Sign in to view
member only content

Spotted: The construction sector—in Hong Kong and elsewhere—relies heavily on diesel generators to power sites. Not only is diesel power polluting – it is also noisy. This limits construction hours for the sanity of nearby residents. Moreover, diesel generators are prone to maintenance problems leading to time lost to repairs. All this adds up to an embedded challenge that is ripe for solving – for the sake of both developers and the environment.

Hong Kong startup Ampd Energy is taking on the issue. The company’s energy storage solution—known as ‘The Enertainer’—uses smart battery technology to cut out the use of diesel altogether. The Enertainer can be plugged into a small mains input to charge 24 hours a day. It can then replace a diesel generator, supporting the power demands of equipment typically found on a construction site. The Enertainer can be used to power a wide range of machinery, such as cranes, pumps, and arc welders.

The device is connected to the internet—allowing for remote monitoring, management, and troubleshooting—and confers several key benefits. For example, its carbon footprint is 85 per cent smaller than that of a diesel generator (with the remaining 15 per cent accounted for by emissions associated with the electricity supply). And particularly important for the local community, the Entertainer is 32 times quieter than a diesel generator. For construction companies, it breaks down less frequently and is less of a fire risk to boot.

Ampd Energy’s co-founder Brandon Ng is keen to stress that The Enertainer is not just a ‘green’ alternative, it is a superior product all round. He explains, “We want to build the best possible energy system for the construction sector, and it so happens to be green.”

Other innovations disrupting the construction site include electric construction vehicles, and hydrogen-powered cement production.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead