--- title: "Form factors: Hardware & power | Nexus Observatory" description: "Form factors, inside Hardware & power: solar PV modules, PV array design, MPPT charge controllers and converters, stand-alone PV system sizing and more." url: https://observatory.global/hardware/form-factors/ publisher: Nexus Observatory Inc. updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Nexus Observatory](https://observatory.global/) / [Hardware & power](https://observatory.global/hardware/) / **Form factors** # Sensor node, gateway, 7U rack, shelter. Form factors, inside Hardware & power: solar PV modules, PV array design, MPPT charge controllers and converters, stand-alone PV system sizing and more. Every item is traced to its specification, from IEC 61215 series (design qualification) to IEC 61730 series (module safety), and runs on the open Observatory Protocol. [Plan with us](https://observatory.global/contact/) Architecture [The protocol](https://observatory.global/protocol/specification/) **Technologies**: 9 **At the frontier**: 1 **Protocol functions**: 3 of 8 **Industries served**: 12 Reference design, drawn to scale · drag to turn · hover a part **01** What it is ## Generation. How a remote site is powered, stored, distributed, cooled, sealed, tested, grounded, held up and kept safe, from a solar-powered sensor to a hybrid microgrid on a guyed mast. Each technology below carries what it is, what we do with it, and the standard it is drawn against. Power, energy and ruggedisation ### Solar PV modules Module design qualification and safety for decades outdoors, including snow, hail and heat. We design, integrate, deploy, operate and maintain. IEC 61215 series (design qualification) · IEC 61730 series (module safety) Power, energy and ruggedisation ### PV array design String sizing, tilt, mounting, cabling and protection of the array. We design and deploy. IEC 62548 (PV array design requirements) Power, energy and ruggedisation ### MPPT charge controllers and converters Tracking the maximum power point and charging storage efficiently and safely. We design, integrate and maintain. IEC 62509 (battery charge controllers) · EN 50530 (inverter efficiency including MPPT) · IEC 62109 (power converter safety) Power, energy and ruggedisation ### Stand-alone PV system sizing Sizing array and storage for days of autonomy at the worst month and latitude. We design. IEC 62124 (stand-alone PV design verification) · IEEE 1562 (sizing PV arrays and batteries for stand-alone systems) Power, energy and ruggedisation ### Small wind turbines Wind generation for high-latitude and winter sites where solar is weak. We design, integrate and deploy. IEC 61400-2 (small wind turbines) Power, energy and ruggedisation ### Engine generator sets Diesel, propane and gas generators as primary or backup power with fuel logistics. We design, integrate, deploy, operate and maintain. ISO 8528 series (reciprocating engine generating sets) Power, energy and ruggedisation ### Fuel cells Methanol and hydrogen fuel cells for quiet, low-maintenance power at sites without sun or fuel trucks. We design, integrate and deploy. IEC 62282-3-100 (stationary fuel cell safety) · IEC 62282-5-100 (portable fuel cell safety) Power, energy and ruggedisation ### Thermoelectric generators Solid-state generators running on fuel or waste heat for remote pipelines and stations. We design and integrate. IEC 62830 series (energy harvesting, reference) **Frontier** · Power, energy and ruggedisation ### Perovskite and tandem PV Higher-efficiency cells under evaluation for weight-limited and low-light sites. We integrate. IEC 61215 series (qualification baseline) **02** Architecture ## Where it sits, and what it speaks. Form factors draws on 1 domain and 8 layers of the spectrum; the highlighted layers carry this area. It speaks 3 of the protocol's 8 core functions. Generation 9 Storage 9 Microgrids and distribution 9 Energy management and monitoring 7 Thermal design and ingress 8 Environmental and EMC testing 7 Lightning, grounding and structures 8 Safety and transport 7 01**Join** Identity, attestation quote, signed policy. 02**Admit** Admitted for a stated scope, nothing wider. 03**Describe** What, where, how and by whom, with calibration. 04**Time** One clock across the grid, with its error bound. 05**Observe** Every value with quality and provenance. 06**Qualify** Tested against the specification, state on record. 07**Federate** Signed exchange across grids and trust domains. 08**Orchestrate** Software and configuration by signed plan. **03** On the grid ## Every site joins one observing grid. The open networks on the grid today, over real relief and the geodesic cells we count them into, filtered to the energy industry domain this area serves. A site built here enrols into the same grid. **04** In the field ## Where this runs, sector by sector. 6 deployment scenarios from the sector research that rely on form factors. [Government and public safety Urban street-flood sensor networkOpen-hardware depth sensors with open data and alerts to emergency management.](https://observatory.global/sectors/public-safety/) [Government and public safety Deployable communications and sensing for incident commandA cell on wheels with satellite backhaul, mesh telemetry and environment nodes at the incident base.](https://observatory.global/sectors/public-safety/) [Cities Municipal low-power radio or private 5G layerA city-wide connectivity layer as digital public infrastructure.](https://observatory.global/sectors/cities/) [Communities and rural Remote microgrid, sensing and connectivity bundleSolar-plus-storage telemetry with a weather station and a small cell in a diesel-reduction project.](https://observatory.global/sectors/communities/) [Development and humanitarian Displacement-site connectivity and sensingPoint-to-multipoint wireless, satellite backhaul, solar and water-point sensors with protection safeguards.](https://observatory.global/sectors/humanitarian/) [Energy Bankable solar and wind measurement campaignsAccepted standards, traceable calibration and transparent data handling.](https://observatory.global/sectors/energy/) **05** Open and enterprise ## Open by default. Enterprise by contract. The open counterpart lives on the main site for anyone to read and run. The enterprise service is designed, deployed and operated with you, under contract. Open, on the main site - Device classes with 3D models - Reference designs (licence pending) Enterprise, on this site - Kit supply - Bills of materials and deployment plans - OEM co-engineering **06** The rest of the line ## Hardware & power, area by area. [Hardware & power PowerSolar, battery and microgrids, sized to the load.](https://observatory.global/hardware/power/) [Hardware & power RuggedisationIngress, thermal, vibration and shock, specified per site.](https://observatory.global/hardware/ruggedisation/) [Hardware & power Mobile and deployableVehicles, vessels and airborne platforms.](https://observatory.global/hardware/mobile-and-deployable/) [Hardware & power Reference designsDrawn to scale, published once licensed.](https://observatory.global/hardware/reference-designs/) [Hardware & power OEMCo-engineering with instrument and enclosure makers.](https://observatory.global/hardware/oem/) ## Bring us the site. Survey, design, deployment and operation for form factors. The form names who receives your details. [Talk to us](https://observatory.global/contact/) [contact@observatory.global](mailto:contact@observatory.global?subject=Hardware%20%26%20power%3A%20Form%20factors) [Nexus Observatory](https://observatory.global/)**Hardware & power** . Built for the site, not the lab.[Talk to us](https://observatory.global/contact/) Hardware & power - [Form factors](https://observatory.global/hardware/form-factors/) - [Power](https://observatory.global/hardware/power/) - [Ruggedisation](https://observatory.global/hardware/ruggedisation/) - [Mobile and deployable](https://observatory.global/hardware/mobile-and-deployable/) - [Reference designs](https://observatory.global/hardware/reference-designs/) - [OEM](https://observatory.global/hardware/oem/) Technologies - [Generation](https://observatory.global/technologies/power/generation/) - [Storage](https://observatory.global/technologies/power/storage/) Industries - [Public safety](https://observatory.global/sectors/public-safety/) - [Civil resilience](https://observatory.global/industries/) - [Communities](https://observatory.global/sectors/communities/) - [Humanitarian](https://observatory.global/sectors/humanitarian/) - [Energy](https://observatory.global/sectors/energy/) - [Telecom](https://observatory.global/industries/) - [Infrastructure](https://observatory.global/industries/) Service platforms - [Observatory Protocol](https://observatory.global/protocol/) - [Protocol & Grid](https://observatory.global/grid-services/) - [Software](https://observatory.global/software/) - [Sensors & instruments](https://observatory.global/sensors/) - [Connectivity](https://observatory.global/connectivity/) - [Edge compute & AI](https://observatory.global/edge-ai/) - [Earth observation & GeoAI](https://observatory.global/earth-observation/) © 2026 Nexus Observatory Inc. [Privacy](https://observatory.global/legal/privacy/) [Terms](https://observatory.global/legal/terms/) [Accessibility](https://observatory.global/legal/accessibility/) [Cookie settings](https://observatory.global/privacy-choices/) [Data credits](https://observatory.global/credits/)