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A DIY solar-and-battery project documented under the username Glubux has reportedly remained in operation since 2016, using cells recovered from discarded laptop batteries to store solar power. The headline figure of 650 refers to an early collection, not a verified count of identical, working battery packs. The project is real, but the available reporting does not independently establish its total storage capacity or prove that the house has run entirely off-grid every day.
Who is Glubux, and what is the project?
Glubux is the online username associated with a project documented on the Second Life Storage & Solar community. Secondary reporting says the build began in November 2016. The project combines solar generation with a storage bank assembled from cells taken out of old laptop packs. It has since been widely republished, often with the same striking headline but little additional technical verification. Second Life Storage & Solar is the community identified as the original project forum; a detailed, independently verified system specification is not established in the available coverage.
What was in the original setup?
Descriptions of the initial installation list approximately 1.4 kW of solar panels, an old 24-volt, 460-amp-hour forklift battery, a Victron MPPT 100/50 charge controller, a Victron 24-to-12-volt converter, and a 3 kVA inverter. Glubux had also collected roughly 650 laptop batteries and was working on recovering and assembling their cells. The battery equipment was reportedly housed in a shed about 50 meters (164 feet) from the home. These are reported details of the early setup, not a complete wiring plan or independently inspected specification. El Tiempo’s account of the initial system and TechSpot’s project coverage describe the equipment and layout.
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A laptop battery is usually a complete pack: a casing containing multiple lithium-ion cells, wiring, protection circuitry and sometimes communication electronics. The cells inside are not the same thing as the original laptop packs. Coverage of this project is inconsistent about whether the early figure of about 650 refers to packs collected or individual cells, so it should not be read as 650 tested, usable, equivalent-capacity home batteries.
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Later reports say the collection grew to more than 1,000 laptop batteries or battery units. That does not establish how many cells were ultimately usable, how many remain installed, or their combined energy capacity. The count is an inventory-style figure, not a meaningful capacity rating. GameStar’s account describes the later growth, while Xataka Home also reports a collection of more than 1,000.
How the recovered cells reportedly became storage
Reports describe Glubux opening laptop packs, sorting recovered cells by condition and apparent capacity, and arranging them into custom racks or packs with copper wiring. The packs were described as approximately 100 Ah. The coverage also says uneven discharge became a problem and that cells were balanced or reorganized as the system evolved. It does not provide a complete cell-testing method, pack schematic, or protection design. TechSpot’s account describes the sorting, custom packs and reported capacity.
Amp-hours alone do not tell you how much energy a battery stores; voltage is also needed. For illustration, 100 Ah at 12 V is about 1.2 kWh nominal, while 100 Ah at 24 V is about 2.4 kWh nominal. These are arithmetic examples, not confirmed specifications for Glubux’s packs. The reporting does not establish the bank’s total voltage, series-and-parallel configuration, usable depth of discharge, inverter losses, or total kilowatt-hours.
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Solar makes the electricity; batteries store it
The laptop cells are the storage component, not an energy source. In a solar setup, panels generate electricity, charge controllers regulate charging, batteries store energy, and an inverter converts battery power into household AC electricity. The bank can supply power when solar production is low, but its performance depends on generation, storage capacity, equipment limits and household demand. “Powered by old laptop batteries” describes the unusual storage bank; it does not mean the batteries themselves generated the home’s electricity.
What is known—and not known—about the whole-house claim?
Glubux has reportedly said the system can run the whole home, including a washing machine. That is a claim attributed to the builder, not an independently audited load test. The available coverage does not give measured daily household consumption, a complete appliance list, maximum simultaneous load, seasonal generation and use, or verified records showing whether the grid ever supplied backup power. “Running since 2016” is best understood as a project reportedly remaining in operation since then—not proof that every watt used by the home came from this system on every day.
A 3 kVA inverter rating also does not mean every household appliance can run at once. Motors, pumps and compressors can draw a brief startup surge; heating elements and other large loads can consume substantial power. Without the inverter’s full operating limits and actual load data, the rating alone cannot establish which combinations of appliances the system can support.
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How the system reportedly changed over time
The installation appears to have evolved rather than staying a fixed 650-unit build. Reports describe cells being sorted into custom packs, uneven discharge being addressed through balancing and reorganization, and the collection growing beyond 1,000 units. The equipment was reportedly consolidated in a dedicated shed away from the house. A later report also claims an expansion to 24 solar panels rated at 440 W each; treat that as a secondary report, not an independently confirmed current specification. Talk Android’s later coverage is the source for that panel claim.
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Why mixed salvaged cells are difficult to manage
Cells recovered from different laptop packs can have different ages, capacities, internal resistance, charge histories and chemistries. Even cells that look alike may respond differently under load. In a battery bank, that variation matters: a weak cell or group can limit a larger assembly, and cells connected in series need monitoring and balancing. Parallel groups need a sound current-sharing and protection strategy. A working inverter and copper conductors do not, by themselves, demonstrate that a bank is adequately managed or protected.
Used cells also have uncertain histories. A cell can have damaged insulation, corrosion, swelling or hidden degradation, even when casual inspection does not reveal a problem. The published accounts do not supply a cell-by-cell test protocol, full series/parallel layout, battery-management details, fuse ratings, cable sizes, enclosure design or commissioning records. Without those details, the system cannot be reproduced from the articles as a documented design.
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Safety and practical limits for homeowners
Lithium-ion cells can overheat or enter thermal runaway if they are damaged, shorted, overcharged or exposed to excessive heat. A large parallel bank can deliver very high current into an accidental short, making appropriate overcurrent protection, disconnects, insulated conductors, secure terminals, monitoring and a fault-isolation plan essential. The available coverage does not describe Glubux’s complete protection scheme, so it cannot be used to judge the installation against a particular electrical code or to certify it as safe.
Talk Android reports that Glubux said he had experienced no fires or swollen batteries. That is a self-reported history, not an independently audited safety record or a guarantee for another build. The report containing that claim also describes balancing and custom racks, but does not establish a complete design that readers can copy.
For a permanent home system, location, fire separation, ventilation, permitting, insurance, utility interconnection and local electrical requirements all matter. Rules vary by jurisdiction. Salvaged cells add uncertain remaining life and no consistent warranty, while testing, failed cells, protection hardware, enclosures, maintenance and labor add costs that a “free batteries” headline leaves out. Seasonal solar shortfalls and unexpected demand also require planning; the coverage provides no winter performance or long-term energy data.
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Is this a sensible model for a home battery?
The project is compelling as a long-running reuse experiment and an example of how old cells can retain useful capacity. It is not evidence that loose salvaged cells are equivalent to a certified residential storage product. For most homeowners seeking dependable backup, a professionally designed system using equipment intended for residential storage is the safer comparison. An installer or designer should confirm system sizing, code compliance, permitting, protection and commissioning for the home and location. The NABCEP professional directory can help readers locate solar professionals; directory listing alone does not guarantee a particular installer’s price, availability or workmanship.
Readers with retired laptop batteries should use an appropriate recycling route rather than opening packs to build a home bank. Call2Recycle provides battery recycling information, and its locator helps find a drop-off location.
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