Duke of Portland boathouse installs Powerguard off-grid mains power solution
Author : J GALE
The Duke of Portland Boathouse provides a unique and secluded location, sitting directly on the north eastern tip of Lake Ullswater in idyllic Cumbria. With its superb views across the Lake and the fells above, it facilitates the perfect holiday cottage. The owner has completely refurbished the boathouse installing an advanced power supply system. In such a remote location, all of the electrical power is generated onsite using the fully integrated Powerguard PS System.
The owner has completely refurbished the boathouse installing an advanced power supply system. In such a remote location, all of the electrical power is generated onsite using the fully integrated Powerguard PS System. The integrated system uses an LPG engine for environmental reasons though a diesel generator would have been the most efficient option. The integrated PS System comprises of an electrical generator and the PS System including battery bank and an inverter.
Unlike normal generators which would run all of 24hrs, the PS system only needs to turn on the generator during periods when the electrical demand is high e.g. for a power shower, cooker or heating. This high demand period usually equates to less than 8hrs per day and if these periods are regular, the PS System can be programmed to turn on the generator automatically.
The clever part of the PS System is that during periods when the demand is high, any unused power is used to recharge the batteries. This stored energy then provides AC mains power to the boathouse for the remainder of the day and night i.e. when the demand is low. The payback on an integrated PS System over a stand-alone generator is usually around 3 years. For even more fuel savings, the system can also handle imports from renewable generation sources to recharge the batteries, and the CHP option can provide free hot water with over 80% efficiency.