As part of the global energy transition, there is an increasing demand for Distributed Energy Systems (DES) combining a diverse array of energy generation, storage, monitoring, and control solutions.
The potential for wind and solar renewable generation to deliver small-scale DES for industrial and commercial applications is being under exploited. However, Crossflow’s expertise and unique ability to integrate renewable energy solutions and exploit the complementary benefits of wind and solar offers unrivalled benefits to its clients, as well as significant investment opportunities too.
Our Technology
Our unique renewable energy technology means small-scale wind is now a viable option for embedded renewable generation, and can at last contribute to your Net Zero drive. But it’s our technical ability to seamlessly integrate the transient output of wind and solar with market leading battery technologies and backup power sources – to supply either a unique stand-alone solution or integrate wind and solar generation into an existing set up – that makes it such a powerful development.
The complementary generation of solar and wind maximises the renewable energy generation, ensuring more consistent energy generation and less dependency on diesel and other fuel dependent generators. It also opens up a host of new decentralised power solutions for a multitude of sectors.
The IRES
Crossflow’s Integrated Renewable Energy System (IRES) is a modular hybrid energy storage system innovatively designed for both on and off-grid applications. The IRES, which complements our other offerings – the integrated Eco Tower, Crossflow turbine and SD6 turbine – seamlessly integrates wind and solar energy with battery storage and backup power sources, including off-grid generators and futureproofed technologies, like fuel cells.
At the core of the IRES is the latest generation of battery storage combined with Crossflow’s unrivalled power monitoring. This pioneering technology monitors the battery state and facilitates the most efficient and sustainable method of charging and energy storage by prioritising renewable energy over grid or supporting generators.
Due to its flexible and modular design, the IRES can be configured to accept any combination of solar, wind or generator, or all of these combined. This allows for much greater flexibility when considering locations where multiple wind turbines may be required or locations where larger solar arrays are more suitable.
On the rare occasions when renewable energy is not available, the battery storage is proven to be 100% consistent, delivering reliable power when it is needed. Having the security of a backup generator or connection to the grid acts as reassurance of guaranteed power. The IRES monitors this automatically and facilitates the change in battery charge management without the need for any human intervention. The advanced charge algorithm minimises generator or grid battery charge contribution, which instantly changes the charging management when renewable energy becomes available again.
The IRES can be used for temporary or permanent installations to add renewable hybrid power to a range of applications from construction sites, agriculture developments and community energy, through to the public sector projects, road and rail upgrades, and off-grid telecoms.
To ensure longevity and maximum security, the IRES is contained within industry standard IP65 security cabinets. The dual bay cabinet includes air conditioning or a free cooling system, allowing all of the components to be housed in one location.
The IRES can be monitored remotely, providing clients with real-time data about the energy generated and used, generator fuel levels, and equipment alarms.
The Eco Tower
The Eco Tower cleverly incorporates our innovative IRES, Crossflow turbine and telecoms equipment in a single self-powered mast, creating an autonomous hybrid energy system. It combines the complementary benefits of wind and solar to maximise clean energy generation and reduce the operating expenses of the tower.
At the heart of the market-leading Eco Tower sits our unique Crossflow turbine and its scalable transverse axis wind turbine. This turbine allows the Eco Tower to address the design and operational challenges associated with conventional HAWTs and VAWTs within the telecoms industry through the creation of a hybrid lift and drag turbine.
The rotor is a Crossflow device, meaning the wind creates high lift as the blade emerges from behind the shield and continues to create rotational torque as the blade moves up and over the top of its travel. As the blades rotate into the ‘upwind’ portion of its travel they are shielded from the drag force of the wind. Our patented S-shaped shield design creates a low-pressure area behind and below the rotor that encourages the wind to travel though the turbine rather than around it.
Advanced lightweight blades and optimised aerodynamics harvest maximum wind energy and ensure the turbine is self-starting even at low wind speeds.
This means the energy output of the Crossflow turbine is comparable to high-speed Vertical and Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs), but with greater consistency of output across a wider operating range of wind speeds and little sensitivity to turbulence and wind shear.
The Eco Tower is reliable and easy to install. Designed to IEC 61400-2, it specifically addresses the concerns most commonly associated with wind power, including network interference, performance, maintenance, reliability and planning permission concerns. This means the Eco Tower can be deployed in both urban and rural ecologically-sensitive sites.
The future-proofed tower has variable height and loading options to accommodate the expect growth in tower sharing by multiple operators. It can also be installed without the need to dig trenches and lay electricity cables.
It offers enhanced renewable contributions when combined with solar and battery systems, reducing carbon emissions by up to 90% and delivering significantly lower TCO costs to diesel and diesel/solar/battery solutions; particularly in low solar irradiation or high diesel price environments.
SD Turbines
Available as Grid-Tied and Battery Charge, the SD small wind turbines are designed for those with a high energy demand, or for applications that require a greater level of power autonomy when used in an off-grid or hybrid system.
The unique over-speed protection system (the delta rotor), ensures continuous energy generation during extreme winds. This provides excellent value to its users. As wind speeds increase, the SD turbine will maintain output and performance. When compared to alternative wind turbines, which need to brake themselves in strong wind conditions, the SD solutions are the small wind turbine of choice. Continuous energy output and performance delivered.