SolCell: deployable renewable power
It was a night in 2006 when our founder was producing a Christmas event for 800 guests in a marquee, powered by a pair of large diesel generators. The generators were from a reputable company and were well maintained. The party was in full swing when suddenly the power went down. There was an engine fault, the kind of thing that can just happen, like a vehicle breaking down. The automatic switch-over did not engage. That night, 800 people had to leave early by the light of the emergency lighting. Diesel generators cannot be fully relied upon.
A few years later, our founder was sleeping in a tent with his young son at a festival. The morning was peaceful, and the sun was rising. It was a perfect moment, until a diesel generator was turned on near the tent. The loud noise woke his son, who began coughing from the fumes. What was a lovely moment was lost to noise and stench.
Then, later that summer, a diesel generator was being used for a sound system at a funeral. As the mourners lowered their voices for the eulogy, the sound of the generator became more apparent, partially drowning out the speeches.
It became clear that off-grid power systems using diesel generators simply were not good enough: noisy, smelly and sometimes unreliable. We realised there was something better with solar and batteries. The first system we made was a mix of ex-industrial lead-acid batteries and a cheap inverter. We built it, tested it and tried to push it beyond its limits. But as long as the batteries had charge, the system seemed indestructible.
We then invested in more advanced lithium-ion batteries and European-made inverters to create the first SolCell systems.
Since then we have been making these systems for bespoke off-grid applications and live events. The experience we have gained has been blended with conventional industrial power systems to build high-quality renewable, backup and off-grid power stations. SolCell has supported hundreds of events, construction projects and temporary power needs ever since.
Now we want to share this knowledge with you and help you to get reliable, silent, off-grid power.
Powering Greta Thunberg’s rally in Bristol from the sun, on a cloudy day.
Learn moreAn off-grid power system for Aether Sauna.
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