Natural Power's Product Innovation business ZephIR, which provides the industry leading CW lidar system ZephIR 300, has today announced a strategic alignment with remote power specialists Ampair to provide customers with a managed wind data and power service. Despite the very low power requirements of a modern lidar system such as ZephIR, a reliable and easily transported power supply is still important for the remote and harsh locations in which the system is often deployed. The strategic alignment provides ZephIR customers with an integrated and robust renewables power solution taking into consideration likely ZephIR deployment scenarios.

Industry veterans, Ampair, bring customers a network of international representatives who provide local support in selecting and maintaining either off-the-shelf or bespoke renewable power pods. A trailer version,  the TrailerPod™, which allows for deployment at sites with 4x4 access and a helicopter version, HeliPods™, which can be air-lifted, or moved by truck or boat to very remote sites, are available now and have been designed specifically for the ZephIR 300 system following many months of design, preparation and testing between the two companies.

Ian Locker, Managing Director of the ZephIR business within Natural Power said: “Our customers are primarily interested in getting highly accurate data with high availability, rather than providing power and support to equipment in remote locations. The option to work with Ampair means our customers don’t have to consider the remote powering requirements, ongoing refuelling logistics and costs. Put simply, this means that when the ZephIR is deployed with an Ampair power solution the customer has no requirement to visit that site again until the unit is relocated.”

Jeremy Davies, Marketing Director at Ampair commented: “The applications for Ampair power pod solutions are really limitless. These pods are self-charging and are fully automated; you can effectively leave them for years without the need for any fuel or maintenance.”

ZephIR is a validated, affordable, continuous wave lidar system. The proven core technology measures wind speed, direction and turbulence across the full turbine rotor diameter from 10 metres above ground level up to 200 metres and can remove the need for a tall met mast.