Imagine a home where your solar energy flows directly into your appliances—no inverters, no AC conversion losses, no wasted power. That future is already here, and it’s built on DC power.
At PICO BOX, we believe that Direct Current (DC) is the power standard of tomorrow, especially for low to mid-power home electronics. As more households install balcony solar panels, we now have the perfect opportunity to shift from inefficient AC-based systems to high-efficiency DC power networks—starting with your PC.
🔆 Rethinking the Traditional Solar Setup
The conventional solar setup for homes looks like this:
1. Solar panels generate DC electricity.
2. A solar inverter converts DC to AC.
3. The AC is sent to your home grid.
4. Appliances convert AC back to DC internally (e.g., in power adapters).
This double conversion—DC → AC → DC—results in unnecessary power loss, added system complexity, and extra cost. And when we consider that most modern home electronics already use DC internally, the inefficiency becomes even more evident.
🌞 The Balcony Solar Power System with a Pure DC Bus
Now picture this: a balcony solar array connected to a MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controller. This controller outputs a stable DC voltage directly, typically in the range of 12V–60V, optimized for battery charging or DC-powered devices.
Instead of converting this to AC, you build a pure DC power network for your essential devices. Here’s what you can power directly from your MPPT’s DC output:
• PC with PICO BOX DC-DC ATX power supply
• Monitors (via USB-C or DC adapters)
• WiFi routers
• LED lighting
• USB chargers for phones and tablets
• DC ceiling fans
• Home automation devices
💻 Your PC, Now Powered by the Sun—Directly
The heart of your computing setup is your PC. By using a PICO BOX DC-DC ATX power supply, you eliminate the need for an AC power brick or traditional ATX power supply. Our products are built to:
• Accept wide input voltages (e.g., 12V, 24V, 48V from MPPT controllers)
• Output standard 12V/5V/3.3V/5VSB rails to power your motherboard and peripherals
• Deliver efficient, fanless, and compact performance
• Match the needs of small form factor builds, silent HTPCs, edge AI boxes, or off-grid setups
With power ratings from 200W to 750W, we have a DC-DC ATX solution for everything from basic systems to GPU-enabled rigs.
⚡️ Why DC is Better for the Planet—and Your Wallet
• Higher efficiency: Bypass the DC-AC-DC cycle and cut energy losses.
• Lower cost: Avoid paying for costly inverters and save on electricity bills.
• Simplicity: Fewer conversion steps mean fewer points of failure.
• Eco-conscious living: A cleaner, quieter, and more sustainable power infrastructure.
🛠 Build Your Own DC-Powered Smart Home
If you’re setting up a balcony solar system, now is the perfect time to go all-in with DC:
1. Install your solar panels.
2. Connect them to a MPPT controller with DC output.
3. Power your DC-compatible appliances—starting with your PC built with a PICO BOX DC-DC ATX power supply.
No inverter, no noise, and maximum power where you need it.
🌍 DC Is the Future, and It Starts on Your Balcony
As energy efficiency becomes more critical and solar technology more accessible, DC-powered home infrastructure is no longer experimental—it’s essential. PICO BOX is proud to lead this shift by providing reliable, smart, and silent DC-DC ATX power supplies that help you cut the cord from the grid—and build your tech life around clean, direct solar power.
Build smarter. Build smaller. Build DC.
