Prime Secure uses ECO SOLAR
Prime Secure uses ECO SOLAR generator-free welfare cabins
UK security specialist Prime Secure is committed to finding sustainable solutions to use in all areas of their business in order to help lower their carbon footprint and minimise the company’s environmental impact.
To this end, Prime Secure has been partnering for some time with ECOHire to replace standard welfare cabins on their sites with ECOHire’s low-fuel, low-emission alternatives and they recently agreed to trial one of our brand-new ECO SOLAR generator-free welfare cabins on one of their prime sites in Glasgow.
Our generator-free ECO SOLAR welfare cabins derive 100% of their electrical energy requirements from solar panels mounted on the roof and sides of the cabin. The high solar harvesting capacity coupled with low energy requirements means that these cabins do not need a back-up generator in order to achieve full functionality. The only use of fuel is in the ultra-low consumption diesel heater that runs on either HVO biofuel or white diesel as preferred.
ECOHire was delighted to agree this trial with Prime Secure as we knew this would be a particularly interesting and challenging test for the generator-free concept. Unlike welfare cabins used on construction and infrastructure projects which generally are used for an 8-10 hour working day during daylight hours when solar energy can be harvested, the Prime Secure cabins house fire marshals who work a 24-hour period, occupying the cabins both day and night.
In addition, we were faced with the further challenge of the cabin being located in Glasgow, Scotland. We were concerned that being further north, with shorter winter days, low weak winter light and generally worse weather conditions, that the generator-free cabin may struggle to harvest enough PV (free solar power) to supply its needs.
However, despite the more than doubling of the standard usage pattern, and the northern winter conditions, the ECO SOLAR 12 generator free cabins have performed impeccably, with the battery state of charge never dropping below 53.4% despite being used 24/7.
Dan Wharton, CEO of ECOHire, said:
“We were always concerned that the fundamental advancement Boss Cabins has achieved in the development of Generator Free welfare provision would be stretched to deliver viable operations north of the border. The results of this trial with Prime Secure, carried out at a difficult time of year plus having the excess 24/7 demands on the cabin usage, have wildly exceeded our expectations. We now have full confidence in these generator-free welfare products going forward.”
“During the 12 days the cabin has been on site in February, only 17 litres of fuel was used in the heater. Using this cabin in place of a standard welfare cabin has saved Prime Secure 119 litres of fuel and avoided 296kg of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. During summer months when no heater is required, obviously there would be zero need for fuel at all and therefore zero emissions. This really is a massive breakthrough in the world of green welfare and we are delighted to be at the forefront of it.”
A spokesperson for Prime Secure said:
“We are delighted with the ECO SOLAR welfare cabin and the service received from ECOHire, Elaine in particular.
“We were provided with a portal to monitor waste consumption, fuel, power, and more. Elaine was initially in regular contact to provide training and tech support as we got to grips with the portal. We can now easily and accurately monitor how our operatives use the cabin, allowing us to implement new initiatives to minimise power usage.
“Our ECOHire ECO SOLAR welfare cabin is used by our waking watch fire marshals at a large, high-rise residential complex found to contain materials which render it a fire risk. Post-Grenfell, buildings such as these must deploy a ‘waking ‘watch’, consisting of a team of fire marshals who patrol the building 24/7 to monitor the premises for signs of fire, ensuring residents have sufficient warning in the event of a fire and supporting the evacuation strategy. Our fire marshals use the ECO SOLAR welfare cabin for comfort breaks, consuming food and beverages, and completing paperwork.
“As a tech-first company focused on carbon reduction, ECOHire’s ECO SOLAR welfare cabin fits seamlessly into our company’s activities and ethos, allowing us to keep the noise to a minimum for the residents, especially at night. The residents, our fire marshals, and Prime Secure are extremely happy with the performance of the cabin and the support we have received.”
Background to Prime Secure:
Prime Secure (prime-secure.co.uk) is one of the country’s leading security specialists and provides security services and personnel throughout the UK for many of the country’s leading construction companies, property managers, corporate and retail clients.
With regard to their sustainability goals, Prime Secure states: “It’s easy to say you behave ethically, it’s another thing to demonstrate it in all that you do. Prime Secure aims to set a benchmark, not just in the security industry, but one that all companies can follow.
“At Prime Secure, we recognise that we have a responsibility to positively impact the environment. We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint year on year, minimising our environmental impact and implementing sustainable solutions. We have reduced the volume of waste and relative electricity usage and will continue to do so across all operations. Our contributions to preserving and protecting the planet are good for us and crucial for business.”