Solar Hybrid Power
The Client: Aussie Solar
A history of supplying renewable energy. Even in 2009 we were installing over 50 fully automated hybrid solar diesel generator power systems with inverters ranging from 6 kW through to 30 kW. Tailoring renewalable power hybrid systems to our customer’s needs.
The Background
Most of us take power for granted, but if you’re in a remote off-grid location it can be a frustrating and expensive proposition.
West Australian company Aussie Solar has pioneered the use of cost effective fully automated hybrid power systems that combine the efficiency of solar energy with a state-of-the art power generator to deliver cost effective and reliable year-round power.
According to Aussie Solar’s Managing Director, Gary Cooper, the interest in hybrid renewable energy power systems has grown dramatically in the last few years, due mainly to the rising cost of fuel and the government’s 50% rebate on solar installations.
The Requirement
“Up until relatively recently property owners in remote locations were limited to running diesel generators around the clock to provide power to the homestead and ancillary farming equipment.
“With the rising cost of fuel hybrid systems such as the solar + diesel gen-set we’ve developed have become more appealing, as the solar component enables us to spread the gen-set run time out over the day.
“And depending on the size of the system the solar component can produce enough power to run the property, especially in the cooler months when air conditioning is not required, which delivers substantial savings through reduced diesel fuel usage.
“We’ve installed over 50 fully automated hybrid solar / diesel systems over the past three years, with inverters ranging from 6 kW through to 30 kW, which are tailor designed to meet the customer’s needs.
The Solution
“The key to our success would have to be reliability, as with our system the owner gets peace of mind knowing that the solar power will come on-line every day and that it will be supported by the gen-set, if required, depending on the depth of discharge programmed into the system.
“This means they can leave their property knowing that the fridge will continue to operate and that the water will pump when required, something that can’t be guaranteed with traditional diesel only gen-set installations.
“So to guarantee our systems performance we only use the best when it comes to components. “Take for example the gen-sets. We’ve used Olympian gen-sets since we started and they’ve never let us down. “Built in the UK, they are tried and tested products and feature true 50hz alternators.
“Sure there are cheaper alternatives on the market, some of which are pretty good, but they don’t come with the product support that Olympian gen-sets offer. “With Olympian we know that if something does go wrong we can get parts when we need them and quality technical support on the spot, unlike some makes that I’ve heard can take weeks to get parts for.
“The gen-sets don’t do a lot of hours, but when they do run they run under load and with Olympian I know that the gen-sets are going to last a long time, which is important to the customer as it’s a big investment – so it’s got to work when it’s needed.
The Results
“We’ve used over 30 Olympian gen-sets now, having originally seen first hand how they stand up in the field, and as our business is all about trust the Olympian product helps us to live up to that reputation.
“Their latest models are very fuel efficient, which is attractive to our customers, as is the fact that they are backed by Energy Power Systems Australia and the Caterpillar network – so they know they’ll get support if needed.
“In their power range they meet all my criteria in terms of price, efficiency, reliability and support”, Gary said. According to Energy Power Systems Australia’s Olympian National Business Manager, Kim Howlett, the Olympian’s industry leading exhaust and noise emission levels make them the perfect fit for renewable energy hybrid power applications.
“Olympian generator sets are manufactured at Caterpillar’s ISO 9001 certified facility in the UK and represent a lower entry level product range that boasts CAT performance with exceptional fuel efficiency and proven performance for standby and prime power applications up to 550 kVA.
“Available for use with diesel fuel, propane, or natural gas, Olympian generator sets deliver dependable, clean economical power even in the most demanding conditions and can be configured to meet the needs of any application, all backed by Caterpillar’s extensive nationwide support network”, Kim said.