90% diesel savings with a hybrid generator

Playing a prominent role in the necessary energy transition together

A rapid energy transition from diesel to electric is taking place at construction sites, infra and festivals. Generators play an important role at these locations to provide easy and efficient access to power. The former diesel generators had major disadvantages; high diesel consumption with all its negative environmental impact and they caused a lot of noise pollution. Very annoying for both employees and the surrounding area. The Green Generators has unleashed a new revolution with its hybrid generators. Sustainable, quiet and cost-saving. Together with partners Intercel and Rittal, further optimisation took place and this is their story.

An interview with Paul Robbers of The Green Generators, Diek Wechgelaar of Intercel and Theo Gerritzen of Rittal.

What was the challenge you took on together?

Paul – The Green Generators
“It was about our model 100. The total battery system is 100 kWh per container, our flagship at the moment. Now we even supply generators up to 500 kWh. We had several difficulties with the batteries we used before. We wanted to take a big step towards maturity of the product and deliver a generator that has ample capacity with minimum breakdowns. In the limited space of the container, the capacity had to be doubled, a challenging customisation process.”

Diek – Intercel
“We started a precise process to first analyse exactly what problems needed to be solved. Lithium batteries are perfectly suited to this environment, they deliver the optimum power and, with the right casing, can withstand the rough environment on a construction site or at an event extremely well. We also quickly saw that space for the batteries was not an issue. We used to work with 12 batteries, which we were able to reduce to six. This provides more capacity and saves a huge amount of space.”

Theo – Rittal
“We were involved by Intercel early in the process. Our philosophy is always to use standard cabinets and assemble them exactly to size. Cabling, inverters and chargers should all be given the optimal place in such a high-end unit. To be able to be mounted exactly in such a way as to create a robust set-up that is unaffected by vibrations, shocks and rough use on often unpaved terrain. Lithium batteries need extra attention when it comes to vibrations and we found a unique solution for that.”

Theo: “Hard work and above all, nice cooperation.”

How was the collaboration and where were the pain points?

Paul – The Green Aggregate
“No real pain points were experienced. We immediately worked as a close-knit team of super specialists and we were able to make metres quickly. Intercel offers short lines of communication and immediately had the right answers to the questions we had. In the construction process, additional attention was drawn to temperature changes that could occur outside and inside the container.”

Diek – Intercel
“Besides building the right customised battery, we also had the opportunity to think along in further unburdening The Green Generators. We took a large part of production and assembly work off of The Green Generators’ hands. This reduces their production time and increases the generators’ uptime. Temperature changes are not a factor in every project but we were able to overcome this very well with the right engineering from Rittal.”

Theo – Rittal
“It was an exciting project and very satisfying. A generator is a special machine used in challenging environments. We worked great together throughout, inspiring each other and transferring relevant knowledge to each other. Hard work and above all great collaboration.”

What does it deliver?

Paul – The Green Generators
“Our customers need power and we rent it out. As easy as possible at the push of a button, there is power at challenging sites. For the end user, this delivers a lot: diesel savings, quiet operation and a sustainable solution. Remote monitoring also allows us to provide immediate assistance and quick service. In addition, the solution is vandalism-proof. Last but not least our hybrid solution saves up to 90% on diesel consumption.”

Diek – Intercel
“We are extremely proud that with our Cell to Pack philosophy based on Lithium batteries, we have been able to future-proof this machine. The addition of solar collectors by The Green Generators has added a wonderful feature, allowing the batteries to be charged on site every day as well. The pace of collaboration was also exceptional. A big project that we completed in just a few months.”

Theo – Rittal
“We want our customers to be successful for a long time. That means we develop and supply exactly the right product for the application required. It can be cabinets, power distribution but also the right application of IT and, of course, first-class service. Our cooperation has led to process optimisation, which also means significant sustainability.”

The joint future?

Diek, Paul and Theo are unanimous on this. All three parties agree that a close and, above all, pleasant basis has been laid for new projects. Further growth can be achieved in good cooperation by thinking quickly with each other in the business and thus playing a prominent role in the necessary energy transition.