Cool new Groundhog

20 June 2023

Genquip Groundhog has again demonstrated its manufacturing flexibility in its development of the new i500 welfare unit which was displayed at Plantworx.. 

The product is a variant of the environmentally friendly i550 model that was introduced earlier this year at the Executive Hire Show, a 5m unit incorporating a dedicated office space. 

“Construction group Morgan Sindell saw the unit and liked it, but wanted the office area to be in an open-plan style for greater flexibility, so that’s what we’ve done with the i500,” Genquip MD Peter Beach told me. 

The unit also has extra clean water storage capacity with waste water stored in an underslung tank, and rainwater harvesting is incorporated. 

Four 360W solar panels are mounted on the roof and the integral battery is charged by a 2kVA generator running at 2,000rpm giving low noise levels. 

Equipment runs off a 12V system and Peter says that in normal operation the battery will supply all the power required. A remote management system can be incorporated that gives information and alerts about operational parameters and carbon reductions. 

The i500 was displayed on the Genquip Groundhog stand at the Plantworx exhibition in Peterborough and the unit’s internal fridge came into its own as the company was able to dish out cool drinks to visitors. Peter says that the fridge takes so little power that it can run constantly without unduly draining the battery. 

Morgan Sindell is now adding the i500 to its equipment fleet. 

Photo: Alan Guthrie