Teslas and other electric cars have quickly become popular among consumers who want to reduce their carbon footprint without compromising performance. But what about other types of vehicles and equipment, particularly those made for industrial uses with large diesel-powered engines? And how could greener forms of energy be effectively stored to lower costs and provide for continuity of operations? Brownfield redevelopment industry veteran Jon M. Williams, founder of OSC Holding, Inc., set out to change the status quo when clients posed this very question to him. After several years developing these solutions within OSC, Jon created Viridi Parente, which serves as the parent company for two product lines: Green Machine Equipment and Volta Energy.
Green Machine Equipment provides electric-powered drive systems for construction vehicles and related equipment. Electric construction equipment owners enjoy myriad benefits relative to their diesel-engine peers. First, many sites must have air quality monitoring in place. Running diesel-powered equipment in a confined space may risk running afoul of these standards, causing a site to be temporarily shut down. In contrast, battery powered equipment has no emissions. Second, battery-powered engines have lower maintenance costs and are far quieter than diesel engines. Finally, there is no trade off in performance; in fact, construction vehicles with Green Machine battery packs have the same torque and allow for greater control in certain circumstances.
While this relies on the same type of technology as electric passenger vehicles, the battery packs must withstand the challenging environments of industrial sites. To ensure safety, these batteries must be constructed for greater resilience considering the heavy machinery and harsh working conditions to which this equipment is routinely exposed. In addition, the batteries have enough charge to last a full shift, so they can run as long as conventional diesel-powered equipment.
Over 200 pieces of construction equipment, such as excavators and backhoe loaders, run on Green Machine Equipment battery power today.
In addition to battery-powered construction equipment, Viridi Parente also provides green energy storage solutions for a variety of use cases through its Volta Energy arm. These battery storage units are installed on-site at industrial, commercial, or residential facilities. This battery power can be used to ensure continuity of power in settings such as a medical facilities and manufacturing plants, or to ensure that traffic signals at major intersections don’t go dark during power outages. In addition, companies and consumers alike can use these lithium-ion battery packs to manage their electricity consumption during peak times.
Jon is bullish on Viridi Parente’s continued growth, as companies become aware of these greener alternatives and recognize their benefits. The company is growing quickly, raising about $100 million in its latest funding round and recently expanding its manufacturing capabilities.
To learn more about Jon’s experiences in brownfield redevelopment with OSC Holding, Inc. and his new ventures at Viridi Parente, listen to this month’s episode of the Redevelopment Institute Podcast here or on Spotify.