Nixon’s solar system

7 March 2023

An Innovation Open Day held last week at Nixon Hire’s impressive Bedford depot enabled the company to demonstrate a typical selection of the sustainable welfare, power generation and lighting equipment it can provide for work sites. It also showed the savings that can be achieved by lowering running costs and emissions. 

“The display here includes six units powered by solar panels and backup battery storage products,” Nick Hibbard, Nixon’s Renewables Division Manager told me.

“These include a 32ft site unit with two office spaces, a kitchen and a toilet; a 3+1 toilet block; a 32ft canteen; a 32ft double office unit; a 20ft drying room; and a dedicated water bowser feeding them. 

“The power running them is coming from two of our Solar Power Frames connected together – one directly mounted on top of one of the 32ft units and the other at ground level – as well as a Prolectric Solar Hybrid generator.” 

The system operating the Solar Power Frames includes a micro-inverter, an energy meter and a four-position push-button control to adjust the angle of the panels according to the season for the maximum solar gain. 

The Prolectric unit has eight solar panels, a 22kVA backup generator with a 15kVA power inverter and 35kWh of lithium-ion battery storage. 

On the chilly but bright morning of the open day, the setup was harnessing 5000W of power and running the entire display, with surplus energy being stored in the batteries. 

A telematics system enables managers on site or at any other location to monitor performance and assess the savings in energy use and carbon emissions. 

Nixon Hire also offers a management service for customers whereby staff at its Newcastle HQ monitor a setup and can fine-tune it remotely for optimum performance, as well as issuing any alerts regarding necessary actions. Indeed, it is this element of operations that many customers particularly appreciate, showing the value of such a service element – as with so much hired equipment. 

To achieve further efficiencies, low-consumption ancillary items are fitted in the site units including oil-filled radiators instead of radiant heat versions, LED lighting operated by PIR (passive infra red) sensors that detect movement, and double glazing. 

Surplus solar energy can also be stored in the EHR battery power generators from Himoinsa that Nixon Hire has in its fleet, some of which have three-phase capability. 

In the Bedford setup, an electric vehicle charger from IDE Systems was attached to the Prolectric Solar Hybrid and again its operation can be fine-tuned for efficiency, with the charging rate being adjustable via an IDE Erica distribution board (standing for energy reduction through informed control and information) to suit user requirements and to optimise power usage. 

Also shown at the open day was a new 23ft version of the towable EcoSmart Max welfare unit from AJC EasyCabin, one of the latest additions to the Nixon Hire fleet. It harvests its own power via roof-mounted solar panels and lithium-ion batteries, and provides a two-person office, two toilets and a drying area which uses a dehumidifier rather than a conventional heater, reducing energy usage. A backup 35kW Stage V air-cooled generator is also incorporated. 

Instead of a power-hungry kettle, Nixon Hire can provide the EcoSmart Max with a one-shot hot water dispenser that uses less electricity. A cordless phone charger can also be installed, as well as a 240V fridge.

This again shows how innovations can deliver efficiencies, cost savings and emission reductions without comprising performance. 

Photos of open day: Alan Guthrie