Eniquest independent power plants comprise several components.
If you understand what all of these components do and how they work together you will have a better understanding of our independent power plants, what they can do for you, and how they can meet your needs.
This illustration shows all of the major components of an independent power plant and their relationships:
Eniquest Generator Set
The generator set makes direct-current (DC) electricity to charge the battery bank when the solar panels (if fitted) can’t provide enough energy. The generator set has three main components: the engine, the alternator, and the controller.
Engine
The engine provides the power to turn the alternator. The engine is a crucial component in providing reliable power efficiently and operational on demand. A high quality, brand name recognized engine is recommended- We use high-quality Yanmar diesel engines in our generators for instance.
Alternator
The alternator converts the power from the engine into DC electrical energy to charge the battery bank. The alternator we use for instance is a permanent magnet style, designed and manufactured by us and is made in Australia.
Controller
The controller monitors the amount of electrical energy in the storage battery bank. When the stored energy is reduced sufficiently the controller starts the Eniquest generator to recharge the batteries. The controller oversees all aspects of storage battery management and engine operation.
Solar Panels
The solar panels convert light from the sun into electricity. There are many types of solar panels available, with varying degrees of efficiency. A good quality, brand name panel is highly recommended as poor quality panels may not generator power efficiently and have a poor life span.
Solar Controller
The solar controller controls the flow of electricity from the solar panels to the storage battery bank, to make the best use of the solar panels and to manage the storage battery bank charging process.
Storage Batteries
The storage battery bank stores electricity that is made by the solar panels and the generator for use when you need it. Typically these are now Lithium style batteries, but a good quality AGM style battery can work just as well, with reports of lifespan ranging to 10 years+.
Inverter
The inverter takes DC electricity from the storage battery bank and converts it into an AC electricity supply to run your mains-electricity-powered appliances. There are a variety of different size output inverters. A good quality brand is recommended, particularly when being used with sensitive electronics as the inverters ability to produce a good quality waveform can be compromised if poor quality components are being used.
Battery Charger
The battery charger charges the storage battery bank from mains electricity where it is available.