Open Air Business April 2017

GLAMPSITES
LEFT The SolarMate Arena Light from
Solar Technology International can
illuminate an area of up to 200 square
metres
BELOW The NIWA Home 200 X2 from
Portable Power Technology is an all
in one modular solar system
you advice and potential cost solutions
that are both environmentally friendly
and cost-effective. You can, for example,
install a battery pack or generator - not
unlike those you might find in a caravan
or boat. These batteries work in a similar
way to a car battery; you charge them and
power is stored ready for use.
There is a wealth of options to choose
from when deciding how to light your
off-grid accommodation. This is where
you can really indulge in the hiss of a
Tilly lamp. Nowadays, of course, we can
make great use of solar lamps or battery
powered lighting. These are a great option
if you are nervous of a naked flame or you
want to avoid the smell of methylated
spirits. The choice is huge.
Portable Power Technology offers
solutions that harness the sun’s energy to
deliver power without resorting to noisy
and polluting generators, which may
detract from the glamping experience.
“A lightweight, portable system is a great
way to please all customers depending
on their energy and lighting preferences,”
says Whymark. “Portable systems
are also ideal if you have to take your
accommodation down between seasons
and are also maintenance free with no
serviceable elements,” she adds.
THE TECHNOLOGY
Solar Technology International designs,
prototypes, manufactures, markets and
distributes a wide range of brands that are
suitable for powering phones, tablets and
cameras, water pumps and mains quality
lighting for a complete off-grid power
solution.
As Williams explains, “Solar provides
an instant, clean and efficient renewable
power source that can be scaled up or
down accordingly. Small, portable lighting
and power units such as the SolarHub16
ABOVE The Solar Charging Can from Mobile Solar Chargers is a standalone solar/battery set up
which is scalable
provide an instant indoor lighting solution
via bright LED strip lighting or pendant
lighting that allows the fitting of a
lampshade, and can light an area of up to
16 square metres.
“It also provides enough power to
charge a smartphone or tablet and can
power a 12-volt fan. Larger scale outdoor
lighting solutions include the SolarMate
Arena Light that is capable of lighting an
area of up to 200 square metres; the PIR
mode allows motion activated operation
and it is the perfect solution for bringing
light to any large open space,” he adds.
Mobile Solar Chargers is a specialist
retailer of a range of portable solar
chargers, power banks and portable
power solutions. According to Smerdon,
the minimum requirement for safety and
basic needs, assuming your guests are
staying for a summer weekend or a weeklong
break, are power for hot water and
some cooking - although they are likely
to prefer a barbecue or may even choose
a local pub - as well as lighting, phone
charging, Wi-Fi and perhaps an option for
heating or cooling the air.
“For the glamping market, I would
concentrate on the ‘standalone’ options,
i.e. a generator (240-volt AC) or the Can,
a solar/battery set up, which is scalable.
A cross between the two is a hybrid
generator, which has a diesel generator to
back up the solar,” he says.
“Portable Li-Po (lithium polymer
battery) should be charged daily and
is ideal for use in bell tents. To give an
idea of Ah (capacity) a standard phone is
around 2.5Ah, so a 50Ah battery would
give 20 odd charges with no solar help.
You can position solar panels on the roof
of a hut with a bank of 12 volt batteries
on the ground, but if you are considering
power for a non-rigid structure, such as a
yurt that can’t hold solar panels, then our
Solar Charging Can would be an option.”
The portable Solar Charging Can has
been designed to be silent and to replace
generators. It provides automatic lighting,
phone charging, remote CCTV and Wi-Fi,
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