Lifos targets sustainable power

24 March 2023

A striking aspect of the Lifos business is the care and thoroughness it has taken to develop its range of solar hybrid power systems for use with generators as a way of reducing carbon emissions, fuel usage and costs. 

The Telford-based business is also establishing a whole-life model of product circularity whereby batteries can be repurposed or recycled, extending their life and reducing overall costs, as well as delivering valuable environmental benefits. 

Indeed, the Lifos name is a clever play on words, standing both for the lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) formulation of the batteries and the extended product lifecycle. 

Lifos’ key personnel – CEO Adrian Williams and colleagues Richard Atwal and Chris Wintle -  explained the concept to me when I paid a visit recently to the Telford facility. (Chris, incidentally, was a director of Forest Green Rovers FC which has strongly embraced environmental issues and describes itself as the world’s greenest football club.)  

First, however, a quick recap. As reported recently on the blog, Lifos has officially launched the first models in its Fort range of solar PV (photovoltaic) battery hybrids. These are initially available in 12kWh, 23kWh and 35kWh versions, the last-mentioned being regarded as the most attractive to hirers owing to its greater capacity. 

The machines use 18 ultra-thin and lightweight solar panels that use a specially designed railing system for quick attachment to site cabin roofs (pictured above) or can be free-standing, producing 3.4kW of single-phase energy. Innovatively, the panels store inside the Fort’s body creating a self-contained package. 

Variants without the integral PV panels are in development for those with their own solar setups or for non-solar installations, together with larger-capacity versions up to 70kWh, three-phase options and containerised machines. Some of these will be previewed at Plantworx in June. 

The Fort models come with a five-year warranty and customers have an option whereby, after seven years, critical components can be updated so that the battery operates like new. Lifos says this extends a machine’s overall expected life to 15 years or more. 

Lifos believes that it benefits from having effectively started with a blank canvas to target new market opportunities from a previous background of solar technology speciality. 

Adrian Williams’ solar equipment experience dates back to 2005 when he founded a company developing and installing solar power systems in UK and overseas markets for domestic and utilities applications such as traffic lights and highways technology. The Lifos business was established in 2016, initially developing sustainable battery systems for use in caravans, RVs, golf carts and other equipment. 

Adrian says that lithium-ion phosphate battery technology has been chosen for its longer life and reduced risk of thermal runaway. It also removes the need for rare materials like cobalt that are typically mined in third world countries, reinforcing Lifos’ environmental aspirations. 

The first Fort hybrid battery prototypes for construction and events markets were produced in 2018. To provide resources for expansion and manufacture at scale, Lifos was in 2021 sold to Simmonsigns, a Telford-based specialist in road safety and traffic illumination products. Indeed, Lifos’ machines are able to carry the ‘Made in Britain’ emblem. 

Richard Atwal, whose previous experience includes developing battery power storage systems in Hong Kong and African countries, tells me that a key element of the Lifos ethos is its bespoke LiQ telematics software which monitors machine operation for optimum efficiency and checks the condition of the batteries and solar panels, triggering alerts as necessary. 

The inverter used in the products is purpose-designed to provide constant power output. A bespoke cooling system has been developed for the system and Lifos says this has again been facilitated by the company’s ‘blank canvas’ approach. 

Prismatic battery configurations are used, rather than cylindrical types, as these are said to be more efficient in use as well as being easier to repurpose and recycle. 

During my visit Phil Simmons, who is Chairman of Simmonsigns and a Director of Lifos, gave me a thorough tour of the production facility at Telford. Much thought and investment has clearly gone into fine-tuning products that meet the needs of customers and service personnel, and developing an efficient and responsive production line. 

Battery management systems in the cells and PV panels are designed to ensure smooth running and, together with the LiQ software, allow Lifos to offer its seventh-year refurbishment option on the Fort products. Batteries showing degradation can have cells replaced or they can be repurposed for another less demanding application like domestic power storage, maximising their useful life. 

Chris Wintle says this reduces costs for customers since, as Lifos can replace, re-use or recycle key components, not all the production cost has to be recovered from the first product application. 

Chris, who has previously held senior executive positions with Ecotricity and Npower, adds that this again fits the company’s policy of promoting ESG (environment, social and governance) benefits for the wider community. Indeed, future plans could include providing solar hybrid systems to reduce costs and emissions for social housing and similar facilities. 

Above all, the Lifos team hope to remove what they believe to be a degree of the uncertainty and lack of knowledge about solar technology by creating a plug-and-play system of PV panels and sustainable batteries with the Fort line-up. It will be fascinating to see how the business and its products develop.