Qinous Portable Energy Storage for Off-Grid Renewable Energy Applications

The further you get from civilization, the more that renewable energy looks like a great idea, but renewable energy without a backup plan doesn’t lend itself to reliability.

Right now, most off-grid operations, such as a remote villages, research outposts, or islands, rely on generators and perhaps a mix of renewable energy. Still, when the sun goes down or the winds don’t blow, most turn back to generator technology, which effectively cancels out any use of renewable energy sources. Backup power supplies are an excellent method of storing excess energy for use during peak hours or when supply dips below demand, but they can be expensive and complicated to implement.

Qinous, based in Berlin, Germany, has designed a backup power supply that can be easily integrated into practically any current remote grid installation. In conjunction with a renewable energy source, such as photovoltaic solar power installations or wind turbines, a proper portable backup power supply can effectively eliminate the need for dirty gasoline or diesel generators, not to mention the fuel burned dragging heavy fuel out into these remote areas to feed the generators.

Qinous is a fully-self-contained and compact, as compact as a shipping container anyways, containing lithium-ion backup batteries and control systems. Optionally, if I can guess correctly from the German brochure, is a photovoltaic controller. The end-user simply needs to plug in. The Qinous system also is expected to be cheaper than some other backup power options, via a streamlined evaluation, planning, design, and installation process. Taking most of the process out of the hands of the end-user means that the end-user doesn’t need to hire third-party experts or run extensive calculations. Qinous was unveiled at the Energy Storage Conference in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Image © Qinous