The largest A&P show in the country, the event typically hosted more than 400 trade sites and more than 100,000 visitors over the three days.
Powerhouse Wind (PHW) chief technical officer Bill Currie said the company wanted to connect with the rural community and show them the type of solution it could offer, and also to understand how it could be shaped to better suit the myriad applications already conceived.
The PowerCrate, an all-in-one turnkey renewable energy module was originally designed in response to a request from a line company for an alternative power supply for edge-of grid service.
It incorporated solar panels and PHW’s patented Thinair single blade wind turbine to maximise energy security in remote locations not easily serviced by the grid or where power lines were particularly susceptible to storm damage. The portable 20ft container-sized module could be delivered and removed by a Hiab truck.
PHW staff had some interesting conversations with show visitors; some of the agricultural applications for the PowerCrate were in the innovative use of remote land utilisation for farming and agri-tourism, but also for increasing the resilience of the rural telecommunication infrastructure, Mr Currie said.
