Firefly claims large fuel savings

UK hybrid generator supplier Firefly has claimed that one million litres of diesel have been saved with its Cygnus model since its April 2013 launch.

Designed for range of temporary power applications, Firefly’s Cygnus Hybrid Power Generator (HPG) is a 24kVA unit that can combine with a range of power sources such as solar, wind, battery, mains grid and with diesel gensets up to 60kVA (full load back-up) or 100kVA (part load back-up).

In many situations, diesel generators are used to supply very low loads overnight on site, which Firefly said was not only inefficient but could also raise concerns over noise levels during unsociable hours.

For a typical 100kva diesel set, it claimed as much as 120 Litres could be burnt unnecessarily each night, whereas the Cygnus HPG could eliminate this waste and provide silent, emission free power.

By connecting a Cygnus HPG to an existing diesel generator on site, Firefly said contractors could save thousands in fuel costs and hundreds of tonnes in CO² emissions, whilst nearby residents to the site benefit from silent power overnight.

It added that contractors could also reduce the runtime of on-site generators by as much as half and see a decrease in particulate, carbon and nitrogen oxide emissions of up to 50%.

Reducing the runtime of diesel generators also has the added benefit of reducing the chances of mechanical breakdown and smoking from running at low load, according to Firefly.

Firefly designed the generator to optimise energy efficiency, reduce fuel costs, and cut emissions on construction sites. It said around half of all UK carbon emissions were accounted for by the construction and related industries.

Energy targets

Under UK government targets for cleaner energy, both a 50% reduction in emissions and a 33% reduction in costs to deliver projects needs to be achieved by 2025. London Mayor Boris Johnson also intends to cut emissions from machines used on construction sites across the capital by 40% by 2020.

Firefly said these initiatives had helped boost the UK uptake of its Cygnus HPGs in the construction sector. It said rental companies Speedy Hire, Mather & Stuart, PE Generators and Premier Plant were working with contractors to supply the generators.

Andy Mead, director and founder of Firefly, said, “Working with our customers and listening to market needs of the construction industry has been the key to the success of the range. The result is a fleet of HPGs that can be easily integrated to work alongside existing diesel generators.”

He added, “The Firefly range of Cygnus HPGs are a fantastic addition to plant hirer fleets. The range’s ease of integration means that plant hirers do not need to make any changes to their core diesel fleet of generators and can now benefit from additional revenue following an investment in cutting-edge hybrid power.”