.png)
Customer: RWE Renewables
Green power for lidar case study
LiDAR is a remote sensing method which uses the light from a laser to collect wind data measurements. RWE Renewables UK had a system sited in a remote location near Tarbert, west Scotland, which was previously powered by a methanol fuel cell. To reduce the frequency and cost of re-fuelling the cell powering the LiDAR equipment, RWE turned to Leading Edge to design and manufacture an off-grid system, supplying solar and wind power. They required a portable solution which was easy to install by non-specialist staff.
After consulting the team at Leading Edge, our experts designed and manufactured the final outcome pictured below.
The fold-down solar frame holds four 160W high-efficiency monocrystalline solar panels with the British-made Leading Edge LE-v150 wind turbine boosting power production. The LE-v150 is specially designed for conditions as experienced at the designated site, where wind speeds can reach 27m/s (60mph).
The cabinet holding the control equipment also houses 128Ah AGM deep-cycle batteries providing 310Ah of stored power on cloudy and still days where there is little input from solar or wind.
The bespoke solution also powers ultrasonic level sensors in the fuel cell.
Using the Victron Cerbo GX, the system can be remotely monitored with RWE alerted when the fuel cell level reaches the point that re-fuelling needs to be organised. This way, the WindCube v2 can remain operating as there is no loss of power to hinder it's performance.
If you found this interesting read more of our other case studies here. Want to know more? Get in touch if you'd like something similar or have a project that needs a renewable off-grid solution.
