Electrifying the jobsite
Bárbara Gregorio, Divisional Product Marketing Manager of Innovative Energies and Digital Solutions at Atlas Copco, provided a presentation focused on the future power grid at a construction site. She firstly stressed how hybrid solutions on construction sites are becoming a crucial aspect of the industry as it looks to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency. Atlas Copco is dedicated to providing a wide range of power solutions to its customers, including diesel generators, alternative fuels, and hybrid solutions. She reported that the integration of battery systems and energy storage with renewable energy sources like solar panels is playing a vital role in making energy consumption more efficient.
She presented a case study of a customer in the UK who was operating a 20-year-old diesel generator with a daily fuel consumption of 3540 liters. The low load of the generator led to frequent maintenance and black film leakages, making the engine more prone to failure. To address this issue, the customer added one of our hybrid energy storage systems to the generator, which resulted in a significant reduction in fuel consumption, cost savings, and CO2 emissions.
The hybrid system reduced the local consumption by around 75%, improved the average load of the engine from 10% to 85%, and reduced the running hours of the generator by 90%. Even when the generator was not running, the batteries were still in operation, making this application perfect for hybrid systems. This case study showed the benefits of hybrid energy storage systems and how they can help customers reduce emissions, improve performance, and stay profitable.
In the field of battery technology, the term "cycle" refers to a full discharge and recharge of a battery, and the typical expectation for lithium-phosphate batteries is 5000–6000 cycles, equating to a lifespan of 20 years for a machine that undergoes one cycle per day. A hybrid system that includes a large battery pack can significantly reduce the size of the generator and its energy consumption by more than 50%.
Other advantages of using alternative energy solutions include increased generator lifetime, reduced fuel and oil consumption, and higher utilization. In her conclusions, Bárbara Gregorio stressed that when considering the load profile and energy consumption of a machine, it is important to consider alternative energy solutions such as hybrid systems.
These systems can help prolong the lifetime of machines and bring other benefits, such as lower investment costs and increased utilisation and resale value. By considering a hybrid system, machines can last for 20 years or more, ultimately bringing cost and environmental benefits to the customer.
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