EcoLogic Solar CAGE: Reducing construction emissions

Sustainable Impact:

One of the biggest challenges on construction sites is having a sustainable energy source, when mains power is not available.

Construction often takes place in busy urban areas where people live, go to work and go to school, so reducing carbon emissions is not just about the environment.

“Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk to human health in the UK.”

– Caroline Culshaw, Head of Healthy Environment, Natural Environment Research Council.

OakTec developed a Clean Air Gas Engine (CAGE) generator that is optimised for lowest emissions, to replace diesel engines that are commonly used on constructions sites.

HS2’s extensive innovation programme with academic partners, such as Imperial College London, led to the CAGE field trial being funded by Innovate UK, part of the Clean Air Programme.

Advanté supplied an Oasis EcoLogic Solar welfare unit to trial the CAGE technology on a live construction site with HS2. The EcoLogic Solar welfare unit provides operatives on site with office, canteen and drying room facilities with two separate toilets, in one unit that is powered by solar panels and a backup hybrid LPG generator.

The CAGE and hybrid EcoLogic Solar technologies combined offer a sustainable energy solution to powering welfare, while effectively reducing carbon, noise and running costs.

“The unit’s been here for just over a year now and it’s been hugely successful…

We’ve been able to bring the technology to site, test it in an Advanté cabin, in a live construction site, do the trials and testing, and that’s then really progressing into the next phase of the project which will be a standalone, cleaner bio-LPG generator set.”

– Andrea Davidson, Air Quality Manager, HS2

“The trial has been amazing. We deployed this unit just over twelve months ago. We’ve never seen it since because it’s just worked.  The company that has been servicing it have reported no faults.”

– Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO, OakTec and CAGE Technologies Ltd

The EcoLogic Solar welfare unit is highly energy efficient and mainly powered by renewable solar energy. The addition of OakTec’s Clean Air Gas Engine reduces carbon emissions even further at times when the generator may be required to run.

By testing on a live construction site, the CAGE field trial has demonstrated how it is positively impacting the environment, surrounding communities and operatives on site.