Gijsels BV, storing energy while testing generator

Gijsels BV are a prominent Generator Hire company in Belgium who have built their business over twenty years by supplying reliable gensets – usually in the 20kVA – 600kVA range – immediately from stock.

Part of their success is a rigorous testing regime – before supply, and on return – during which the units are run under load for an hour to ensure they are performing satisfactorily.

Until recently all the electricity generated during load-testing was dissipated as heat by a ‘resistance’ bank. Elias Gijsels – the son of the company’s owner – happened to be working on a sustainability project at school and suggested the test-energy was stored and used to run the workshop and offices. He helped design and install a system – which includes a PV array – which allows the company to be power self-sufficient.

In order to comply with the National Grid power regulations in Belgium, we advised and supplied the system components – incorporated a Break before Make transfer switch as seen on the system schematic below. This ensures that the private power system will not become grid-connected.

The three phase system employs 3 x Quattro 15kVA Inverter Chargers together with Pylontech storage and is controlled by a Cerbo GX. Also in the build:

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• 3x Victron Energy Quattro 48/15000
• Lynx distributors
• 32 modules US2000 Pylontech batteries (77kWh) + 1 hub
• PV active on the public grid (AC 6 kW)
• PV active on the energy system ( AC SMA 15 kW)
• Transferswitch 80A

Read the full article here.hier​