BOOSTING YOUR BUSINESS


Photos: (Above) Blue Claw Associates, Inc. (Right) Enviro Views


circuits, breakers, and wiring. Do not use power strips to plug in multiple chargers. Instead, use power managers like the TOWA PDM. Proper battery storage is necessary


to prevent overheating. Try not to store and charge batteries in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Be sure to carefully read the operating manuals to understand the recommended tem- perature thresholds where batteries are charged and stored. Mabe says while they have not


observed or experienced any melting of plastics, components, or lithium battery cells to date, AGZA does have data demonstrating excessive and constant exposure to higher temperatures will decrease the overall “Cradle To Grave” cycle life potential of batteries. Vega says he was concerned about


heat affecting his batteries at first, but then he realized their battery compart- ment was cool enough the batteries are safe. Bitler and Deasy note that while warmer weather hasn’t been an issue for them, they do have to store batteries in- doors to prevent damage from freezing temperatures. If you decide to go the open-air trailer


route, do not store your batteries in the truck cab in an attempt to keep them more secure. “Truck cabs are very small, enclosed


20 The Edge //July/August 2023


places with little to no ventilation unless in transport with the windows open,” Mabe says. “The upholstery and other materials are much more flammable than the materials of the back of a trailer or truck bed. This can cause an unventi- lated hot environment even in moderate temperatures. For these reasons, it is not recommended to store or charge batter- ies inside the cab of a truck.”


ADVICE FOR OTHERS Mabe says it is best to take your time transitioning your trailers for battery- powered operations. “Take time to explore ‘peer to peer’


information gathering and conduct several number crunching exercises on the associated costs of battery electric versus gas operations,” he says. “Weigh the benefits which are many, versus potential pitfalls, which can be financially catastrophic. Look for any tax credit or cost reduction programs available to you to lower the startup costs.” Deasy cautions that outfitting trailers


for battery operations is an expensive venture. They have around 15 to 20 batteries on each trailer. “You should really have solar panels, a bank of batteries to store the power absorbed by the sun and more batteries and chargers than you think you should have,” Deasy says.


AGZA recommends purchasing enough batteries to use and swap out during the day to meet your workload needs. Buying this many batteries is cost- ly upfront, but Mabe says it ensures you have extra power and eliminates range and usage anxiety. “Make it easy for the crews to use and understand the charging times and charging needs,” Pearce says. “It is a new way of operating crews. Training and buy-in are key to the success of the transition to battery.” Vega says one of the biggest keys to their success has been retraining his crews on how to use battery equipment. “With gas-powered equipment, you run out of gas, you pour in some more,” Vega says. “So with us, we’re like, okay, we bought enough batteries, but if you go full throttle, you’re going to run out of juice quickly.” He says when they first started using


battery equipment, they’d run out of power all the time until they learned they could use medium or low settings and go all day on one charge. “It’s just managing how to use your


tools and you’re still being productive,” Vega says. “The string trimmer was still doing its job; the hedge trimmer was still doing its job. It’s just that we’re so accus- tomed to gas power that we just going full-throttle everything all day long.” TE


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