AJC Powers forward
7 June 2023
Having initially developed eco-friendly energy systems for products in its AJC EasyCabin welfare units business, AJC Trailers has established a sibling AJC Power Solutions division to develop the technology for site applications.
The operation was officially launched last October and has a dedicated factory at the company’s Luton headquarters.
“AJC EasyCabin integrated solar and battery technology into its welfare units to reduce generator run-time,” Adam Davies, Renewables Business Development Manager with AJC Power Solutions tells me. “We have also built the EcoSmart Zero hydrogen powered model as well as the Solar Pod hybrid battery unit.
“The decision was taken to develop the technology on a larger scale and so the Power Solutions division was created to target additional applications and markets.”
Adam’s previous industry experience includes working as Technical Sales Manager with Hybrid Power Hire, which was acquired last year by Sunbelt Rentals.
Alongside the Solar Pod, which has been made more compact with extra functionality, products in the line-up include the Solar Smart frame which comprises a photovoltaic panel assembly that fits on to welfare unit roofs, and the 3-phase Battery Pod battery unit that connects to a generator to reduce fuel usage and is available in 60kWh and 90kWh capacities.
“The batteries we use are heated lithium-ion ones which have a heat mat to control the their temperature. They can be used in ambient conditions from 60C to minus 20C without requiring fans to cool or warm them,” says Adam. “We’ve had enquiries about using the product at desert locations in Saudi Arabia.”
Enquiries have also been received from potential users as far afield as France, Vietnam, the US and Australia.
Adam believes that suppliers and hire companies have an important role in informing end users about the possibilities of using such technology efficiently at sites, such as connecting battery systems to work with larger-capacity generators.
“The inverters in a battery unit have a pass-through limit of 100A, but is is possible to connect the machine to a bigger generator, such as the 125A socket of, say, a 1000kVA generator.
“You can split the distribution on site so that the heavy-demand items are separated from the low-demand ones, like CCTV cameras, so that the peak demand bypasses the battery. Traditionally users have selected the power generation equipment to suit the site, but the site can be tailored to the equipment to deliver the benefits.”
In this way, suppliers and hirers become consultants advising on the best solution for a given site or application so that the benefits of using eco-friendlier equipment can be adopted more widely.
Exciting times clearly lie ahead for AJC, which next year will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the original company’s foundation.
● AJC EasyCabin has just appointed Michael Robbins as Business Development Manager. He was previously Sales Director with Power Saving Solutions UK.
