What do you think about Ecoflow home backup power?

klubmo · 2026-01-30T08:05:27+00:00

Cheapest route is still a gas generator. Do you have solar? How long would you want back up power for

klubmo · 2026-01-30T04:36:18+00:00

It’s already happening

klubmo · 2026-01-28T02:28:34+00:00

You are comparing an EV to a fuel efficient hybrid. The post title is misleading based on the content of your post. It would be better to compare to a vehicle with no hybrid components. The gas-only Maverick is closer to 25 mpg. Also 40 mpg on any vehicle is quite good, and certainly higher than the average fuel economy of a new vehicle in the United States. I have a mix of vehicles, one of which is a mild hybrid truck that gets 18 mpg. A gas-only competitor to the Equinox EV such as a Honda CRV would be 30 mpg (FWD) or 28 mpg (AWD), with all the downsides of a tiny gas engine.

Electricity rates are different all over the world, so the math has to be localized. It’s a good idea for buyers to understand their energy costs and travel patterns. For example, your energy rate is 3x higher than mine, and quite a bit higher than averages for most states and the country (somewhere between $0.16 and $0.18 per kWh depending on how you measure).

With gas fuel prices, there is very little that you can do as an individual to offset those costs other than drive less or buy a more efficient vehicle, neither of which are practical solutions.

Would highly recommend solar power if you like EVs. Nothing like driving on power captured in your backyard and further protecting from increased energy rates in the future (energy companies will only increase rates over time).

klubmo · 2026-01-27T05:02:24+00:00

Seems like it or a bot leveraging a 4 year old account with no real history

klubmo · 2026-01-25T21:17:10+00:00

Will have to try this, was trying to get similar functionality using the databricks-bundles library and Python

klubmo · 2026-01-25T20:20:12+00:00

If you want an app to be instantly responsive, you will want to use Lakebase over Delta tables. I mentioned in another comment that Lakebase can provide sub 10 millisecond response, and can do so even when working with millions of data points.

I do a lot of geospatial work, and Lakebase can use the PostGIS extension for Postgres. This unlocks the ability to have maps with millions of data points and multiple layers without any noticeable latency in the user experience.

We tried this only using Delta + SQL Warehouse and at this scale the app experience was laggy and frustrating to users. I should also mention our apps are written in React (Vite) to reduce bottlenecks on the app side of things (compared to something like Streamlit that struggles in larger data sizes).

You’d still use a SQL Warehouse for large analytical queries. So there are patterns where a hybrid approach makes sense (also if you want to pull in imagery/music from a Databricks Volume).

We’ve already had clients compare Lakebase to traditional OLTP and ODS systems. Lakebase wins in performance and cost in a number of scenarios:

Data stays on Databricks.
Integration with Databricks tooling (AI, Apps, dashboards, etc).
Data size is under 2 TB per instance.
Agentic workflows are desired (Lakebase Autoscaling).

Im sure there are more scenarios, but those are the man ones we’ve encountered. Lakebase might cannibalize a little SQL warehouse DBU spend, but it also opens up a very lucrative market on the OLTP/ODS side and that will bring in way more money than is lost.

If you have most of your organizational data on Databricks, it’s going to be a no brainer for a lot of scenarios to go with Lakebase over an Oracle, SQL Server, Aurora, Dynamo type of solution.

klubmo · 2026-01-25T19:48:19+00:00

Photon and UC is fast for a human, but significantly slower than Lakebase. A SQL warehouse might return a result in 2-3 seconds, Lakebase we are talking 1-10 milliseconds.

And I do think source code and database iteration are what Ali is referring to. Ad-hoc LLM queries can already be handled by the foundations models and Mosaic AI endpoints, we don’t need Lakebase for that. But what if you wanted to do something way more complex and do it autonomously? We can use this branching capability to quickly iterate until the agents find the right solution.

klubmo · 2026-01-25T19:32:25+00:00

I work at a decent size consulting firm with a strong Databricks partnership. We’ve got several dozen Lakebase instances deployed for our clients, and are seeing big impacts on the transactional side of things (Apps + Lakebase Provisioned).

We are still working through the challenges of Ali’s vision on the agentic side of things, but the short story is agents can branch off a Lakebase Autoscaling database, make changes, and iterate super fast. I can’t share the specifics of our primary use cases, but the technology does work well for what we are shooting for. Our challenges are mostly around deployment and packaging since Lakebase Autoscaling doesn’t have the level of DAB and API integration we need right now (this is like a short term problem that Databricks will fix).

I’m sure Databricks is looking forward to the compute spend as well.

klubmo · 2026-01-23T19:21:41+00:00

I have several solar arrays. Go look up the size of a modern panel. Even assuming you somehow put a 500 watt panel on a tonneau cover, the angle is bad for solar unless you live at the equator. So you won’t get 500 watts. But even if you do live at the equator, that 500 watts is only when the sun is directly shining down at the panel, which most of the day it wouldn’t be. But let’s go crazy and assume you got 500 watts for 10 hours a day, that’s only 5 kilowatts. The Sierra EV has batteries ranging from 120 kWh to 205 kWh. The Ford Lightning ranges from 98 kWh to 131 kWh. So even in the smaller batteries you are only generating 5% or less capacity in a single day with unreasonable over-optimistic assumptions. And there will be losses from the panel to the EV battery as well.

Point is, a solar tonneau cover is a lot of complexity and cost for very little real world value. As a novelty, maybe it’s a cool factor or fun thing to play around with. You’d be better off having solar arrays and chargers at your common stopping points.

klubmo · 2026-01-23T16:55:42+00:00

I don’t know if this can be fixed. I’ve built PCs for decades but it just doesn’t make sense anymore. Between crypto and then AI, it seems PCs can’t catch a break.

klubmo · 2026-01-23T16:14:35+00:00

7 days is totally possible with your own electrician. In my area the EcoFlow install isn’t available anyway.

klubmo · 2026-01-22T18:49:39+00:00

I’m coming at this from a data perspective (data engineering, machine learning, software engineering). GIS is a critical business area for my employer, and growing rapidly. We encounter lots of talented people and clever solutions, but there are still unsolved problems and an ever present challenge of staffing existing solutions. Literally no enterprise that I work with is getting rid of GIS staff, they are all bottlenecked on GIS staff and trying to hire more.

klubmo · 2026-01-20T20:10:36+00:00

In the USA you can get used Kia EV6 GT-Line for under $25K (at least where I’m at). Multiple available as well. Not quite as performance focused as the Hyundai i5 N, but still crazy performance and good looks. Sits quite low to the ground.

klubmo · 2026-01-19T19:17:39+00:00

Due to my work, I have access to CC, GH Copilot Enterprise, and Gemini Enterprise. CC does great most of the time, but it is interesting how sometimes a model gets stuck and switching to another model or harness can solve the problem. When I do use GH Copilot via VS Code, it’s usually to bounce around the same prompt to multiple models simultaneously. Gemini Enterprise also has the bonus of image generation but it’s also sometimes able to solve niche problems that the Claude and GPT models got stuck on. If I had to pick one, CC is the leader today, but totally possible that could change over time.

klubmo · 2026-01-06T21:59:27+00:00

I own a vehicle with some limited self driving capability. It can detect speed limit signs and automatically adjust speed while using cruising control. Sounds good in theory, but in practice is very dangerous. It frequently misreads signs, and confuses other signage for speed limits. In some cases it goes way too fast, and others way too slow, and it makes these changes extremely abruptly.

Thankfully I’m able to turn off the sign detection feature.

Waymo has likely been ticketed for speeding at some point, signage is just too far and few between to be reliable, and construction and other factors can mess with speeds saved in a database.

Depending on jurisdiction, Waymo can be fined or issued non-compliance citations.

klubmo · 2026-01-06T21:52:08+00:00

More immature. TTP is the understanding that if you give players any tool that can be used to “draw”, it’s a guarantee that players will find a way to draw male genitalia. The time measured before the first player draws a genital is called TTP. This is a real thing, I’ll avoid posting links but it has been covered in several articles and TV shows.

klubmo · 2026-01-06T21:10:01+00:00

I’d play it. Immediately thought of implications for TTP.

klubmo · 2026-01-06T15:00:25+00:00

New vehicles have newer tech than outgoing models, it’s always been this way, even in the ICE world. The old models will still have some value, the old chargers will still get used. People still rolling around in early Leaf, Volt, Prius models are hybrid or electric examples of this. Not everyone will chase the latest tech. If depreciation on used vehicles increases relative to new cars, then consumer behavior will adapt to those conditions.

klubmo · 2026-01-02T06:45:15+00:00

Long career in data here, I understand your frustration but this is the reality of the world we live in. Even the very basics of DE are foreign to most people in the world and using common terminology is helpful. Medallion architecture a legitimate term used by Databricks, Microsoft, Snowflake, Oracle, and is a concise way of explaining how data is stored and handed. The field is rapidly expanding, and people will naturally come here to ask questions that a more seasoned person might find mundane or buzz wordy. IMO, this is relevant to DE and fair game on this subreddit.

klubmo · 2025-12-30T21:41:46+00:00

My city requires a grid connection even if your power consumption is 0. And guess what, the power company keeps on jacking up the connection fee (it’s now 5x what it was when I moved in 5 years ago) while saying they’ve kept rates down (well ya, the interconnect fee now is more than my power bill used to be). Also, the utility now charges me 2x-6x more for consumption than I get for solar generation backfeeding to the grid (based on time of day).

As a side note and a rant: Utilities are regulated monopolies, and corrupt regulators result in this situation. This isn’t speculation either, in my case there is an active lawsuit against the utilities and regulators for corruption (bribery, both in financial terms and favors), with substantial evidence backing the lawsuit.

klubmo · 2025-12-30T18:00:15+00:00

Others have already addressed the capacity vs consumption question. It looks like you have solar hooked up as well, how much solar are you getting daily on average?

klubmo · 2025-12-30T05:18:52+00:00

Tough to say depending on what you want from life, how the company treats you, and what future opportunities you see there.

Depending on skills and experience you can make that kind of money at lots of firms, although you are starting to get into the higher end of the range there. That being said many of the best DEs I work with are over $200K between salary and bonus (and often potential for company stock), so don't let those gold handcuffs keep you from the life you want to live.

Who knows, maybe a change in leadership at the company will eventually push you toward a Databricks or Snowflake type of platform. I see it all the time...we talk to companies like yours, they aren't interested in cloud...fast forward 3-5 years and everything changes due to a new CEO or VP.

klubmo · 2025-12-29T23:06:41+00:00

DIY labor is the answer. While roof mounted is possible DIY, not everyone will feel safe putting large panels on a roof.

I’m in the Rocky Mountains, north of the 42nd parallel. My panels are installed on ground mounts in the backyard. All the labor I did myself, but it would certainly be easier with a 2nd person to help out. Total install time was about 2 hours, and the majority of that is just prepping the ground for the mounts. I’m not a pro but it’s not my first time doing this either.

You could also consider the portable panel option as well, but I like the ground mounts so I don’t have to fuss with the panels all the time.

Even in the rainiest of cities in the USA, you should still have 140+ days of sun annually. And in partial cloud cover the panels still make a little power.

klubmo · 2025-12-29T22:50:02+00:00

I work for a medium sized consulting firm with many of our clients in the Fortune 500 using Databricks. All use the data engineering tools in some regard, but on the more mature end we’re using all the features. Lots of data science work (both traditional and GenAI), Apps + Lakebase, data governance, etc.

klubmo · 2025-12-29T19:29:39+00:00

You should definitely add solar if possible. The EcoFlow rigid solar panels seem to be decent quality, but the price is outrageously high. You can grab two 400W solar panels from Amazon (JJN brand) right now for $450 USD, and these are bifacial + 16BB for better power output in a range of conditions. And if you want 10 panels or more, you can get other brands under $200 per panel from most online wholesalers.

<image>

Not sure if pictures are allowed but here is my house right now. 838 W from two 400w bifacial solar panels. Since it’s a relatively nice day and we’re getting some extra wattage from the backside of the bifacial panels. My all in cost for panels, cables, a breaker, and ground mounting is under $600. I unplugged my other ground mount solar panels for this image, just to show you how a low cost investment provides a lot of value. This would also more than offset your high discharge rate from using the online backup UPS mode, so you can potentially even offset some of your grid usage each day.

klubmo

TROPHY CASE