We all still know the era of the fuel mowers, but that is changing very quickly. There are emission standards for fuel mowers but not compared to the automotive market. A landscape gardener normally has the best interests of nature at heart and therefore does not want to use a fuel mower anymore. An average golf course with fuel-driven mowers uses thousands of liters of fuel per year and are often located in the middle of nature reserves. It is therefore not surprising that greenkeepers are showing more and more interest in it autonomous lawn mowing of golf courses.
80% of our turnover is now battery-driven machines without emissions and this will be 1% within 2 or 100 years. Because our mowing robots are getting bigger and bigger, they can also work on larger surfaces and they are increasingly visiting places where there is no power supply. For example, think of autonomous mowing robots on sports fields of autonomous mowing robots on solar parks. We recently developed a package for this purpose that allows us to mount lightweight flexible solar panels on an aluminum frame in the middle of the field, along with battery packs. In this way we can completely off-grid mowing robots to autonomously mow surfaces of many hectares. In addition to the practical fact that you no longer have to pull a power cable, it is of course much more sustainable to generate the power locally at the robot and start using it immediately.
Self-sufficient with solar panels
In a world where sustainability and self-sufficiency are becoming increasingly important, the term “off-grid” is heard more and more. But what does off-grid actually mean?
What is off grid?
Off-grid refers to a system or lifestyle that does not depend on the public electricity grid. Instead, the energy needs are generated and stored locally. Off-grid systems can range from small scale applications such as individual households to larger applications such as remote communities or even entire islands.
Solar panels
Solar panels play an essential role in off-grid systems. They are designed to convert solar energy into electricity. Solar panels consist of photovoltaic cells that capture light and convert it into direct current (DC). This DC current is then converted into alternating current (AC) via an inverter, which is compatible with most electrical appliances.
The advantage of solar panels is that they use a renewable energy source that is virtually unlimited. Sunlight is abundant and can be converted into electricity without harmful emissions or environmental pollution. By using solar panels, households and communities can reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.
The importance of batteries in solar panels
While solar panels can provide electricity immediately when the sun shines, there is a need for a reliable energy storage solution to use energy when the sun is not available, such as at night or on cloudy days. This is where batteries come into play.
Batteries, also known as batteries, store the excess energy produced by the solar panels. They act as a storage facility so that the energy can be used when needed. Batteries are crucial to provide consistent power regardless of fluctuations in solar energy production.
With the right combination of solar panels and batteries, off-grid systems can provide continuous electricity, even when the sun is not shining. This provides a feeling of energy security and independence from external energy suppliers.
Advantages of off-grid with solar panels and batteries
- Sustainability and environmental friendliness
The use of solar panels and batteries for off-grid energy generation is a very sustainable choice. Solar energy is a renewable energy source that is inexhaustible and produces no harmful emissions during the generation process. By choosing off-grid with solar panels and batteries, you reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to reducing the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
- Energy efficiency and savings
Off-grid living with solar panels and batteries allows you to manage your energy consumption more efficiently. Solar panels generate electricity when the sun shines, and the excess energy is stored in the batteries for use when sunlight is not available. This ensures that you have a constant energy supply, even at night or on cloudy days, without being dependent on the electricity grid. Avoiding grid fees and electricity bills can also yield significant savings in the long run.
- Energy sustainability and reliability
Off-grid living with solar panels and batteries offers energy sustainability and reliability. In areas where the electricity infrastructure is unreliable, off-grid energy supply can guarantee the continuity of essential electricity. In the event of a power outage, off-grid systems continue to operate, giving you access to electricity for lighting, heating, cooling and other basic needs. This is especially important for remote areas, holiday homes or outdoor areas where access to the power grid may be limited.
- Flexibility and self-sufficiency
Living off-grid with solar panels and batteries gives you the freedom and flexibility to generate and manage your own energy. You are no longer dependent on external energy suppliers and are self-sufficient.
Off-grid professional mowing robots
A package is required for a mowing robot that can mow 7 hectares 3 times a week 4 solar panels of 430wp assets. These lightweight (7kg) flexible solar panels do not have a glass panel, so they immediately become defective due to a golf ball, for example. We assemble at the 4 panels 2 lifepo4 batteries of 24 volts and 105ah. In order for the whole to function, we work with Victron equipment to get the power generated by the solar panels into the batteries and via voltage stabilization we generate the correct voltage to allow the robots to function properly.
The package will be developed and extensively tested in 2022. We recently delivered a complete solar panel package with battery in North Holland. The package goes here one Belrobotics Bigmow supplied with power.