# Like a steam engine in your house

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2025-04-15
- Length: 1h 13m
- Episode: 692
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/692-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house/

## Summary

Chris Gammell details his new 13kW solar and Tesla Powerwall 3 installation, discussing the economics of virtual power plants and peak pricing. Dave Jones analyzes Australia's energy market, highlighting negative wholesale prices and the high cost of peak power generation. The hosts also discuss the impact of new US tariffs on the global electronics supply chain and the challenges of designing with tiny 0.35mm pitch BGA components.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=1) Introduction and Solar Install
- [4:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=273) Tesla Powerwall and Virtual Power Plants
- [11:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=687) Australia's Energy Market and Nuclear Debate
- [17:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=1074) EV to Home Power and DC-DC Converters
- [30:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=1849) Tiny PCB Design with 0.35mm Pitch BGA
- [39:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=2366) Oscilloscope Triggering Quirks
- [47:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=2821) Bosch Dishwasher IoT Controversy
- [55:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=3331) US Tariffs and Supply Chain Impact
- [1:06:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house#t=3964) Pop Culture and Minecraft Movie

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Test & measurement](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/test-and-measurement)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Tesla (company)
- Powerwall 3 (product)
- Duke Energy (company)
- Chevy Bolt (product)
- nRF52840 (chip)
- JLC (company)
- Keysight (company)
- Siglent (company)
- Rohde & Schwarz (company)
- Bosch (company)
- CH572 (chip)
- CH32V003 (chip)
- DigiKey (company)
- CATL (company)
- BYD (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Enter the electric supercycle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-06-18-enter-the-electric-supercycle) (Catalyst)
- [10x Grid Storage: How Mesh Batteries Are Revolutionizing Home Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-05-08-10x-grid-storage-how-mesh-batteries-are-revolutionizing-home-energy) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Do data centers actually increase electricity prices? No...and yes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-09-10-do-data-centers-actually-increase-electricity-prices-no-and-yes) (Catalyst)
- [More 2026 trends: Solar costs, oil oversupply, and the startup slump](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2026-01-22-more-2026-trends-solar-costs-oil-oversupply-and-the-startup-slump) (Catalyst)
- [AMA: Geoengineering, nuclear, power prices, and more](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2025-09-04-ama-geoengineering-nuclear-power-prices-and-more) (Catalyst)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-04-15-like-a-steam-engine-in-your-house. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.