Polar Power, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells direct current (DC) power generators, renewable energy, and cooling systems for applications primarily in the telecommunications market and, to a lesser extent, in other markets, including military, electric vehicle, marine and industrial. The company is diversifying its customer base and are selling its products into non-telecommunication markets and applications at an increasing rate.
Within the various markets the company services, its DC po...
Polar Power, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells direct current (DC) power generators, renewable energy, and cooling systems for applications primarily in the telecommunications market and, to a lesser extent, in other markets, including military, electric vehicle, marine and industrial. The company is diversifying its customer base and are selling its products into non-telecommunication markets and applications at an increasing rate.
Within the various markets the company services, its DC power systems provide reliable and DC power to service applications that do not have access to the utility grid (i.e., prime power and mobile applications) or have critical power needs and cannot be without power in the event of utility grid failure (i.e., back-up power applications). Many applications in communications, water pumping, lighting, vehicle and vessel propulsion, security systems operate on DC power only. Many micro-grids and energy storage are DC based and use inverters to convert the DC to AC. Serving these various markets, the company offers the following configurations of its DC power systems, with output power ranging from 5 kW to 50 kW:
Base Power Systems: These stationary systems integrate a DC generator and automated controls with remote monitoring, which are typically contained within an environmentally regulated enclosure.
Hybrid Power Systems: These systems incorporate lithium-ion batteries (or other advanced battery chemistries) with the company’s proprietary battery management system into its standard DC power systems.
DC Solar Hybrid Power Systems: These stationary systems incorporate photovoltaic and other sources of renewable energy into the company’s DC hybrid power systems.
Mobile Power Systems: These are very light weight and compact power systems used for EV charging, robotics, communications, security.
The company’s DC power systems are available in diesel, natural gas, LPG / propane and renewable fuel formats, with diesel, natural gas and propane gas being the predominant formats.
Markets
The company primarily operates within the telecommunications market and, to a lesser extent, in other markets, including military, electric vehicle charging, marine and industrial. The company is continuously diversifying its customer base and are selling its products into non-telecommunication markets and applications at an increasing rate.
Telecommunications
The company provides power generation equipment for the telecommunications markets. The company’s equipment provides backup power to grid connected mobile tower sites during power outages resulting from severe weather like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods. Most telecommunications towers are equipped with battery backup for short term power outages. The company’s DC power generators are installed to address longer-term disruptions in power. The company also delivers products that provide prime power for off-grid telecommunications tower sites installed in remote and rural areas where reliability of the power grid is suspect.
The company developed products and configurations that target telecommunications applications with key features like high fuel efficiency, light weight and compact design. These features allow the company’s telecommunications customers to install equipment requiring a smaller footprint on building roof tops and compact commercial sites while also requiring less fuel storage due to the fuel efficiency of its products.
Military
The company is developing and marketing products to the U.S. military and large defense contractors in the U.S. and international markets. The need for light weight and compact DC power generation systems are vital for military operations and commonly used to charge storage batteries, provide backup emergency power, or provide startup power for aircrafts or weapon systems.
During 2020, the company directly and jointly partnered with defense contractors, provided DC hybrid power systems, with integrated controls providing higher fuel efficiency than legacy AC generators in use.
The company is in the process of development of next-generation higher output power DC power system. After conclusion of the testing of this higher power DC power system, the company plans to introduce a configuration of this product to the residential and commercial microgrid market in emerging markets. The capacity of 50 kW is sufficiently large enough to power a small rural hospital, dairy farm and a cluster of houses in a small village. The ease of connecting the company’s DC power system with solar, battery packs or any other source of energy like wind can introduce a sustainable solution in emerging markets. The 50 kW generator can also provide roadside emergency charging services for electric vehicles.
Electric Vehicle Charging
The company’s CHAdeMO style electric vehicle charger was initially designed in 2009 as a diesel-fueled mobile charger for EV manufacturers to aid in testing their vehicles in the field. The company has supplied these mobile chargers to five of the leading automakers in the USA. The company is improving this product using heavy duty 60,000-hour Toyota natural gas or propane engine. This product targets residential customers that own or are expected to own electric vehicles.
Residential and Commercial Power – Mini-Grid
The company envisions a hybrid system with natural gas or LPG integrated with a solar and battery system to generate power during peaks and valleys of demand. The company’s Mini-Grid system uses natural gas or LPG as primary fuel source, the same fuel as cooking fuel in rural and remote regions worldwide. In 2017, the company established sales offices near the emerging growth countries of Australia and U.A.E. setup to develop strategic alliances with distributors to promote its residential solutions to communities living in bad-grid and off-grid areas.
Business Strategy
The primary elements of the company’s business strategy are to further develop U.S. mobile telecommunications market; expand global sales to bad-grid or off-grid markets; further develop its new LPG and natural gas DC power systems; and expand renewable solar energy product offerings.
Technologies
The company developed solar refrigeration and air conditioning systems that operated directly with DC batteries, along with solar photovoltaic charge controls. The company’s DC power and refrigeration technologies drew the attention of various military projects. The company manufactured packaged remote home power systems for Arizona Public Service who in turn provided them to remote customers. The use of remote home power systems drew its attention to the need for DC generator sets.
The company’s initial products were predominantly designed for military applications and used as auxiliary power for vehicles, battlefield tanks and radar sites. The company’s DC power systems for commercial applications like mobile telecommunications towers, solar refrigerators and oil field applications.
The company introduced its 6200 PMHH alternator, which combines the attributes of homopolar alternator technology with a permanent magnet. When mounted on an engine and operated at either a fixed or variable speed, the model 6200 PMHH generates a precise amount of regulated voltage and current. The DC output can then be used to power electronics or charge batteries.
The company developed its own proprietary DC alternator to improve system efficiency and lower weight. The company’s design replaced a conventional 4-pole, three-phase designs with a light weight, 12-pole incorporating either 6 or 3 phases. Another unique aspect of the design of the company’s DC alternators is the elimination of bearings, internal wiring connections, and an exciter (i.e., a device which supplies the magnetizing current to generate working flux) to provide a longer life cycle than conventional motor designs in the marketplace.
The company’s Supra Controller networks all components via CAN bus communications and software and has the ability to control, analyze, monitor, record and communicate all key system parameters to ensure efficiency, safety and reliability of the overall system. The ability to remotely monitor and calibrate each system parameter, receive system alarms and auto-reset the system when a fault is corrected are the key differentiating factors of the company’s DC power systems.
In 2011, the company added charge algorithms for various lithium battery chemistries and integrated its proprietary battery management system, or BMS, with its Supra Controller software. In 2013, the company further expanded the integration of storage and renewable energy, such as solar and wind into its Supra Controller software resulting in the shipment of twenty off-grid telecommunications tower power systems to Australia.
During 2024, the company planned to continue its research and development efforts to further enhance these integrations for remote telecommunications towers in South East Asia and Africa. In 2018, the company developed its next generation BMS that enhances its technology to more accurately measure, monitor, control and integrate battery performance data with its Supra Controller. In addition, the company enhanced the user interface to allow it the ability to update or develop new charging algorithms in the field which can be remotely programmed or uploaded.
In 2018, the company introduced its Toyota natural gas / propane engine across its product line. The company has negotiated a supply agreement with Toyota for the engine and with Bosch for the ignition control. In December 2019, the company received its certificate of conformity from the EPA. These new generators provide power outputs between 5 kW to 15 kW and incorporate a 60,000- to 90,000-hour life engine with its proprietary control system. The company is marketing these stationary generators within the telecommunications, commercial and residential markets.
In 2021, the company began development of a higher power natural gas-powered DC backup power system utilizing larger engines and improved emission control systems. The implementation of 5G networks by Tier-1 telecommunication customers have significantly higher power requirements at cell sites than the previous 4G networks. In addition, use of 5G technology in IoT, video streaming, and data analytics applications requires cell sites to be operational 100% of the time which, in turn, increases the demand for reliable and fuel-efficient power generation backup systems. In March 2022, the company received its EPA certification on its 4Y Toyota engine, which is a larger engine model for used on its 20 to 30 kW DC power systems.
Products and Services
DC Base Power Systems
The ocmpany’s DC base power systems are designed for use in prime power and backup power applications. All of the ocmpany’s DC power systems are designed to last 20 years or more in backup applications and meet all UL2200 standards. The company incorporates (over and above our competition) the following: all aluminum, powder coated, enclosure with stainless hardware, which is lightweight and corrosion resistant; 105 C rated signal wire, tinned copper strands; stainless steel braided covering hoses for fuel and coolant lines; Class 220 C magnet wire for alternator windings; watertight connectors in place of terminal strips and other non-sealed connectors; and its proprietary Supra Controller™ modules that are environmentally sealed.
DC Hybrid Power Systems
In most backup applications, such as telecommunications and uninterruptable power supply systems, lead acid batteries are used for providing transitional power prior to the backup generator start-up. The company’s Supra Controller automatically cycles the generator off when the loads are small and cycles it on again when the load increases or the battery charge is depleted. This cycling reduces engine maintenance and saves significant quantities of fuel.
In 2011, the company completed the design and testing of a hybrid power system, where its DC power system was integrated with lithium-ion batteries to provide a longer life and higher fuel efficiency for cyclic DC power applications, such as telecommunications towers. In 2019, the company implemented its next generation BMS for its lithium battery storage system. This next generation BMS enhances battery charging accuracy, integrates with engine controls and provides additional protection for the lithium batteries.
The company’s DC hybrid power systems can monitor the charge/discharge cycle of various battery chemistries, including lithium-ion and lead acid batteries. The company’s Supra Controller system incorporates a CAN bus communications capability that provides communication and control between the battery and the DC hybrid power system. Each cell in the battery pack is individually monitored for voltage and temperature, ensuring the safety and longevity of the battery bank. These power systems include enclosures, a lithium-ion battery pack, the company’s proprietary BMS and its proprietary Supra Controller™ system that controls engine output, battery charging algorithms, cooling system and power control circuits that optimize DC load outputs.
DC Solar Hybrid Power Systems
The company’s DC solar hybrid power system combines its DC hybrid power system with solar photovoltaic modules and a custom engineered multi power point tracking charge controller. In most off-grid or bad-grid outdoor applications, such as telecommunications towers in rural or suburban areas, the fuel costs of operating a generator can account for more than half of the total operating costs. Incorporating renewable energy sources, such as solar, with the company’s DC hybrid power systems is ideal solution for numerous off-grid and bad-grid applications worldwide. The company’s DC solar hybrid power systems incorporate the following features:
Hybrid Power Panel: The company produces distribution panel assemblies that make use of punched and plated buss bars to make the heavy current connections between appliances.
Photovoltaic Arrays: The company’s telecommunications customers request photovoltaic array structures to withstand winds of 150 mph and 200 mph exceeding the industry standard of 120 mph.
Shelter: The company provides an all-weather light-weight aluminum walk-in shelter that is easy to transport by truck or helicopter.
Lightning Protection: The company provides the highest degree of lightning protection through the use of air-coil type inductors designed by it.
Air-Conditioning: The company provides DC air-conditioning if required in very hot weather environments. The company also provides cooling systems using ambient air.
The company’s environmentally friendly solar hybrid power systems based on a combination of solar with LPG and propane power sources offer savings in capital expenditures and operating expenditures. The company’s solar hybrid power systems have been specifically designed to run in residential applications and provide power outputs between 5 kW to 22 kW and incorporate a 30,000- to 90,000-hour life engine with its proprietary control system. The company’s natural gas generators when integrated with battery storage and solar are ideal microgrids for off-grid and bad grid residential and commercial applications.
Service and Support
Global Network Management Tools
The company offers global network management services through its telematics tool, which consists of its Supra Controller technology integrated with monitoring software. This hardware is integrated into each DC power system and collects critical data from the equipment and transmits this data back to the customer and the company’s service department. This capability allows the company and its customers to monitor system performance remotely and to remotely update the equipment with new revision software in the field.
The company’s telematics capabilities and services include automated and continuous remote monitoring with auto alerts and notifications that can be transmitted via email or text messaging; maintenance management, which provides ability to schedule preventative maintenance based on actual equipment usage; and real-time, bi-directional communication capability for remote upgrades, testing and troubleshooting.
The company’s telematics tools also provide information to its customers on specific equipment utilization that provides the abilities to determine the functional status of the equipment and proactively schedule maintenance. The company plans to use these tools to monitor and provides accurate billing for its rental equipment deployed at customer facilities.
Aftermarket and Service Parts
The company offers extensive aftermarket and service parts programs. The company maintains an extensive inventory of aftermarket parts and sells parts directly to customers or through its qualified network of service providers. In addition, the company requires its regional service providers to maintain sufficient quantities of aftermarket parts in their inventory to ensure minimum downtime upon product failure.
The company maintains accurate records of bill of materials for each serial number shipped and service its products well beyond their recommended lives. In the marketplace, the company’s products are known for their long life and durability.
Product and Warranty Support
The company utilizes a nationwide network of dealers and service providers to perform installation and warranty services for its customers. Through its dealers the company offers product commissioning as an added service to all its customers and require the purchase of such services as a condition for acceptance of any warranty claims in the future. The company offers installation of the equipment, preliminary testing, integration of equipment with other assets located at the site and introductory maintenance and safety training. The company offers various levels of fee-based services to support its products in the field. In addition, the company has trained product and application engineers that deliver high quality, responsive lifetime technical support to all its customers worldwide.
The company further supports its customers by using qualified regional independent service providers to perform warranty and aftermarket service and repair on its products. The company’s regional service providers are factory trained and certified prior to being authorized to repair or service its equipment. The company generally reimburses regional service providers for the warranty services they perform on its systems.
Sales and Marketing
The company’s sales strategy focuses on using its direct sales force to market its DC backup power products to telecommunications providers in the U.S. The company uses local regional sales managers in the U.S. market to demonstrate its products to Tier-1 telecommunications providers. The company’s products are purchased by regional centers operated by its telecommunications customers, thereby expanding its overall market into regions.
The company has established a sales and service infrastructure in international markets. The company established regional sales offices in Australia, the U.A.E., Poland and Dominican Republic and established sales and aftermarket service locations in Australia and Romania to manage the South East Asia and EMEA regions, respectively. The company also markets its products through its web site and by exhibiting its products at industry trade shows globally. The company’s primary sales are generated through product demonstrations and short-term rentals to demonstrate the capabilities of its products and value proposition to large mobile network providers worldwide.
Distribution and Service
The company services its products through various service partners that provide initial product installation and maintenance services. The promotion of the company’s natural gas powered Mini-Grid product, targeting off-grid and bad grid rural areas, will be undertaken by certified independent dealers. Expansion of the company’s dealer network will also provide additional opportunities for its DC power systems in the U.S. and other countries. The company utilizes a combination of factory trained technicians and independent service providers to provide installation, maintenance, service and training at customer locations throughout the U.S.
In the international markets, the company utilizes local service partners to perform installation and service on its equipment. The company has hired trained personnel in Australia, Romania, and South Africa to assist in regional training of technicians and also in product demonstrations.
Competition
The company’s primary competitors across these applications:
DC Power: 3Tech Corporate Limited, Ascot Industrial srl, Ausonia srl, and Controllis.
AC Power: Generac Power Systems, Inc., Kohler Co., Onan, FG Wilson and many other companies.
History
The company was founded in 1979. It was incorporated in the state of Washington as Polar Products, Inc. in 1979. In 1991, the company was reincorporated in the state of California and changed its name to Polar Power, Inc. In 2016, the company was reincorporated in the state of Delaware.
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