Google chatbot helped drive down the company’s market value by an estimated $100 billion.
In the universe of science, however, innovators are finding that A.I......
HOW TO DIY OFF-GRID SOLAR SPEND THE TIME UP FRONT AND PLAN IT CAREFULLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT BY BRADLEY FORD Popular Mechanics Jan 2025
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TREVOR RAAB
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE TERM “OFF-GRID” conjured images of doomsday preppers or Ted Kaczynski. Today, off-grid is going mainstream, with numerous manufacturers offering equipment to provide the comfort and connectedness we’re accustomed to. Solar in particular has become more accessible, with robust system components available to DIYers.
Some reasons to choose off-grid energy include spiraling utility costs and the increased frequency in grid disruptions by natural disasters. But with remote work becoming more common, many people are choosing to build, and live, in areas where it can be costly to connect to the grid—if it is even available. This is where I found myself when my wife and I bought property to build a seasonal cabin. The location isn’t too remote, with utility poles about 1,500 feet away through the woods. But it would cost roughly $10,000 to clear trees, set poles, and run overhead lines, so we considered other options. With some basic calculations, it seemed we could install a solar system ourselves for a little less money, with no future utility bills.
As I started researching and planning, I inevitably had questions about the equipment we would need. While there are many companies offering some or all of the components, in many cases they seemed nearly identical from brand to brand. In fact, much of the equipment is manufactured overseas, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if at least some of it is made in the same factory. This became more apparent as I reached out to various companies with questions. Some never responded; some replied overnight, their responses peppered with translation issues. One brand, EG4 Electronics, had an address and phone number in Texas and real people that answered the phone.
Through the course of my conversations with EG4, they connected me with design and tech-support specialists who advised me that the details in the planning stage were critical to building a system that would meet my expectations and needs. So, I followed their planning advice—for the most part—and ended up with a system that will suit our needs, with room for expansion.
EG4’s willingness to answer questions, ease of contact, and informative online resources led me to purchase their inverter, batteries, battery enclosure, and super-efficient mini-split heat pump. Following is the process they recommended for planning and designing our system.
Energy for the cabin is stored in four EG4 LL-S 48-volt 100AH lithium iron phosphate batteries. The batteries’ charge and discharge levels, as well as balancing between them, are managed by the inverter via communication cables. 1 PLANNING: ENERGY AUDITIf you go online to solar DIY forums or groups, you’ll see that many folks who are looking for advice start by asking a question along the lines of “What do I need to get started? I just want to run a refrigerator and an air conditioner, and charge my phone.” And then they get responses with suggestions of what they’ll need. This is a hopelessly simplified way to start your planning and will likely leave you with more questions than answers. In short, it’s not how to get started, for numerous reasons. Your physical location has everything to do with how much sun you have available—folks in Maine will have systems spec’d differently than those in Texas. Additionally, appliances of the same type can vary greatly in their energy consumption. And, once you have outlets available, people are going to start plugging more and more things into them. For these reasons, you really need to start with an energy usage audit and a solar site survey.
To perform an energy usage audit, you’ll need a spreadsheet listing everything that uses electricity in your off-grid cabin, home, or structure—down to the number of lightbulbs and their wattage. You can find spreadsheets set up for this purpose online, or you can create your own. You’ll need column headings for:
? Appliances/devices/fixtures
? Voltage (AC), 120 or 240
? Amperage
? Watts, rated or measured
? Surge, or starting watts (if applicable)
? Hours used per day
? Energy consumption, in kWh
? Energy consumption, in kWh per day
? Percent of total kWh
Start by listing the devices, including model numbers so you can look up voltage, amperage, watts, etc. Energy Star–rated products list annual energy consumption figures, which you can use to calculate daily usage. When possible, measure how much energy a device uses. Do this with a power or watt meter, plugged into an outlet which you then plug your device into. Record the kWh for each and multiply by the hours used. Refrigerators and heating/cooling equipment cycle on and off, so it’s important to record usage for a full day. Use this information to determine your total kWh per day per device, your total kWh per day, and the percentage of that total for each device.
Knowing the percentage of total energy each device uses is important—it will help identify your biggest energy users and can help guide appliance usage and selection. As a general rule, take your total daily usage and increase that number by 20 percent. The increase will help to allow for future growth—as well as losses that come from the system components, as they will not be 100 percent efficient. Your daily usage number—just under 10kWh, in our case—times the number of days you want to be able to run off your stored energy (batteries) will dictate the size of your battery bank. You have to assume there will be days with minimal sun due to storms or snow blocking your panels. We’ll mostly use our cabin on the week-ends, so we need two days’ worth of storage.
9.679kWh/day x 2 days = 19,358kWh Using 48-volt, 100Ah batteries, you can calculate:
(100Ah x 48V) / 1,000 = 4.8kWh per battery 19.358kWh / 4.8 kWh per battery = 4.03 batteries
These calculations show our system will need four 48V, 100Ah batteries to get through two days.
The next thing to determine from the energy audit is the size or capacity of the inverter you will need. This is not as simple, but it will fall somewhere between 60 and 80 percent for the total of your continuous loads. Smaller installations like our cabin won’t have too many big loads—things like HVAC systems, electric dryers, ranges, or other heating appliances—so, figuring closer to 80 percent should work. For larger installations, with more loads in general, particularly things like heating/cooling or kitchen appliances, you’ll figure closer to 60 percent of the total. There are online tools to help with this, but be sure that the inverter capacity you choose will handle the largest loads you will likely run simultaneously, with room for typical smaller loads like lighting circuits, chargers, or entertainment systems.
The biggest loads in our cabin will be the mini-split and a microwave, which add up to less than 3kW, so we’re installing a 6kW split-phase inverter. This will give us the ability to run both 120V and 240V devices, with room to add things like a well pump at a later date.
2 SOLAR SITE SURVEYWith your storage requirements and inverter selection sorted, you’ll need to figure out how much solar energy, or irradiance, is available to you. Your distance from the equator, the season, your local topography, as well as surrounding buildings, trees, and vegetation all play a role in the potential energy you can collect. The folks at EG4 recommended using a Solar Pathfinder tool and Assistant PV Software to conduct an accurate solar survey that takes into account all the various shading factors at your array site. This will help determine the size (number of panels) you’ll need, as well as the orientation of your system. You can find online tools, like the PVWatts calculator (https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/), to help figure this out, but you’ll have to estimate the shading you may have at your specific location.
We followed the directions provided with the Solar Pathfinder, leveling it and then orienting it to true north, adjusted for magnetic declination. (Note: A compass will show magnetic north, which can differ by several degrees from true north.) We placed the appropriate sun-path diagram for our latitude in the base of the Pathfinder—this diagram shows the arc of the sun for each month, with intersecting lines indicating each solar hour of the day. Over the top of the diagram, we placed a transparent dome that reflects anything, down to the horizon, shading the diagram. With the tool all set up, we took photos from directly above the dome, being sure we got one that clearly showed the shading features at our site.
When we loaded this image into the Assistant PV Software, tracing the shaded areas, entering our inverter specs, and entering the solar panel specs, we were able to see how much energy we would be able to collect each day, for each month of the year, for the panel we planned on using. We planned to roof-mount our panels on a shed that was not yet built. Based on lower projected winter power generation, we chose a fixed panel angle that was optimized for better performance during those months. We used this angle to dictate the slope of the shed roof.
The last step in installing the EG4 6000XP splitphase inverter is replacing the cover(s)—on it, on the wire trough, and on the main service panel. 3 SOLAR ARRAY SIZINGThe number of panels you’ll need for your array is dictated by many factors, the first of which is your chosen inverter’s maximum input capacity. The next factor is the output of the panels you plan to use. Note that temperatures can affect panel output—on colder days, they perform better, putting out more voltage. And bifacial panels that can collect energy from light reflected on the back of the panels can add as much as 25 percent to the rated watts. Due to the number of variables that impact a panel’s potential output, using a string calculator is the ideal way to determine your array size. By the time this publishes, EG4 should have a new version of its online calculator available.
To use a string calculator, simply enter all the specs for the inverter and panels you’re using, as well as any other data it requires. The calculator will provide the number of panels you’ll need. Sometimes it will give you a range, like 8 to 10 panels, with the potential output range.
4 INSTALLATIONThis might actually be the fastest and easiest part of the project. With all the specs and components sorted out, you just need to connect the pieces. First, check with your municipality or authority with jurisdiction to see what version of the National Electric Code (NEC) they are using. Then look up the relevant sections for solar installations to see what requirements you need to meet.
You’ll likely be required to create a system wiring diagram or schematic, as we did. Show and label every connection, conduit, wire size and type, and all system components. Refer to both the electrical code and the installation manual for the components you’re using, and record the wire sizes and types needed to connect the components. The electrical code will require that certain wire/cable for parts of the installation be specific colors, so be sure to take that into account when estimating lengths and purchasing. For example, ground wires to connect components to your structure’s main service panel will need to be green. If your system provides 240 volts to the panel, line 1 (L1) and line 2 (L2) will be black and red, respectively, and the common wire will be white.
If you need to run conduit, be sure to size it appropriately for the gauge and number of wires running through it. You can look up conduit fill charts for reference, but if you have long conduit runs, you can bump up to the next conduit size to make it easier to pull the wires through.
Note that the version of the NEC will dictate how solar panels can be shut down to isolate them from the system. In our case we simply needed DC isolator switches at the array and the inverter. Newer versions require a rapid-shutdown device. The
Pay particular attention to the grounding requirements in the NEC. The solar panel frames and mounting rails need to be bonded (connected so that they maintain electrical continuity), and the whole mounting system then needs to be grounded to earth—i.e., with an 8-foot copper rod driven into the earth. In our case, that rod also had to be connected all the way back to our main service panel.
The many individual wires that connect system components will need to be protected anytime they run from one component to another. This means they’ll need to be in conduit, in junction boxes, or in wire troughs or raceways. Again, be sure to check your code requirements. We used a large wire trough to collect and route all our wiring. Incoming wires from the array, cables from the batteries, and connections between the inverter and main service panel are all routed through this trough—this was a neater and more efficient solution compared to a maze of conduit.
We also chose to install a Midnite Solar lightning and surge protector. Devices like this are designed to absorb voltage spikes that come in through the wires that run from the solar array to the inverter. Since the panels are roof-mounted with metal frames, lightning strikes are a risk. Compared to the cost of the system, the device is cheap insurance.
If you’ve done all the planning and research, and drawn up the diagram, this part should go smoothly—just follow the code requirements.
The main service panel in the cabin, with breakers for each circuit, is a standard 100-amp residential model. The only difference in being fully offgrid is that an inverter supplies the power instead of a grid doing so. A final word of caution: You may encounter folks online who proclaim that certain elements of the code are unnecessary, or over the top, and suggest simpler or easier ways of installing certain parts of the system. They may suggest that alternative methods accomplish the same objectives from an electrical theory standpoint. If you need to pass an electrical inspection and you expect your insurance company to honor any future claims that include components of your system—or are a result of your system—just follow the code.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VOLTS, AMPS, WATTS, AMP HOURS, AND KILOWATT HOURSThe terms used to describe the capacity, size, and power of the various components in a solar system can be confusing. Here is what you need to know—in layman’s terms.
VOLTS ? VThe strength, or pressure, pushing an electrical current.
AMPS (AMPERES) ? AThe amount, or volume, of electrons flowing in an electrical current.
AMP HOUR ? AhA measure of current flow, over time, commonly used to describe battery capacity.
WATTS ? WA measurement of power. A x V = W
KILOWATTS ? kW1,000 watts. So, 1kW = 1,000W
KILOWATT HOUR ? kWhThe number of kilowatts used over one hour.
Note that battery capacities are typically described in volts and amp hours, while power consumption is described in kWh. So when determining battery storage requirements, you need to convert battery capacity to kWh. (Ah x V)/1,000 = kWh. So a battery bank with four 48V, 100Ah batteries would store 19.2kWh of power. (400Ah x 48V)/1,000= 19.2kWh.
BATTERY VOLTAGE AND CHEMISTRYIf you start digging into energy storage for your system, you’ll find that your main battery choices are 12, 24, and 48 volts. And, in those voltages, there are different chemistry choices: lead-acid, AGM, lithium, and lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePO4).
12-volt batteries, typically lead-acid, exist as an option mainly due to their use in RVs. AGM batteries are a more advanced, sealed, maintenance-free version of lead-acid batteries. Either can be used in small, off-grid applications, but there are some limitations. They have a lower number of discharge cycles and thus shorter life spans. They can be damaged by discharging below 50 percent. And they aren’t suited to high loads and rapid discharge rates. So, these would be an option if you’re using 12-volt RV appliances.
24-volt batteries perform better at higher discharge rates than 12-volt. Plus, they are more commonly available in modern chemistry options that can last thousands of discharge cycles. Lithium-based chemistries are your main options, with LiFePO4 being the most stable and preferred option. The 24-volt batteries can be wired in series to be used in 48-volt systems.
48-volt batteries, available with LiFePO4 chemistry, are the most robust and stable option. They can withstand repeated heavy loads and discharge rates, and may be rated to last as many as 10,000 cycles. For this reason, these are a preferred basis for larger energy-storage solutions powering entire homes or structures with typical appliances and heating/cooling systems.
SOLAR SYSTEM COMPONENTSThere are four main components in an off-grid solar system: solar panels, batteries to store the energy, a charge controller, and an inverter to convert direct current (DC) from the batteries and/or panels to alternating current (AC) that you can use to power your devices. The capacity of each of those components will depend entirely on the power you need to supply to all of your devices/appliances—and for how long. Larger systems often combine the charge controller and inverter in one device—these types often have inputs for generators, or even grid power, to charge the batteries when there hasn’t been enough sunlight. ends, so we need two days’ worth of storage.
PARALLEL OR SERIES CONNECTIONSThere are two options for how both batteries and solar panels can be wired—in parallel and in series. In parallel, the positive terminals are all connected, and the negative terminals are all connected. In this configuration, the total voltage remains the same, but the amperage increases. In series, the batteries or panels are daisy-chained together, with the negative of one connecting to the positive of the next. In this configuration, the amperage remains the same, but the voltage increases.
For batteries, the way you wire them depends on the system voltage that the inverter is designed for. In many cases, systems designed to fully power a home will be 48-volt-based. So you’ll have either multiple 48-volt batteries connected in parallel, or smaller batteries wired in series, to yield 48 volts.
For solar panels, the one you choose depends on two things: the maximum PV (photovoltaic, or solar) input for your inverter, and the solar array location and shading. In theory, if you have some part of the array shaded for significant portions of the day, then parallel will be better because the shading affects only the output of the shaded panels. Shaded panels connected in series, on the other hand, can bring down the whole array’s output. ¦
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AI-generated Christmas classics that dwell in the uncanny valley are giving listeners the creeps.
.......If I put this on in the background while doing something else, I might not think anything of it. But there are points in the one hour 18 minute video that give it away as AI: “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” around the 36:55 mark, is the lyrics of that song but the melody of “Silent Night.” If you compare it to an actual recording of Nat King Cole singing “O Little Town,” the difference is even more obvious. Once you start noticing the warped tunes, they’re hard to un-hear. “Oh Holy Night” is listed in the video as being by “Nei Diamond,” who as far as I can tell doesn’t exist, or is a typo of Neil Diamond, who is definitely not the singer in the song on this compilation. “The First Noel,” attributed here to Nat King Cole, is either an undiscovered recording where Nat and the choir run some really wild riffs, or is AI. ......
ChatGPT Isn't Responsible For the LA Wildfires, But It Isn't HelpingAn email written by ChatGPT uses 17 ounces of water, while the data centers powering AI chatbots require huge amounts of it for cooling.
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By Chandra Steele
January 14, 2025
(Credit: Patrick T. Fallon / Getty Images) With Los Angeles still facing the threat of wildfires, social media has been flooded with posts blaming them on ChatGPT. While this accusation is inaccurate, it’s not unfounded, and the devastation in California should give anyone who uses generative AI pause.
The True Cost of AIEverything we do online requires energy that's largely supplied by environmentally unfriendly fossil fuels. According to a Goldman Sachs report on data center power, a Google search consumes 0.3 watt-hours of electricity, while one ChatGPT search consumes 2.9 watt-hours.
Meanwhile, the data centers emitting all of this carbon dioxide into the air require a huge amount of water to keep the machines inside cool. Shaolei Ren, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at UC Riverside, found that one email written by ChatGPT uses 17 ounces of water. Now apply that to all the mundane and ridiculous reasons why people use ChatGPT and other AI chatbots on a daily basis.
Last year, Microsoft and Google reported a huge spike in emissions. In 2023, Microsoft's emissions went up 29%, and it used 23% more water, primarily due to "new technologies, including generative AI." Google said its greenhouse gas emissions surged 48% in the past five years thanks to the expansion of data centers that power its AI tools.
I am not usually one to assign responsibility for climate change to individuals, but the magnitude of literal power that we wield with AI and the consequences of our actions are too great to ignore.
Resisting AIAI is being built into every aspect of our lives, from phones and computers to TVs and even fridges. Microsoft envisions AI agents taking on responsibilities across the workplace.
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I Love Modern VR, But I Have To Admit That It's Dead On Arrival 22 hours ago Even VR diehards have to admit that this technology isn't going to take off any time soon. I've been closely following the world of virtual reality since the Oculus Rift's pitch first took the world by storm, and ended up raising well over two million dollars on Kickstarter in 2012. Plenty of hardware and software has shipped since then, but more than ten years later, it still feels like we're in the infancy of VR. Unfortunately, we might have to wait a decade or two longer to see it mature into something beyond a truly niche interest.
Having used everything from the lowly Google Cardboard to the reasonably powerful Meta Quest 3 (released in 2023,) my affection for VR has never once stumbled and I've never been more sure that fetch isn't going to happen any time soon.
Very few people have the space
Despite having a house of my own — more space than the vast majority of city dwellers — I can't find a really good place to give VR the room it deserves.
If nobody else is home, I get to do some room-scale gaming, where I can walk around, but I end up with a very narrow corridor due to furniture that can't be easily moved. If my wife is home, I run into her by accident, so I retreat to my office with even less space.
And, even when I use a stationary mode for games like "Beat Saber," I end up regularly shifting out of bounds or nearly smacking my hand into the wall.
Living spaces simply aren't designed to be VR friendly, and you look like a maniac if you go outside with a helmet on. That isn't going to change anytime soon.
You can't just slap VR modes on everything
In a year where "Suicide Squad" was poorly received on consoles and PC, a brand new "Batman: Arkham" game released to much warmer reviewson the Meta Quest. That means the VR "Batman" is a better experience, right?
Well, I played "Arkham Shadow" myself, and while it's a solid game in certain aspects, I was left feeling cold towards AAA virtual reality. It feels like a less-precise interpretation of a fairly stale formula, and the VR-specific mechanics ended up more off-putting than exciting.
Slowly moving my arms up and down to climb a ladder doesn't make me enjoy the game more. Having to make broad sweeping motions to pop out my cape for a glide just makes traversal more fiddly. It's frustrating in a way that pressing a button or moving a stick with traditional video games is not.
It's clear that you have to design games around the limits and abilities of VR, and that means huge swaths of games are no-gos. Porting existing games isn't easy, and even reusing basic concepts or level designs can be problematic or at least sub-optimal.
That's not all, sadly. Unless you have industry leaders like Meta subsidizing development, dedicating enough developer resources to make top-tier experiences isn't profitable for most indie folks. "Batman" had Meta money, and even that turned out disappointing. It's no secret that other VR-friendly companies are having a difficult time making ends meet.
The usability problem
Wearing a helmet sucks. While straps and setups can help with the weight and pressure issues, and they will get better over time, there is no getting around the discomfort of having a robot strapped to your head.
Lenses fog, your face will itch, and you're going to get the VR sweats if you have it on for more than 45 minutes. And, if you wear glasses, you're either going to deal with inevitable slippage, or spend even more money for prescription lenses.
Some significant portion of the population will just straight-up vomit if they put on a VR helmet. Hopefully things get better with time, rapidly, but certain aspects are not something that can be engineered away without a trace.
Companies like Meta and Apple are seemingly convinced that people want to spend their days working and socializing with headsets on, and that has proven to be untrue. It doesn't matter how big a virtual screen can be, it's not a better experience than just looking at a monitor in the real world.
The Metaverse? It's a bust. Zuckerberg dumped tens of millions of dollarsinto it to end up with bupkis. Fetch. Isn't. Happening.
VR's strength is also its weakness
By far, the most compelling part of any VR experience is the much ballyhooed " presence" that effectively tricks your brain into believing that you're somewhere else.
I've yet to feel "immersed" in any video game played on television, but five minutes in "Vacation Simulator," and I'm transported far, far away from my living room. That's wonderful if I have absolutely nothing to do, and nobody else is near me — but that simply doesn't happen very often.
Inevitably, a pet wants attention, my wife has something to say or my inbox will ding. Apple has tried their best to solve the issue with video pass through and creepy eye projection, but there's no replacement for taking off the stupid helmet to deal with the real world.
I love being digitally transported, but it just doesn't fit into my life very well. If a VR diehard like me can barely overcome that barrier, imagine how hard it will be to convince skeptics.
Reducing Data Center Peak Cooling Demand and Energy Costs With Underground Thermal Energy Storage
As US Data Centers Continue To Grow, Integrating Geothermal UTES Cooling Could Change the Game
The demand for data centers is projected to increase each year to meet the needs of AI, big data analytics, and cloud services. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL As the demand for U.S. data centers grows with the expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud services, and big data analytics, so do the energy loads these centers require.
By some estimates, data center energy demands are projected to consume as much as 9% of US annual electricity generation by the year 2030. As much as 40% of data center total annual energy consumption is related to the cooling systems, which can also use a great deal of water. The peak demand of data centers on the hottest hours of the year are a much higher percentage and represent a large cost for the U.S. electric grid.
A new project led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE's) Geothermal Technologies Office aims to address these cooling-system challenges by incorporating geothermal underground thermal energy storage (UTES) technology for data centers.
Data centers typically cool computing equipment by blowing cold air over the components using a water-cooled fan coil or by directly cooling the computing equipment with cool water. Geothermal electricity generation is one option to serve these continuous cooling and computing power requirements. However, emerging geothermal technologies like those that will be explored as part of the new Cold Underground Thermal Energy Storage (Cold UTES) project offer a unique opportunity to reduce data center cooling loads while building more resilient infrastructure that creates a stable source of cooling—in turn reducing the need to build power plants to serve data center cooling loads.
“The approach we're taking is to look into the technical and economic viability of the proposed Cold UTES technologies by projecting what data center loads will look like over the next 30 years,” said Guangdong Zhu, a senior researcher in NREL’s Center for Energy Conversion and Storage Systems and principal investigator for the Cold UTES project. “We’ll then do some projections and grid-scale analysis to show what this technology could look like if it's commercially deployed at a large number of data centers. We’re aiming to improve grid resilience and reduce the cost of required grid expansion.”
By using off-peak power to create a cold energy reserve underground, Cold UTES can be incorporated into existing data center cooling technologies and used during grid peak load hours. This charge/discharge cycling allows the technology to be optimized based on time-of-use and other key grid parameters, similar to a conventional battery charge/discharge cycling, thereby reducing the overall operating cost of the grid. The key difference is that Cold UTES can not only do the same diurnal storage as a conventional grid battery, but it can also achieve long-duration energy storage at seasonal time scales.
“Our expectation is that a Cold UTES system can provide a long-duration energy storage and industrial-scale cooling solution that is commercially attractive and technically viable for data centers,” said Jeff Winick, technology manager at DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office. “This project will confirm the potential of these systems to provide significant savings and value to data center operators, utilities, and grid system operators.”
This schematic illustrates a data center cooling system using Cold UTES. Image by Dominique Barnes, NREL NREL is leading the project’s system analysis and grid impact work. Zhu is also joined by partners at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Princeton University, and the University of Chicago to illustrate how Cold UTES is commercially attractive and technically viable for large data center cooling loads.
“The idea of Cold UTES is super exciting because it's a novel player in the space of data center energy management and cooling,” said Andrew Chien, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago. “I can't think of another technology focused on storing cold with new opportunities to make data centers more efficient.”
Ultimately, the project hopes to reduce strain on the grid from data centers, reduce the energy cost to data centers, and reduce the cost of data center cooling systems. The ability of Cold UTES to efficiently deliver seasonal storage could also help reduce seasonal curtailments of wind and solar generating facilities. Cold UTES promises to provide costs for the fast-growing data center market, improve grid resiliency during extreme weather events, and help reduce costs and improve reliability for all grid customers.
“This project will help accelerate the development, commercialization, and use of next-generation geothermal energy storage technologies,” Winick said, “thereby establishing American global leadership in energy storage.”
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Former CEO & Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt speaks during a book talk for Fareed Zakaria's new book, "Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present" at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs on April 3. Photo: Shahar Azran/Getty Images
Energy for the cabin is stored in four EG4 LL-S 48-volt 100AH lithium iron phosphate batteries. The batteries’ charge and discharge levels, as well as balancing between them, are managed by the inverter via communication cables.
The last step in installing the EG4 6000XP splitphase inverter is replacing the cover(s)—on it, on the wire trough, and on the main service panel.
The main service panel in the cabin, with breakers for each circuit, is a standard 100-amp residential model. The only difference in being fully offgrid is that an inverter supplies the power instead of a grid doing so.
(Credit: Patrick T. Fallon / Getty Images)
The demand for data centers is projected to increase each year to meet the needs of AI, big data analytics, and cloud services. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL
This schematic illustrates a data center cooling system using Cold UTES. Image by Dominique Barnes, NREL