SP-1 Project
Instant Power Off-Grid Charging System
SP-1 designed the Instant Power system for Vodafone Foundation, integrating solar input, wind input, battery management and AC inverter output into a deployable off-grid power platform.
Client
Vodafone Foundation, supporting emergency connectivity, education and humanitarian response programmes in disaster-affected and infrastructure-limited regions.
Objective
Develop a deployable off-grid power system that could support emergency infrastructure without requiring large battery packs to be shipped internationally. The system needed to use commonly available 12V car batteries as the energy storage medium, while integrating renewable charging inputs and AC power output into a portable system for field use.
Challenge
Power is one of the first practical problems in emergency response.
Communications equipment, charging systems, lighting and other support infrastructure all need reliable power, but disaster zones often have damaged mains supplies, limited fuel availability and restricted access for logistics teams.
Shipping large battery packs can also add cost, weight and transport complexity. Vodafone Foundation needed a power system that could be transported without the main batteries, then connected to locally sourced 12V car batteries once in country.
The system needed to support:
- off-grid operation in disaster response environments
- locally sourced 12V battery storage
- solar charging input
- wind turbine charging input
- inverter output for AC-powered equipment
- protected power distribution
- safe connection to multiple batteries
- simple field setup by trained users
- compatibility with wider Vodafone Foundation deployable technology systems
Solution
SP-1 designed and integrated the Instant Power off-grid charging system.
The system was built around a custom power management architecture that could connect to multiple standard 12V car batteries and manage renewable charging inputs from solar panels and a wind turbine. This allowed the main energy storage to be sourced locally, reducing the need to transport large battery packs with the kit.
The system design included solar input connections, a wind turbine input, battery terminals, inline fuse protection, Anderson battery connectors, powerCON input and output connectors, a solar charge controller and 24V to 220VAC pure sine wave inverter output.
By combining renewable inputs, local battery support and AC output into 1 managed system, Instant Power provided a practical off-grid power hub for emergency and humanitarian deployments.
Key features included:
- deployable off-grid power management system
- support for locally sourced 12V car batteries
- scalable battery bank using up to 4 x 12V batteries
- solar input for portable photovoltaic panels
- 3-phase wind turbine input
- integrated solar charge controller
- 24V to 220VAC pure sine wave inverter output
- optional second inverter output
- protected battery connection and fuse layout
- Anderson battery connectors
- powerCON input and output connectors
- custom PCB for power management and distribution
- designed for disaster response and field infrastructure support
Outcome
The Instant Power system gave Vodafone Foundation a more flexible way to deploy off-grid power in emergency environments. Instead of shipping a complete battery-based power system, the unit could be transported as a power management and renewable charging platform, then connected to locally sourced 12V car batteries near the deployment site. This helped reduce battery transport complexity while still giving response teams a practical way to create local AC power for emergency technology, communications equipment and support infrastructure.
Project highlights
Client: Vodafone Foundation
Application: Off-grid power for emergency response
System type: Deployable renewable charging and power management system
Core functions: Battery management, solar input, wind input, inverter output and power distribution
Battery support: Up to 4 x 12V locally sourced car batteries
Renewable inputs: Solar panels and wind turbine
Output: 24V to 220VAC pure sine wave inverter
Connectors: Anderson battery connectors and powerCON input/output
SP-1 role: Electronic design, PCB design, power integration, system architecture, connector layout and field-ready build
