equipment run the risk of theft. Batteries not in use should be stored in ventilated lock boxes. Battery equipment in open- air trailers are also exposed to direct sun- light, rain, various moisture levels, and dust more than enclosed tools. Mabe advises reviewing battery equipment manufacturers’ IP rating claims. “IP ratings will give you information on solid foreign objects and protection from moisture and water,” Mabe says. “IP ratings of battery electric tool platforms are especially important to research and understand prior to purchasing tools and operating an electric business route with an open-air trailer.”
Because of these issues, Blue Claw and Sebert Landscape, based in Bartlett, Illinois, opted to use enclosed trailers for their battery-powered fleets. Vega decided to create a patent-pend-
ing hybrid trailer that is half-enclosed and half-open air. While his battery-pow- ered mowers are exposed, everything else is stored inside the enclosed portion of the trailer.
OVERNIGHT VERSUS ON-THE-GO CHARGING Selecting enclosed trailers opens up the possibility of overnight or on-the- go charging. Vega prefers to only do overnight charging where the batteries charge on the trailer at his facility. He found this to be more productive than having crews unload all the batteries at the end of the day. He says it saves them probably 20 minutes a day. He says he sends his crews out with
six batteries per trailer and this is enough to get them through the day. Vega says he did look at adding solar panels to his eight trailers.
“I thought about it,” Vega says. “I did
some research and it was costing at that time around $10,000 per trailer to install solar panels and, for us, the return on investment was not there.” Because they only charge at their
facility, Vega says they had to make sure they had the infrastructure to support charging all the trailers simultaneously without tripping the breaker. They up- graded their control panel so each trailer has its own circuit breaker. “When you’re charging all these bat-
teries at the same time, it adds up,” Vega says. “We learned 20 amps per trailer and you don’t have the problem of tripping the breaker.” Dan Bitler, fleet manager for Sebert, says the size of your fleet should be a
serious consideration. “This will play a major role in the infrastructure needed to supply the nec- essary power to multiple batteries being charged simultaneously,” Bitler says. “One or two crews may be easily handled with little or minor mods to infrastructure. As the fleet size increases, so does the need to make changes to your infrastructure.” If you decide to charge your batteries
throughout the day, Bitler says you need to determine how you want to approach that, whether it’s solar, a gas-powered generator or a large battery bank. Sebert utilizes both solar panel trailers and plug- in trailers. Steve Pearce, vice president of operations for Sebert, says their solar panels charge a battery bank that is then used to charge the tool batteries. Bitler says it’s moderately challenging
to outfit an enclosed trailer with solar panels. They do theirs in-house and it takes them about one day. Deasy says they currently have one trailer with solar panels that they bought from Super Lawn Trucks. “We can run eight chargers at one time using solar to get all of our 30amp batteries charged,” Deasy says. Deciding to add solar panels is an operational and financial commitment. Mabe says that the total amount of battery capacity and amperage drawn from the chargers will determine how extensive and expensive a solar design will be.
“Solar charging is not just solar panels,”
Mabe says. “The investment is in the pan- els, backup battery, inverter, wiring, and other system monitoring components. The system will need upkeep as with any other system or equipment. Once companies determine a solar design can work, the costs need to be understood to ensure there is a clear pathway to a return on investment. Some will consider solar designs for personal reasons or to enhance the marketability of a compa- ny’s commitment to reducing fossil fuels in their overall operations.” Mabe says opting to use generators to
charge batteries in the field defeats the purpose of battery electric equipment. “Battery capacities and tool efficien-
cies have evolved enough to negate the need to use a gas generator for charging needs,” Mabe says. “We are now starting to observe some electric generators with battery storage and inverters used for supplemental charging in the field. Peo- ple need to do their math and figure out if it is more cost-effective to purchase another battery or two than invest in mobile gas or electric generators.”
BATTERY STORAGE AND SAFETY When adding charging docks to enclosed trailers, ensure there is proper ventilation and temperature control. Mabe advises understanding your total amperage draws with various chargers and hiring a licensed electrician to install
National Association of Landscape Professionals 19
Photos: Sebert Landscape
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