RC117 MarApr 2025 - Magazine - Page 33
wind-powered generators and hydrogen fuel cells. “But at the end
of the day we wanted it to be a portable solution that we could
basically move site to site or that could be deployed in a remote area
where maybe a utility service is not available. So, we ended up going
with a small diesel generator.”
The Spark generators consist of a 24-kW battery connected to a
12x340-Watt solar panel, which charges the battery and powers the
infrastructure. A small diesel generator acts as a backup/top-up for
the battery when solar can’t meet the entire demand.
“We’re not inventing this technology,” Hyland pointed out. “We’re
trying to utilize the technology that’s out there and come up with
how do we apply it to our business model to help meet our net zero
targets. That’s really what it comes down to.”
EllisDon deployed the technology at one of its sites in Ottawa
in September and is now doing some beta testing and working out
some of the bugs.
“One of the reasons Ottawa was very interested in this is because
we have a lot of big sky available to us,” said Hyland. “It’s not a
huge built-up city with a whole bunch of high rises, it’s not tightly
condensed. We have the opportunity to use the solar power, use the
batteries.”
That’s not to say that the technology can’t be used in a highdensity location, he added.
“We’re exploring just using the battery to support large physical
loads like a tower crane, for example,” he said.
Emission reduction of 60 per cent anticipated
The hybrid battery solution is expected to save up to 1,333L of diesel
per month, $2,800 per month and 3,600kg of carbon per month,
compared to an equivalent diesel generator. The solution is expected
to reduce emissions by at least 60 per cent.
“Most of it is a predictive model right now,” said Hyland. “We’re
trying to get a year’s worth of data under our belts so we can start
analyzing it. First of all, we’d like a 12-month pro昀椀le. It’s obviously
dependent on the load that we’re putting on the battery and the
weather patterns. There are a lot of variables, but our predictive
model is we’re hoping to see a 60 per cent reduction in diesel
consumption.”
It is anticipated the system will provide cost savings, he added.
“If the battery system is going to last us 10 years, our return on
investment should be much, much less than that,” Hyland noted.
One of the bene昀椀ts of the small generator and battery combination
is it allows the generator to cycle on and o昀昀 at full capacity,
producing much more e昀케cient combustion and energy production.
The system is capable of recharging through both the smaller
generator and solar panels to drastically reduce emissions during the
initial phases of the project.
“The bene昀椀t behind it is that a diesel generator will just run at a
minimum no matter what the load is on it,” Hyland noted. “It could
have no load on it whatsoever but might just keep running at 30 per
cent. A battery doesn’t do that. It only discharges what is taken from
it. Then the solar is the 昀椀rst point of recharge of the battery.”
Generators often run continuously at partial load, which is very
ine昀케cient, Hyland noted.
“The idea behind it is that if we had a 20kW diesel generator
deployed on the site it would just be constantly running, burning
diesel, so that’s the cost of the diesel plus the emissions that were
releasing,” said Hyland.
“What this model allows us to do is have the battery as the
primary source of discharged power that we require for temporary
lights and chargers, all the things we would run a generator for.”
RENEWCANADA.NET
One of the challenges with the system is that it depends
on the weather, particularly the amount of sunlight required
to charge the solar panels, which varies at di昀昀erent times
throughout the year.
“If we get a couple of dark days, November to January are
dark months for us, then the diesel will kick in and top up the
battery,” said Hyland. “It’s only using the diesel for a short term
which will reduce our diesel consumption and our emissions on
that unit for the same size equivalent of a full diesel generator.”
Technology helps cut GHGs
There is currently a big push for electri昀椀cation in the industry
and beyond.
“Our primary target right now is to bring our emissions down
to help meet our net zero targets, but it also helps systems across
the line,” said Hyland. “If some of the projects happen to have
any green incentives associated with them, we’re demonstrating
that were burning less diesel and reducing greenhouse gases on
those sites.”
This is just one of the initiatives the company is exploring to
meet its net zero target.
“I think this is the 昀椀rst of many to come,” said Hyland. “Is
this the 昀椀nal solution? I think this is the 昀椀rst solution and we’re
going to continue to evolve as the technology evolves hopefully
it gets better and better, and emissions continue to drop.”
PART OF THE HISTORY OF
CANADIAN INFRASTRUCTURE
For more than two decades, ACCIONA has been helping to build
Canada’s largest and most important infrastructure projects.
From research and development to the design, construction,
operation, and maintenance of large-scale, complex projects,
we’ve invested in the environment, the future, and our
Canadian roots with every step.
Find out more at:
MARCH/APRIL 2025 – RENEW CANADA 33
