The Next Stage in the History of Portable Power

In 1831, Michael Faraday—now recognized as one of the most important physicists and engineers of all time—discovered electromagnetic induction. Essentially, his invention of the induction ring used the electromagnetic effect of current in one wire to generate electricity in another wire. From there, Faraday was able to refine the technology to produce consistent, standardized electrical current. 

Decades later, in 1892, Rudolph Diesel patented the internal combustion engine. Eventually, the diesel internal combustion engine was coupled with Faraday’s generator to produce the first diesel generators. But, let’s back up.

Before Portable Electric Power

For most of human history, portable power was limited to our own muscles and manual tools. Hammers instead of nail guns, hand drills instead of electric drills, shovels instead of trenchers. Of course, people had the help of animals—plows and carriages—or used water wheels to power mills, but widespread adoption of powered tools simply wasn’t possible until portable generators landed on the scene.

In fact, electric tools had been in use in factories in the 1800s but it took until the early 1900s until the first portable power tools were invented—the handheld electric drill, for example, was invented by S. Duncan Black and Alfonzo G. Decker in 1917.

The invention of portable tools coincided with innovations in portable generators and thus many modern construction abilities were born.

A Century of Diesel Generators

Rudolph Diesel’s original internal combustion engine was only about 75% efficient. In other words, 25% of the fuel that went into the generator was burned without generating power. Impressive for the time, of course, but paltry compared to modern efficiency standards. Over the course of the 1900s and into the 2000s, diesel generators became quieter, more efficient, and more portable.

That being said, diesel generators could never stand up to the stringent efficiency and environmental standards of today. Further innovation was needed.

Sustainable Energy Generation and Hybrid Systems

Innovations in solar, wind, and other sustainable sources of energy generation combined with modern, efficient electrical transmission lines make sustainable energy sources practical for permanent, stationary facilities. However, these technologies don’t exactly cut it for powering a construction site office trailer, hospitality suites at a PGA event or other temporary power requirement.

To power a construction site, reliable on-site energy generation is critical and, until recently, only diesel generators could meet that need. But, diesel generators need not act alone. Combined with hybrid energy systems like the POWRBANK from POWR2, portable energy doesn’t have to mean exclusively using loud, polluting generators.

POWRBANK uses a proprietary Energy Control Module (ECM) to automatically scale up and down generator use, and turn them off, depending on need. Any excess power generated is used to charge the POWRBANK system, virtually eliminating waste, minimizing pollutants, and mitigating excess fuel costs.

The original portable generators ushered in an age of rapid growth in construction and other sectors. Today, POWRBANK is enabling the same capability from a quieter, more efficient system. Whether a firm is looking to achieve its sustainability goals, meet regulatory environmental standards, or simply reduce fuel costs, POWR2 has the solution.