{"id":45377,"date":"2020-12-07T13:34:45","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T03:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=45377"},"modified":"2020-12-07T13:34:45","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T03:04:45","slug":"off-grid-factory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/off-grid-factory\/","title":{"rendered":"Check Out This 120 kW, 200 kWh Off-Grid Factory In Mackay, QLD"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Solar<\/p>\n

Ten years ago, a \u201ccouple of sparkies\u201d from the Riverina headed north and set up an electrical services business in Mackay, Queensland, catering to the mining industry.<\/p>\n

Today, Jason Sharam (managing director) and Peter Shaw (CEO) run an electrical services business with a very noticeable difference: they now have what is probably close to unique – an off-grid solar-powered manufacturing facility with \u201c100% renewable\u201d as its goal.<\/p>\n

The manufacturing side of the business builds a range of custom power solutions for remote locations such as mining sites – the EcoSkid transportable power system, the EcoHub trailer-sized power set, a solar-powered pipeline monitoring system and so on.<\/p>\n

\"EcoSkid

Products like the EcoSkid portable, emergency power supply are produced in Linked Group Services’ off-grid Mackay factory<\/p><\/div>\n

SolarQuotes spoke to Sharam to find out why Linked Group Services<\/a> would pursue such an ambitious corporate goal – and in a heartland of Queensland\u2019s mining sector.<\/p>\n

Creating an all-renewables manufacturing facility is a tougher objective than doing so for a home, but it\u2019s a target important to Linked Group Services. Sharam told SolarQuotes the company is offering itself as a proof-of-concept for customers:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing off-grid work for 12 years now. I wanted to demonstrate what\u2019s possible, using the technology that\u2019s currently available.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Two years ago, when he first decided to create the microgrid, the company calculated it would have a six-and-a-half-year ROI.<\/p>\n

The Microgrid Kit<\/h2>\n

The microgrid has a lot to power, but there\u2019s plenty of room for solar panels: a 4,000 square metre manufacturing facility, 900 square metres of car parks, 1,200 square metres of office floor space on two stories, and another 500 square metres of warehouse.<\/p>\n

The energy-hungry equipment is, naturally, in the manufacturing building: there are nine welding stations, a ten-tonne overhead crane, and various metal fabrication machines.<\/p>\n

The microgrid that keeps everything humming comprises:<\/p>\n