California-based Paired Power, a manufacturer of integrated solar canopy and microgrid systems and software, has partnered with Australian solar microgrid designer and manufacturer PHNXX (pronounced, “phoenix”) to produce the PairPHNXX modular solar and battery storage system. Deployable from a standard 20-foot shipping container, each unit can be unpacked and made operational in a day with little to no heavy equipment.
Intended for industrial, agricultural, military and emergency operations in remote or off-grid locations, or when grid access is negligible or cut off, the PairPHNXX is available in 46.4 kW, 69.6 kW or 92.8 kW configurations with commensurate battery storage capacities of 42.4 kWh to 636 kWh.
Tom McCalmont, CEO of Paired Power, told pv magazine USA that the system is intended to be a “grid in a box” that once delivered by flatbed trailer essentially operates unattended once its solar array is unfolded and exposed to the sun. This also makes it suitable for rural electrification efforts.
“PHNXX designed the modular hardware that forms the foundation of the PairPHNXX microgrid, including the solar panels and unfolding mechanism,” McCalmont said. “Paired Power has provided the control system – computer and software – and integrates all of the electronics, such as the inverter and batteries.”
The two partners bring different origin stories to the microgrid market. Paired Power integrates and installs microgrids that do not require grid interconnection, with a particular focus on EV charging applications. For example its PairTree solar canopy system can be placed in lots with no ground preparation or trench digging. PHNXX focuses on designing and building modular, standalone power systems for rural and remote industrial communities. The company says it helps users reduce reliance on diesel generators and shift to renewable energy sources.
Both Australia and the United States are vast countries with extensive “outback” regions that nevertheless support important mining, ranching, farming and other activities requiring electricity. Modular solar-powered microgrids are one way to expand power capacity independently of grid interconnection. At the same time, both countries also have Indigenous communities in need of electricity, and Paired Power and PHNXX plan to address this requirement.