Past opportunity
In-field Charging of Battery Equipment with Husqvarna Group
Industry
Sustainable products and services
Revenue
2020
$4.4B
Employees
2020
13,000+
Countries
2020
100+
About
Husqvarna Construction division has a strategic initiative regarding providing sustainable solutions including both the use of battery-powered products as well as sustainable ways of charging batteries. Our customers are today suffering from an insufficient and unstable supply of electricity on construction worksites, which can lead to usage of alternative charging solutions, including the use of non-renewable energy sources. We are therefore looking for solutions to further explore sustainable ways of charging multiple batteries on both urban and remote construction worksites.
Theme description
Husqvarna Group has designed, produced and sold products and services for over three centuries in more than 100+ countries. Our business strategy drive us in the transition to resource-smart and low-carbon solutions. The following challenge is provided by our Construction Division, a global leader in machinery and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries.
At the Husqvarna Construction division, we aim to drive transition to low-carbon solutions partly through innovation in battery-powered solutions. A technology that also resolves the issue of combustion fumes in the use phase. According to construction site workers, quieter motors satisfy noise legislations, which opens up more urban areas and day times for working hours. In turn, noise reduction also contributes to an improved safety feature for hearing, which also includes a reduction in physical injury due to the vibrations and kicks of large petrol-fueled machines.
Husqvarna Construction division intends to take a holistic approach addressing the use of battery powered tools as part of our solutions also including renewable ways of charging both tools and batteries.
This opportunity is part of Husqvarna Group’s Sustainovate Open. Read more about Sustainovate Open and Husqvarna Group’s Sustainability targets here.
Opportunity overview
The urgency of addressing climate change and, consequently, a shift in demand from the customer, has accelerated the development of battery-powered products, both for handheld tools and larger machines. Emissions, noise, safety, and sustainability are driving battery tool adoption across the construction industry. With an increasing amount of electrically corded and battery-driven products, a sufficient supply of electricity is needed. Unfortunately, the reliable supply of electricity cannot be guaranteed, neither on emerging markets nor on mature, due to lack of infrastructure, maintenance, increased demand for electricity as well as remote locations of the construction worksite. Increased use of stand-alone and non-renewable energy sources to independently charge battery products and batteries is therefore anticipated and therefore Husqvarna Construction division is looking for a low emission solution for in-field charging of battery equipment. The solution that we are looking for is an energy source, including an energy storage system suitable both for mature and emerging markets that would constitute a renewable alternative to the currently available solution of for example diesel generators. The solution would optimally be able to simultaneous charge several batteries and tools. In the solution, we highly value its operational efficiency, easy implementation and sustainability.
Please review our construction industry product catalogue for more information and context here.
Focus Areas
Examples of solutions we’re interested in
Sustainable on-site energy sources
We are looking for a solution to charge tools at locations where there is no access to the electricity grid. That means the energy source should be fully transferable and compatible to various construction site environments. We are open for any kind of idea, as long as it is sustainable - solar panels or hydrogen fuel cells, you name it.
On-site energy storage systems
We need to find operationally efficient solutions to store available energy at the construction site when the continuous energy income is not assured. We are widely looking for solutions from reuse of batteries in an energy storage system or stabilization the energy outlet from the electric grid.
Multi-charging of batteries on-site
Since the lifetime of one battery is usually not sufficient to last for completing a job, the operators need to carry multiple batteries. Thus, we look for the scalable and efficient solutions that charge multiple batteries at the same time.
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